Member of Knesset Addisu Messele is the first of Ethiopian origin to serve in Israel’s parliament. The University awarded him its Humanitarian Award of Merit. Here are excerpts from his remarks: ‘It Burns in My Bones’ “I have to admit that whatever I did for my community was done because I have a moral obligation to do so. Awards or no, I have no choice. I will continue to do as much as I can because I have to do it, because it burns in my bones…. “This [the dramatic Ethiopian aliya operations] was just the beginning. The hard road, the real tasks are still ahead of us: Our people are facing many problems and difficulties. They have to learn a new language, get used to a new culture…. “We know that we have a long way to go toward our goal to become an integrated part of Israeli society. We know that education is the key to our success….I call upon all the universities and colleges…to follow the example of Haifa University and become partners in this most important challenge....Our progress will determine the face of Israel in the next generation.”