In May 2026, my multimedia project The Hope of New Flowers, extended into a panel discussion that I hosted at a local Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.

When bringing my panelists on to the idea to have a public discussion about their discoveries, I sent them a pdf of questions to help assist them in their conversations.

I realized while putting this pdf together, and advertising for the panel, how deeply important these discussions are to the Ethiopian/Eritrean diaspora. It’s been moving and also exciting to see that so many of us are seeking to know more about our roots and the stories of our families that remain unsaid.

The questions in this pdf are inspired by the questions I’ve asked my own father when discovering his life story, and also inspired by the questions I have yet to ask. For those of you who decide to use it, I hope it helps reveals answers to questions you didn’t even know you wanted answers to!