context areas:
Political geography & regional environment of Ethiopia.
government:
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). The Federation is comprised of 9 states (regional governments which are vested with authority for self-governance), and two chartered cities (cities in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document, rather than by state, provincial, regional or national laws), Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Total country population is 96,633,458.
Regional State Governments and Capitals:
Afar Regional State: Semera
Amhara Regional State: Bahr Dar
Benishangul Gumuz: Asossa
Gambella Regional State: Gambella
Harar State: Harar
Oromia Regional State: Finfine (Addis Ababa)
Somali Regional State: Jijiga
SNNP Regional State: Hawassa
Tigray Regional State: Makelle
Current President of Ethiopia: President Mulatu Teshome
Ethiopia is a multi-party federal democracy with legislative authority resting with the government headed by an executive prime minister and the elected House of Representatives (547 members) and the House of Federation (110 members). Every five years, the Prime Minister is chosen by the party in power following multi-party democratic national and federal state elections. Parties can be registered at either the national or the federal state level. The President is elected by the members of the House of People’s Representatives.
General elections are regularly conducted on the national level with universal suffrage, secret ballots and multiple parties participating. However, elections are rarely free and fair. Civil rights are not guaranteed and are systematically violated in Ethiopia. There are no mechanisms or institutions to protect citizens against violations of their rights. Civil rights regarding the protection of personal liberty, the right of free information and assembly, the protection against torture, and guaranteeing equal access to justice and public education, are often violated.
Total country population is 96,633,458.
Regional State Governments and Capitals:
Afar Regional State: Semera
Amhara Regional State: Bahr Dar
Benishangul Gumuz: Asossa
Gambella Regional State: Gambella
Harar State: Harar
Oromia Regional State: Finfine (Addis Ababa)
Somali Regional State: Jijiga
SNNP Regional State: Hawassa
Tigray Regional State: Makelle
Current President of Ethiopia: President Mulatu Teshome
Ethiopia is a multi-party federal democracy with legislative authority resting with the government headed by an executive prime minister and the elected House of Representatives (547 members) and the House of Federation (110 members). Every five years, the Prime Minister is chosen by the party in power following multi-party democratic national and federal state elections. Parties can be registered at either the national or the federal state level. The President is elected by the members of the House of People’s Representatives.
General elections are regularly conducted on the national level with universal suffrage, secret ballots and multiple parties participating. However, elections are rarely free and fair. Civil rights are not guaranteed and are systematically violated in Ethiopia. There are no mechanisms or institutions to protect citizens against violations of their rights. Civil rights regarding the protection of personal liberty, the right of free information and assembly, the protection against torture, and guaranteeing equal access to justice and public education, are often violated.
addis ababa:
Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa, population of 2.8 million, is the largest city in Ethiopia and is the capital city of the regional state Oromia. It is the center of commerce and industry. Addis Ababa is the seat of the federal government including the House of Representatives and the House of Federation.
flag:
Green = hope and the fertility of the land
Yellow = justice and harmony
Red = sacrifice, heroism in defense of the land Blue = peace
Pentagram = unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
The three main colors of the flag (ca. 1895) were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors. The emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996.
Yellow = justice and harmony
Red = sacrifice, heroism in defense of the land Blue = peace
Pentagram = unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
The three main colors of the flag (ca. 1895) were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors. The emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996.
modern history:
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. What are believed to be the oldest remains of a human ancestor ever found, which have been dated as being some five million years old, were discovered in the Awash Valley in Ethiopia. This beats the discovery of "Lucy", a 3.2 million year old skeleton, who was unearthed in the same area in 1974.
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile Selassie (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. In fall of 2013, Mulatu Teshome was elected to a six-year Presidential post.
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile Selassie (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades. In fall of 2013, Mulatu Teshome was elected to a six-year Presidential post.
society:
Ethiopia is home to over 80 different nationalities and peoples.
Ethnic groups:
Oromo 34.4%, Amhara (Amara) 27%, Somali (Somalie) 6.2%, Tigray (Tigrinya) 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Afar (Affar) 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Silte 1.3%, Kefficho 1.2%, other 10.5%.
Languages:
Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic.
Religions:
Eth. Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.5%, traditional 2.7%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.6%
Ethnic groups:
Oromo 34.4%, Amhara (Amara) 27%, Somali (Somalie) 6.2%, Tigray (Tigrinya) 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Afar (Affar) 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Silte 1.3%, Kefficho 1.2%, other 10.5%.
Languages:
Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic.
Religions:
Eth. Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.5%, traditional 2.7%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.6%
snapshot of the people:
- 44.2% of Ethiopians are aged 0-14, 2.8% are over 65 years old
- average life expectancy for the total population is 60.75 years
- adult prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS is 1.3% (ranks #34 in the world)
- 49.1% of males and 28.9% of females are literate
- 1.1% of the population is obese
- 53% of Ethiopians aged 5-14 engage in child labor
geography:
Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing nations in the world, but poor transportation facilities have slowed the growth of agriculture in the country thereby affecting economic development. The government has undertaken projects to improve the country's transportation network including building Ethiopia's first expressway. Connection to Dijbouti port and Adama are expected to boost the import and export sectors in the country. The expressway also connects to Bale zone in Oromia Regional State, Dire Dawa, Somali region capital, Jijiga and Hawassa.
present day struggles:
Ethiopia's huge agricultural output has brought about an economic miracle for the nation. However, local inhabitants are being pushed out of their native land by foreign investors and have no share in the profits.
A new law named the Urban Lands Lease Holding Proclamation allows public authorities to nationalize urban lands and to expropriate at will all remaining forms of transferable and inheritable urban private property. Local farmers, the government, and foreign investors are embroiled in controversy over the nature and scope of a series of large land acquisitions made by foreign and domestic investors, a practice that has been called “land grabbing.” In the Gambela region people have mounted violent resistance toward this government policy, in which more than 70,000 Anyuaks were forced off of their ancestral land and relocated to 18 different camps, a term called "villigisation," to make way for investors’ plans for the land. Those who refused to leave were either killed or imprisoned. The government leased the land to investors for 99 years without compensation.
The following video highlights the pressing issues of land grabbing and villagisation. Sociologist Dessalegn Rahmato discusses the effects of land grabbing:
"Benefits to the local population are very little. The [investors] have taken away their land, they've taken away their natural resources because these investors are clearing the land, destroying the forest, cutting down the trees. So far the government claims that one of the aims of the investments was to enable local areas to benefit by investment in infrastructure, social services, but these benefits are not included in the contracts, it is only left to the magnanimity of the investors."
Mass displacement of powerless Ethiopian farmers has increased their struggle for survival. They have not received the social support promised to them, such as schools and clinics, and they struggle to farm enough food to feed their families.
A new law named the Urban Lands Lease Holding Proclamation allows public authorities to nationalize urban lands and to expropriate at will all remaining forms of transferable and inheritable urban private property. Local farmers, the government, and foreign investors are embroiled in controversy over the nature and scope of a series of large land acquisitions made by foreign and domestic investors, a practice that has been called “land grabbing.” In the Gambela region people have mounted violent resistance toward this government policy, in which more than 70,000 Anyuaks were forced off of their ancestral land and relocated to 18 different camps, a term called "villigisation," to make way for investors’ plans for the land. Those who refused to leave were either killed or imprisoned. The government leased the land to investors for 99 years without compensation.
The following video highlights the pressing issues of land grabbing and villagisation. Sociologist Dessalegn Rahmato discusses the effects of land grabbing:
"Benefits to the local population are very little. The [investors] have taken away their land, they've taken away their natural resources because these investors are clearing the land, destroying the forest, cutting down the trees. So far the government claims that one of the aims of the investments was to enable local areas to benefit by investment in infrastructure, social services, but these benefits are not included in the contracts, it is only left to the magnanimity of the investors."
Mass displacement of powerless Ethiopian farmers has increased their struggle for survival. They have not received the social support promised to them, such as schools and clinics, and they struggle to farm enough food to feed their families.
potential ngo/community group partners:
Ethiopian Human Rights Council, Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, Transparency Ethiopia, African Rally for Peace and Development, Forum on Sustainable Child Empowerment, Initiative Africa, Organization for Social Development, Hundee Oromo Grassroots Organization, Amudaeas, and Research Center for Development and Education.
*In 2009, Ethiopia enacted the Civil Society Law (CSO) which prohibits foreign NGOs from engaging in activities pertaining to human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, disability rights, citizenship rights, conflict resolution or democratic governance. Even local NGOs that receive more than ten percent of their funding from foreign sources are considered “foreign” for the purposes of the law. There are three new classifications that all NGOs must fall under: Ethiopian charities and societies, Ethiopian resident charities and societies, and foreign charities and societies. Since the vast majority of domestic human rights NGOs in Ethiopia receive the bulk of their funds from foreign sources the new CSO law will force them to either close their doors or drastically alter the scope of their work. An enlightening table in an article titled Who survived? Ethiopia's regulatory crackdown on foreign-funded NGOs illustrates how existing NGOs altered their mission and function after the implementation of the Civil Society Law.
*In 2009, Ethiopia enacted the Civil Society Law (CSO) which prohibits foreign NGOs from engaging in activities pertaining to human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, disability rights, citizenship rights, conflict resolution or democratic governance. Even local NGOs that receive more than ten percent of their funding from foreign sources are considered “foreign” for the purposes of the law. There are three new classifications that all NGOs must fall under: Ethiopian charities and societies, Ethiopian resident charities and societies, and foreign charities and societies. Since the vast majority of domestic human rights NGOs in Ethiopia receive the bulk of their funds from foreign sources the new CSO law will force them to either close their doors or drastically alter the scope of their work. An enlightening table in an article titled Who survived? Ethiopia's regulatory crackdown on foreign-funded NGOs illustrates how existing NGOs altered their mission and function after the implementation of the Civil Society Law.
websites referenced:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_city
http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/index.htm
http://www.mfa.gov.et
http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
http://www.icnl.org
http://www.bti-project.orghttp://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/humanrights/documents/ethiopiacsopaper-nov2009.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/aseem/ripe2015.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_city
http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/index.htm
http://www.mfa.gov.et
http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
http://www.icnl.org
http://www.bti-project.orghttp://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/humanrights/documents/ethiopiacsopaper-nov2009.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/aseem/ripe2015.pdf