Ethiopia is Africa’s oldest independent country. Apart from a five-year occupation by Mussolini’s Italy, it has never been colonized. Ethiopia was considered a beacon of hope for millions for Africans and other nations around the world. The country has also a unique feature of being a mosaic of nations, nationalities and peoples.
Be that as it may, Ethiopians have historically been victims of injustice and brutal oppressions perpetrated by successive ruling classes and political regimes that was characterized by cultural assimilation under the unitary state structure.
The unitary form of government that has prevailed in the country has never considered the political, cultural and economic interests of the nations and nationalities. Nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia had suffered until recent past under the guise of united Ethiopia. Despite of all these tribulations, the peoples of Ethiopia, which has been described as a mosaic of nations, nationalities and peoples, has determinedly managed to live in peace and harmony with one another.
With the promulgation of a new democratic constitution in August 1995, a federal system was instituted with a formation of a federal government with nine regional states. In a clear contrast to the previous regimes, the constitution recognized equality of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and allowed them a level of political representation and sovereignty to certain extent.
The Constitution of the land puts all Nations, Nationalities and Peoples on equal footings and protects their rights while fulfilling their responsibilities. Equally important, the Constitution laid down the foundation of the expediency unity in diversity and recognizes and respects the over eighty-five ethic groups in Ethiopia with the same status.
This has undeniably has brought a number of opportunities to the Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples particularly with respect to the right to self-administration as well as developing their culture and languages. While this is an important step forward in terms of establishing a particular the foundation and structure, there is still a long way to go with respect to strengthening national unity.
With regard to this, the country has currently been experiencing strange inter communal clashes and violent conflicts affecting some parts of the country, particularly in Oromia, Amhara, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ States._ In addition to intense anti-government protests that took place in some parts of Oromia and Amhra Regional states, the cross- border clashes in the Oromia and Somalia areas appears to be horrifying to observe and hear about by all standards. Dozens of people were reported to have died in these conflicts, while leading to the displacement of hundreds_of_thousands_from their homes._ In light of this situation, many have hold the view that an open and honest national conversation on national unity and civil harmony, i.e., genuine nation building endeavor, is absolutely important.
As a quick step to this, a symposium titled “Nation Building in Ethiopia: The Quest for an Enduring Direction was held recently jointly organized by the Institute for Democratic Electoral Assistance, the Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies Institute and Norway-based Aadland Consult. Participants of the symposium were composed of prominent political party leaders, renowned academicians, researchers, senior journalists, respected personalities, religious leaders, and so on.
While opening a symposium Muferiyat Kemil, Ideological Advancement at the Prime Minister’s Office said that over the past several decades, successive governments in Ethiopia have been preoccupied with the task of building or establishing centralized government structures. She added that the current government has also been engaged in building state capacity to govern and laying down feasible structures that facilitate efforts aimed at entrenching peace and stability on the one hand and ensuring fast economic growth and overall socio-political transformation on the other.
Muferiyat also said that Ethiopians have not as yet developed a strong sense of common belonging anchored in integrated nationhood and emphasized the importance of paying serious attention to the issue of optimal ways of managing diversity and accommodating differences that undoubtedly culminate in the forging of shared values and histories that constitutes a collective Ethiopian identity.
Muferiyat noted that the government and Ethiopians at large believe that different stakeholders in Ethiopia including government, civil society, religious and cultural groups, youth and women associations, etc. should endeavor hard in understanding the positive ramifications of upholding the nation-building project. To this end, drawing lessons from others where both glory and agony served as a glue to bring people together under one flag of working for a common destiny is presumed to be invaluable in surmounting the multifaceted challenges that Ethiopia faces at present, she added.
According to Muferiyat, there must be a central sense of conviction and desire to coexist peacefully with others regardless of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Patriotism is a positive force towards realizing a grand project such as this type. With a pre-emptive value, it could be employed in creating a reconciliatory direction among diverse communities, sectors and stakeholders. Thus, patriotism creates a common platform and understanding for people of different ethnicities and beliefs in a country to work together in a positive and constructive manner in nation-building activities, she explained.
Muferiyat further emphasized that it is high time now to make “nation building” a national movement in which every citizen is counted to come on board.
Professor Kassahun Berhanu, Chair of the Working Group facilitating the symposia on his part said the just opened symposium deals with conceptual and theoretical entry points and international and regional experiences in nation building and that a subsequent one planned to be held mid next month will zero in on opportunities and challenges surrounding nation building efforts in Ethiopia.
“This is to be followed by drafting a roadmap document that would be submitted to the Government,” he announced.
Highly prominent international experts are making presentations in the two-day symposium that brought together participants from various sections of society Professor Kassahun Berhanu, Chair of the Working Group facilitating the symposium on his part said the just opened symposium deals with conceptual and theoretical entry points and international and regional experiences in nation building and that a subsequent one planned to be held mid next month will zero in on opportunities and challenges surrounding nation building efforts in Ethiopia. “This is to be followed by drafting a roadmap document that would be submitted to the Government,” he announced.
Prominent international experts including Christopher Clapham, Dr. Zeresenay Almseged, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, Professor Fantu Cheru, Professor Mohammed Salih and Dr. Guetner Schroeder delivered presentations in the two-day symposium.
Some other speakers like Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged, who is a well-known paleoanthropologist from the University of Chicago, also presented an interesting paper on a scientific and anthropological perspective on nation building in Ethiopia in which he considerably reflected the significance of humanity in the harmonization of a nation or a nation building project.
The symposium finally concluded by reaching a common consensus that for nation building to remain relevant, a sense of unity and solidarity should be constructed, based on shared experiences of exclusion and marginalization that cut across ethnic and religious differences.