Passing through all the up and down, Ethiopia has experienced so many challenges in the past few years of its history. Internal instability, economic burdens, political woes made things hard for the country. Those challenges seek due attention to be resolved in a peaceful manner.
The conflict in the northern part of the country, and the prolonged conflicts in various parts of the nation are some of the prominent issues that bold intervention. To end those challenges, the country needs a national consensus and dialogue without leaving anyone behind. Everyone must be heard and its idea should be the cornerstone to build a greater nation that holds everybody.
Achieving the desired objective, the incumbent has established the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) to address those prominent hurdles the country could not pass. It plans to achieve its mission by creating conducive conditions for national consensus by: identifying the root causes of deep division and discord among the Ethiopian society through research, and public dialogues; conducting national dialogue and presenting recommendations to the concerned bodies as well as designing the implementations monitoring system thereof. The commission has started to implement its mandates and responsibilities and has been taking all possible steps to reach to its goals.
Those goals could be achieved if the commission exercises some values. Commission also states that inclusivity, clarity, credibility, neutrality, rationality, content orientation, and among other are its values throughout the process.
The commission has established different segments to gather the agenda from the people. Its bold moves started when the commission kicked off its duties by gathering people’s agenda from Addis Ababa residents. Residents of the capital from every corner have gather in the Adwa Memorial to bring all the major agenda. Again, the agenda gathering process has passed to State Government of Harari and Dire Dawa.
Ethiopia is carrying out several activities to conduct an inclusive national dialogue. As part of this process agenda-gathering, activities have already been completed in several parts of the country.
The notion that the commission uses is that everyone must be heard and ideas and agenda points must be incorporated in each process. To this regard, the commission has recently received agenda points from the Ethiopian Diaspora and diplomatic communities as bringing those the communities in will foster wholeness of the entire process.
The agenda-gathering effort aims to collect diverse perspectives and issues from across Ethiopia to inform the upcoming national dialogue process and make the process more inclusive. Accordingly, Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has today received agenda items gathered from the diaspora.
The Addis Ababa Diaspora Association handed over the agendas and a video clip to the Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, Prof. Mesfin Araya today.
At the occasion, Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission Chief Commissioner, Prof. Mesfin Araya expressed gratitude to Addis Ababa Diaspora Association for bringing their agenda and the video clip that helps to facilitate the national dialogue process.
The commissioner said the commission is committed to incorporate agendas proposed by Ethiopians living abroad, emphasizing the importance of fostering dialogue on national issues and enhancing inclusive participation.
The chief commissioner added that the commission is ready to embrace agendas of the diaspora community, urging the diaspora community to bring their issues for national dialogue and consultation.
Highlighting ongoing efforts to bridge fundamental national differences and facilitate engagement through established operating guidelines, the chief commissioner stated that the commission remains open to receiving agendas from Ethiopians at home and abroad.
To date, the commission has conducted over ten online consultations with Ethiopians across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and beyond. Drawing on examples from other nations, he noted that many have successfully navigated internal challenges through similar consultations that lead to peace and development.
Addis Ababa Diaspora Association Vice President Solomon Gizaw on his part echoed the activities of the commission as a beacon of hope for peace and security. Peace brings benefit, not losses, he noted, reaffirming his association’s commitment to support the commission for the betterment of the country.
On top of that, people who are participating in the agenda gathering process praised the ongoing practice. Participants comprised from Afar town administrations and woredas pinpointed that the dialogue would be viable towards addressing differences and sustaining lasting peace and development.
Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Clan Leader from Dulecha Woreda Ibrahim Ali the National Dialogue would be a powerful platform to suggest solutions on the rolling out communities’ disparities and grabbing national development agendas in unison. Ibrahim has also noted that it is also highly important to table common national and trans-boundary pressing issues inclusively.
He said, “Communities living in Afar have exemplary home-grown conflict resolution customs. The National Dialogue would be an opportunity to share and contribute our own experiences in this regard.”
Similarly, representative from zone 4 Wolina woreda pastoralist Aden Agdissa Aden underscored that the dialogue has a paramount significance to sustainably address long-aged disagreements thereby ensuring national sustainable development.
Aden, on behalf of pastoralists, traders, government employees, students, women, youth among many other segments of the societies, said that dialogue which is being held in the Afar capital Semera helps foster sustained peace to the generations.
He said, “I firmly believe that the ongoing dialogue has generational value.”
For her part, Semera City Representative Medina Ibrahim echoed that the agenda collection phase helped the residents not only for the state but also for the country at large to raise collective issues.
Urging the people in all walks of life not to miss the historic milestone and golden opportunity that flickers hope to the future, she emphasized the need to leverage properly to tackle natural and manmade calamities once and for all.
By the same token, Wuhaji Mohammed from Awash City Administration said that they are raising and identifying core agendas which are being tabled in the ongoing dialogue to settle lasting peace across the country. The agenda gathering process is expected to finalize within three days, EPA learnt.
BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER 2024
