BY TILAHUN BEJITUAL (PhD)
Ethiopians have an enduring socio-cultural wealth that has brought cohesion and interdependence among diverse communities in the country. Traditional and indigenous forms of social capital have perennially helped Ethiopians co-exist fairly, peacefully. Various indigenous mechanisms, from conflict and dispute resolution to crisis management at individual or community level, are serving the society to the present day. The robust social capital is probably the reason why Ethiopia has constantly been proving doomsayer alarmists wrong in their rather dire prophetic allusion to the former Yugoslavia. An oft-taken-for-granted form of capital that still serves societies at micro level, social capital, however, is not only an understudied subject in academia but also an untapped form of capital at macro level politics and governance.
he present day socio-political challenges that are testing the country can hardly be solved by formal ways alone. It requires short and long-term as well as formal and non-formal solutions. While security and stability issues may be responded to and addressed by security and legal apparatus, the more viable and sustainable solution to many problems can be drawn from the rich social capital of the Ethiopian society.
If new problems require new solutions, old problems can also be addressed by old solutions. However, one cannot rule out the potential of old solutions to new problems and that of new solutions to old problems alike. In all these cases, social capital can be a solution to both new and old problems if used appropriately. In view of this, there are various forms of social capital in Ethiopia that enhance peace, social cohesion, harmony, consensus and societal unity. Such traditional agents of conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions of peace as YeHager Shimagile, Abbaa Gadaa, Hadhe Sinqe, Yejoka Shengo, Abegar, Jaarsa Biyyaa, among others in various societies can still be instrumental in the cultivation of a culture of peace and in the process of peace building and national consensus in Ethiopia.
In this short piece, I would rather like to share the genesis of an emerging social capital in Ethiopia that has come out in the shape of “Peace Mothers” which, if supported and nurtured well, has a huge potential in various peace building initiatives in the country. Let me first give what it is and then will point out its merits and potentials to peace building in Ethiopia.
Peace Mothers (YeSelam Enatoch)
It all started by some 21 volunteer mothers hail from all regional states of Ethiopia. The very idea of starting the Peace Mothers Initiative came on the occasion of a certain national event that brought some of the founding members together nearly three years ago. In fact as the characteristic of many other social capitals in Ethiopia, this initiative seems to have been born out of challenges and problems.
Genet Assefa, one of the founding members and a head figure of the Peace Mothers, notes that the fundamental reason behind establishing the very initiative is the “satiety for peace”, and Peace Mothers was born out of “fear and frustration”. With the support and green light from the Ministry of Peace for their noble initiative, the group of mothers has been receiving recognition and fame since then. The mothers have also been trying to be a voice and messenger of peace and reconciliation. It has to be noted here that though as a society that is often unfairly glossed over as proportionally patriarchal, the Ethiopian society already has several women-centered social capital.
Non-formal indigenous associations such as tsewa, eddir, mahiber, baltina, etc are the loci of social capital formation at micro level for women in Ethiopia. On top of that, mother (Enat in Amharic) is a powerful concept that symbolizes care, kindness, forgiveness, and above all country, to name but a few. The emergence of mothers in Ethiopia as embodiment of peace and reconciliation, thus, may not be surprising.
What have the Peace Mothers been
up to?
In the last couple of years since its establishment in 2018, the Peace Mothers Initiative has put itself up to a big test. To wit, it ventured out into a tall order of paving the way for an ill-fated negotiation between TPLF and the Ethiopian government. Although their offer of an olive branch to the then administration of the Tigray State did not actually bring about peaceful negotiation, their efforts were worthy of their raison d’être – being a messenger of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation!
According to members of the Peace Mothers delegation who travelled to Mekelle back in 2019, the journey was quite an overwhelming experience for the young initiative amidst tension, between the then Regional State and the Federal Government, was scarily so high. Now they actually have no regrets for they put in their possible efforts and took lessons from that particular experience. Members now leave no stone unrolled if an effort is deemed to bring about peace. While they literally kneel down, implore forgiveness, and cry out for peace wherever they go, they also tailor and craft their message to be fit to a context. For example, according to Genet, they have this astounding peace mantra they preach to the youth: “We mothers labor at least three times in our lives: One, when we gave birth to you; two, when you face misfortune; and three, when we now deliver peace! We need your help in the third one – in delivering peace!” In a word, they are trying to be the voice and emblem of peace in Ethiopia in every opportune moment for them to demonstrate the enigma of being mother and its powerful connection to peace.
Free from any political interest, the initiative advocates peace, unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Genet also underlines that this group of peace-loving mothers are not after fame, nor money. One of the most interesting aspects of this emerging social capital is that members have a diverse background. To put this in the language of social capital literature, the initiative qualifies for bonding, bridging and linking social capital. As an all women group, it is bonding but in terms of a bridging social capital, the members belong to diverse backgrounds coming from various regional states of Ethiopia. More importantly, as a linking social capital, there are educated and non-educated members while the regional peace mother representatives also converge at national level. The relevance of such social capital in diverse society that is being challenged by myriads of economic, social, political and cultural pressures is immense.
However, despite supports coming to these mothers from the Ministry of Peace, the last couple of years were not a free ride for these mothers, to be reckoned with. Traveling to insecure places, health issues with fragile members, lack of proper documentation and media coverage, incapacity to widen their influence across regions and down administrative units of the country, unsustainable financial source are some of the challenges these women are grappling with.
Interestingly, however, they “do not complain,” and in the words of Genet, “if we have to face such challenges, let it be, for it is the least price we should pay in pursuit of peace.” They are rather encouraged by the support and endorsement they have been receiving at various platforms across the country.
What next?
Having been motivated by encouragement and support, these mothers are planning, among others, to make a nation-wide tour in the near future with an eye toward consolidating inter-regional peace among and between regional states in Ethiopia. Among their targets, they have set their sights on rebuilding trust and peace between Tigray and Amhara regional states.
In order for these mothers to achieve their noble vision of peaceful and stable Ethiopia, they need support. According to Genet, while these mothers are appreciative of the recognition and honor of being invited to various ceremonial events as “peace mothers”, the group and its initiative needs closer collaboration and support. As such they should be “supported and consulted in addition to being invited to events and ceremonies.” In short, as an emerging social capital that is organically born out of good will to be a voice for peace and harmony at such a challenging time, the Peace Mothers initiative should be nurtured and promoted if mothers can really deliver peace – deliver in every sense of the word!
Editor’s Note: Tilahun Bejitual (PhD) is a Cultural and Social Affairs Advisor, FDRE Ministry of Peace; Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies, Bahir Dar University. He can be reached at tilahunbzm@gmail.com
Peace Mothers kneeling down and imploring forgiveness © Ministry of Peace
The Ethiopian Herald 27 March 2021
