Pushing the national dialog to fruition

 BY MENGESHA AMARE

Close talks and amicable conversations among/between people of the same country are instrumental in solving long heaped problems no matter how complicated and trying the latter may be. Besides, scores of political, civil society, religious and other segments of the society should join in these sorts of discussions so as to foster the fruition of national dialog.

As Ethiopians are now well aware of the root causes of all odds and disparities, they have started devising possible solutions to the problems from which the country as well as its population has been suffering for years. Besides, a cross-section of Ethiopians, civil societies, opinion leaders, religious fathers, predominantly, the national dialog commission would undoubtedly play an invaluable role in fostering domestic contract to get the root causes of political, economic and social crisis that have been engulfing the country still dried, peculiarly for the recent to three years the transition to democracy, prosperity and permanent stability has been threatening to derail.

Needless to state, the unbearable ethno-political fault lines that have so far divided the country may be sustainably spanned only at the negotiating table fostered by a national dialog if it is steered in a genuine, transparent and inclusive manner following dependable system. Ethiopia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity should by no means be negotiated in the name of a national dialogue. The uncompromising statehood of the country should not be questioned to the extent of dismemberment and dismantling under the pretext of negotiating a deal.

The envisioned dialogue for the national consensus needs to be accompanied by a transitional, restorative justice strategy, indeed, as the latter is an essential tool for societal healing and holding culprits of mayhems accountable. Frankly speaking, in a post-conflict scenario short of impartiality, enforcing accountability against offenders and appropriate reparations for the victims, noinsightful, durable peace and reunion can be garnered.

As practically witnessed in Ethiopia right now, post-conflict societies are in a crumbly condition in which social cohesion needs to be gradually rebuilt. One of the tools employed to restore social cohesion in the country especially in war affected localities is the organization of a national dialogue which would allow the majority, if not all, of society’s political and civil society actors to air their grievances and make concrete recommendations for the long-lasting resolution of conflict.

In due course of conducting the national dialog, key lessons learned emerge from Tunisia and Yemen’s national dialogues which are worth considering by countries in similar transitional phases such as ours. The economy should be revitalized at the same time as the dialogue is taking place; spoilers, whose participation in national dialogues can hide ulterior motives, should be minded and the national dialogue should assuage the fears of all participants and their constituencies by fostering tolerance for diversity within a society.

Besides, the national dialog should be overseen by an authority which is deemed legitimate by all participants. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list of the requirements for a successful national dialogue, recent history shows us that these are core elements which should not be overlooked when carrying out social cohesion efforts.

Initiatives that foster national dialog are needed in Ethiopia these days more than ever before. It is also vividly clear that the national dialog Ethiopia has been aspiring since a longer period would provide an inclusive, broad, and participatory official negotiation framework, which can resolve political crises and lead the country into political transition. With mandates that include political reforms, constitution-making and peace building, the National Dialog is convened to address issues of national concern, typically longstanding causes of conflict that have been brought to the fore by political protest or armed insurrection.

A national dialogue can be a useful approach along the path toward sustainable peace. In line with the foundational principles of peace building, the shape, form, and structure of any national dialogue need to be tailored to the specific context. The temptation is to look to national dialogue as the transformative step in a peace agreement.

Taking the fact that a national dialog is not a panacea, but viable avenue leading a country to the right direction to deal with problems of all sorts, Ethiopia needs to capitalize on this scheme as it is the best conceived part of a broader continuum of mutually reinforcing local, subnational, and national as well as international efforts fostering dialogue, forging agreements, and driving the democracy and stability wheel well. National dialogue is a concept used to refer to a group of discussions about a topic or topics of crucial importance in order to reach a level of agreement that is bearable.

As national dialogue has been largely utilized to create a peaceful platform for a political settlement in a particular setting, it has now come to be ideal for conflict resolution. It also offers the opportunity for meaningful discussions about the underlying causes of conflict and how to effectively address these issues in a comprehensive approach by extending the conversation about a Ethiopia’s destiny beyond the typical circle of elite decision makers.

If national dialogue includes concepts like inclusiveness, openness and public participation, a broad agenda, a trustworthy convener, appropriate and clear norms of process and implementation plan, it may have a higher chance of success. The national dialogue would aid in igniting extensive discussions about a nation’s long-term destiny beyond the usual decisions made by a small group of elites. The discussion is, in theory, intended to take place as an inclusive dialogue with the ultimate goal of reaching a national consensus on the contentious topics that are of the utmost importance to a particular nation.

Transitional or restorative justice is the process where all the stakeholders irritated by an injustice have the chance to candidly discuss how they have been affected to decide what should be done in order to repair the harm caused to them.

Apart from the individual victims, crime typically has a negative impact on the community as a whole. Transitional justice should therefore be used in a constructive way to help societies recover. Assigning active responsibility to the perpetrator and working to put the victim and the community back in their pre-crime positions are both priorities.

Offenders are informed that they have committed a crime and should be punished for their wrongdoings in an open and transparent setting. They must at least apologize for their depraved deed or atone because that is not enough on its own.

No dialogue of any typology and proportion for peace can ever be wrong between and among multiple communities in a commonly shared polity with a view to harmonizing their diverse interests and aspirations. In the context of the proposed national dialogue, failing to enforce accountability and to deliver justice would perhaps amount to a futile exercise. Yearning for genuine peace in the absence of justice for the victims would remain a rather farfetched enterprise.

In this context, the nexus between peace and justice is so tricky that it might, sometimes, be hard to determine the exact status of one’s relationship to the other. Peace facilitates the normal conduct and functioning of law and justice, whereas the prevalence of justice is in turn bound to guarantee and consolidate lasting peace in a country in distress.

Other outstanding items of the proposed dialogue may amplify the preference of individual rights over collective or group rights. Ethiopia is a country with a proud history of continuing statehood and a magnificent record of anti-colonial struggle against external domination and aggression. It is also an iconic nation for its perpetual legacy as a cradle of human civilization and the leadership of the Pan-African movement. To that effect, the dialogue has to address the root causes of the conflict the country has been grappling with for over a year now to deal with its painful scars in a sustainable way.

This noble initiative, the national dialogue, needs to be as inclusive as possible in order to address the political differences underpinning the root causes of the violent confrontation and its consequent bloodshed. In a nut shell, national dialog is an increasingly popular tool for conflict resolution and political retransformation. Ethiopia’s trajectory of merely elite centered decision making has to be transformed to all inclusive aspects so long as every citizenry of the nation has to have say in their own country’s affairs.

The effort geared towards creating lasting peace, a confidently stable and prosperous nation and having a livable and peaceful environment, the national dialog needs to employ fundamental principles like becoming a popular tool for conflict resolution.

Besides, the national dialog should by no means be misused by leaders to consolidate power and external elements which would like to twist arms to serve their interest under the guise of being viable mediators or amicable arbitrators. The national dialog will have higher likelihood of success if it incorporates, among others, inclusion, transparency, public participation, far-reaching agenda, lucid implementation plan even though there is no one-size-fits all tactic.

 Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2023

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