Ethiopia: Nat'l Dialogue in Position to Implementation

- Having conducted extensive agenda collection, representatives' identification and other preliminary activities, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) revealed its procession to the implementation phase.

The ENDC held a consultation forum yesterday with various stakeholders to brief the latter on preliminary activities it has been conducting thus far. Speaking at the occasion, the ENDC Chief Commissioner Prof. Mesfin Araya stated that the council is at the stage to pass to the critical dialogue that is expected to address the longstanding and contentious issues.

The National Dialogue is also expected to create consensus on national agendas among Ethiopians. To this end, the commission has been conducting the agenda collection, representatives' identification and other preliminary activities which, according to Prof. Mesfin, accompanied by strong public involvement. "The participation of different actors to take the National Dialogue at this implementation phase is immense and worth recognition."

The Chief Commissioner further highlighted that they have been applying check and balance mechanisms to ensure inclusivity during participants' identification and other preliminary activities. Moreover, the commission has made extensive awareness creation programs starting from the public to the Diasporas community and others. "The ENDC has been pushing armed groups to be part of the dialogue and encouraging them to cease hostilities.

The National Dialogue would be truly implemented through give and take approach and in tolerance and in collaboration. The agendas would be addressed based on criteria or different tools." According to him, the commission has been finalizing agenda collection and district level participants identification in most areas for preliminary discussion.

Efforts are also underway to finalize the process within the schedule. For his part, ENDC Commissioner AmbayeOgato (PhD) said that the National Dialogue is believed to bring trust among Ethiopians and help them to reach consensus on major agendas. The agenda inputs have been collected in person and email, from discussions and other mechanisms. The commission proceeds to a critical chapter of conducting the dialogue and it has made every effort to make the process participatory, inclusive and credible, Ambaye emphasized.

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