Since its establishment, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) has been engaged in a broad range of undertakings that are vital to effectively carry out the national dialogue and bring about national consensus in every nook and cranny of the country.
It becomes apparent that the Commission has been moving forward in the right direction by carrying out a broad range of successful procedures with a focus on achieving the desired outcome in the shortest possible time. What is more, it is expected that all segments of the society will be given equal contribution and voice in the course of the national dialogue which is going to take place just around the corner.
As far as this, the Commission has been discharging quite a lot of undertakings with potential stakeholders that would help to smooth the path of fruitful national dialogue on a national scale and other related aspects.
In a similar vein, the commission is geared towards oiling the wheels of national consensus and keeping the integrity of the country. Apart from its support for the accomplishment of the commission's mission, the government has also acknowledged its pledge to effectuate the agreement which is going to take place in the near future nationwide.
For the sake of truth, the ultimate goal of the various activities that have been undertaken by the commission is to make certain the inclusiveness of the national dialogue.
It is learnt that all sections of the population will be given equal opportunity in the course of the dialogue. In the present climate, as the national dialogue is one of the urgencies of the government, the whole thing is moving forward in the right direction. To this point, the Commission has delivered with pertinent bodies on agenda gathering with the intention of oiling the wheels of national consensus throughout the national territory.
Similarly, numerous activities have been made through active support from different bodies with the goal of turning the national dialogue into a reality.
There are a few questions to reflect on to avoid noises around the concept of national dialogue and success stories and challenges associated with the experiences of countries across the globe could better inform Ethiopia. To begin with, it is vital to ask about the concept of national dialogue and its intentions in the process of building a common ground among groups for political dialogue and reconciliation process, as learnt from an article.
Conceptually, national dialogue is a nationally owned political process aimed at generating consensus among a broad range of national stakeholders in times of deep political crisis, in post-war situations or during far-reaching political transitions. It is believed that the process is typically accompanied by broader and inclusive societal consultations, involving all sectors.
It is obvious that national dialogue plays a paramount role in getting to the bottom of backlogs of prevailing predicaments surfacing among the various nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia. It is common knowledge that whenever conflict arises among them, they go to the ends of the earth to resolve their problem in their own ways utilizing their own conflict resolutions mechanisms through traditionally established discussion.
It is recalled that in a media briefing held in the recent past, ENDC Chief Commissioner Prof. Mesfin Araya emphasized the commission's commitment to collaborating with the Diaspora recognizing their crucial role in promoting and sustaining durable peace in Ethiopia. He noted that the Diaspora is one of five key actors significantly contributing to peace and development efforts, and they possess a deep understanding of the importance of the dialogue and negotiation.
To date, ENDC has conducted approximately ten successful webinars and other official gatherings with Diaspora members from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, the Americas, and beyond. The Chief Commissioner highlighted the commission's inclusive approach, which involves working with displaced individuals, persons with disabilities, youth, women, and various other segments of society, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, or social status.
The commission has already reached over 1,000 districts across all states and city administrations and plans to transition to the National Dialogue convention stage within months. Previously, the ENDC collected agenda in various states, including Addis Ababa, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela, Harar, Sidama, Dire Dawa, and Central Ethiopia, with the agenda-gathering process.
ENDC Commissioner, Ambaye Augato (PhD), shared plans for a large-scale dialogue in Oromia State, which will involve participants from over 350 districts. The dialogue will include farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, community leaders (Aba Gedas), and others, with more than 7,000 participants expected in Adama. This will be the first event of its kind in terms of participation numbers. Given Oromia's size and diversity, a wide range of agendas will be presented to foster introductions and relationship-building among participants.
Ambaye emphasized that traditional conflict resolution methods are also being integrated into the National Dialogue, contributing to the development of a more democratic and constructive system.
Since the dawn of history, Ethiopians have been resolving quandaries in their own ways successfully without the interference of third party dictation and backseat drivers. By the same token, in view of ensuing sustainable peace and stability, Ethiopia has been getting itself involved in a broad range of successful undertakings with the intention of ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity.
As national dialogue assist the progress of resolving accumulation of hiccups, reinstating peace and tranquilly in every corner of the country, people from all walks of life should stand by the side of the commission.
National dialogue processes have taken place in a number of countries going through political transitions and have influenced the outcomes of these transitions. Several African countries held national conferences in the early 1990s as they moved from authoritarian to democratic governments (Benin, Togo, Congo Brazzaville, Niger, Mali and Zaire, among others), according to a source.
Following the 2003 Bonn Agreement, the Emergency and Constitutional Loya Jirgas or a "great council" were held in Afghanistan and contributed to the design of the transitional process. Finally, the National Dialogue Conference was launched in Yemen in March 2013 as part of the November 2011 Implementation Mechanism of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative, which put in place a two-year transitional process in an effort to end the conflict in the country. These processes have differed in their legal status and mandate, their independence from the government, their inclusiveness, and the role they played in the transition.
It is a widely held view that if the national dialogue is put in place as it should be, it will for sure ensure peace and tranquilly in every part or aspect of the country at the earliest possible juncture.
Notwithstanding the fact that national dialogue is not a panacea, it plays a huge role in breathing new life into building common ground and accommodating a broad range of polarized thoughts.
As the importance of inclusive dialogue is unquestionable in resolving troubles several nations worldwide undertook national dialogue with the purpose of restoring peace throughout their respective countries.
Despite challenges, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission is making significant strides in promoting inclusive, participatory, and constructive dialogue across the country.
In an interview with the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), ENDC Commissioner Belen Gebremedhin recently stated that the commission has been actively implementing various initiatives over the past three years, drawing lessons from international experiences to ensure a successful dialogue process.
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"Countries follow different National Dialogue processes based on their unique contexts. Ethiopia is adapting its approach by learning from these experiences. Tunisia, for example, is known for its effective dialogue, despite having fewer participants, due to the strength of its communication, which has even attracted global attention," she said.
She added that the ENDC is working towards sustainable peace through an inclusive dialogue process, which has involved a participatory approach, trust-building, and state-level dialogues across various regions. She further highlighted that political parties, teachers' associations, district administrators, religious institutions, youth, women, persons with disabilities, traditional associations, media partners, and other stakeholders are participating, fostering a sense of ownership.
The Commission has also focused on addressing previously overlooked issues, including marginalized districts in Southern, Southwestern, and Benishangul-Gumuz states, with an emphasis on discriminated groups and fostering societal connections.
Despite these efforts, challenges such as sporadic conflicts, inadequate logistics, and irresponsible social media continue to impede progress. To address these, the Commission is collaborating closely with various partners to ensure lasting peace.
The National Dialogue offers a clear and direct approach to addressing the country's challenges, ensuring sustainable peace by promoting national consensus, reconciliation, unity, and shared goals.
As the envisioned target of conducting a national dialogue is to bring an end to the age-long divergences, reach national consensus, resolve differences as well as create the sense of belongingness to one's country.
As the national dialogue lays the foundation for creating strong nation, it would accelerate building new political landscape as well as building better democratic system.
