Sunday, April 20, 2025

 

A discussion on gathering  input from civil society organizations on the draft Ethiopia's transitional justice policy options document. The deliberation is taking place in Semera city of Afar and Desse city in Wollo.

The workshops are organized by the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council with financial support from USAID’s Feteh (Justice) Activity. Representatives from local and international civil society organizations as well as other stakeholders are taking part in the deliberations of today’s workshops.

Civil society and intellectuals can play an important role in the process of democratic transition and reconciliation as promoters and supporters of democracy.

This was stated at the workshop held on May 2, 2023, on the topic entitled “Civil Society Organization & Academia Collaboration for Advancing Democratization & Human Rights in Ethiopia”.

In his opening speech, the Executive Director of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Henok Melesse said: "Civil society organizations' cooperation with academics will increase the contribution towards democratic transition and consolidation by strengthening capacity and creating influence,” He added, “Scholars and civil society organizations have different strengths and knowledge, but cooperation between two creates a favorable environment to utilize each other's skills.”

Civil society and Academia share relatively common values and interests in the matter of building a democratic system and human rights.

Country Director of Freedom House, Dr. Shimeles Belet said, "The civil society and the intellectual community should develop in Ethiopia for a peaceful political transition as well as the creation of an environment and coalition where they can work closely and cooperate in activities that promote the respect of human rights. The practice of democracy should be given special emphasis.”

The Workshop was organized by the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council in collaboration with Freedom House.

 

The workshop entitled "Increasing the participation of people with disabilities in Ethiopia's national consultation" held today. The purpose of the forum is to advise on articles that should emphasize the participation of people with disabilities in national affairs.

They asked to believe that people with disabilities can contribute significantly to politics and other national issues.

He said that the participants of the meeting should be made to contribute to the national consultation forums, not only for the purpose of involving the disabled, but also considering their abilities and skills.

In his opening speech, the Director General of the Council of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations, Mr. Henok Melesse, emphasized that people with disabilities should contribute significantly by participating in national consultation forums.

The Minister of State for Peace, Taye Dendea, on his part, said that apart from involving disabled people in all the consultation forums that are being held at the national level in order to strengthen peace, they should have a meaningful contribution and urged disabled people to take this into account and take strong action.

Secretary of the Joint House of Political Parties, Dr. Rachel Buffet; He stressed that the participation of disabled people in national affairs should be highlighted.

The forum was jointly organized by the Council of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations, the Joint Council of Ethiopian Political Parties and the Ministry of Peace.

It is recalled that the three institutions have signed a memorandum of understanding that will enable them to work closer and coordinate better in terms of supporting the national consultation process. Accordingly, they are coordinating various awareness programs on the benefits of the national consultation.

This program is organized with financial support from Action Aid Ethiopia.

  

A consultation forum in connection with collaborations between the private sector and the civil society sector has taken place on Friday April 28, 2023.

In his welcome note, Executive Director of theEthiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Henok Melesse underlined, "Civil society organizations are participating in various income generating activities as permitted by law to increase their financial capacity for development and humanitarian support work. In short, the institutional changes we see in both sectors indicate that one has penetrated into the other sector. This highlights the importance of cooperation and working together between the two sectors, and also confirms that it is essential to create clarity on the related institutional and legal framework issues.

Members from civil society organizations and the private sector as well as Social Entrepreneurs and company owners were present at the discussion and advised on the need for cooperation between the two sectors and the legal frameworks that should exist in the future.

In particular, the absence of law regarding social enterprises that operate with moderate profit and social responsibility as a center has been raised as a major challenge. The participants have underscored that collaborative work is vital in order to create this legal framework.