Tuesday, January 13, 2026

 

Fifty-two youth-focused and youth-led civil society organizations have come together to form the “Alliance of Youth CSOs for National Dialogue”. The Alliance which was launched officially on October 11, 2022, aims to empower these CSOs to contribute to the realization of the meaningful participation of young people in the national dialogue in a principled and coordinated manner.

ECSOC has been engaged in different initiatives to support the efforts toward the success of the National Dialogue in the country. In line with this, a gap was identified where there was a gap in the participation of youth-focused and youth-led CSOs in the National Dialogue process. In order to bridge this gap, ECSOC along with the concerned CSOs is coordinating the organizations working with the youth to form the Alliance.

In his opening remark, Executive Director of ECSOC, Henok Melesse said “The alliance that will be formed today, aims to fill such visible gaps by ensuring the active participation of the youth,” he added, “by mobilizing young people in both rural and urban areas, it is possible to help them become active participants in the dialogue and make the process successful.”

In his welcoming speech, the Chairperson of the Interim Committee of the Alliance, Biruk Yirgalem, said "we are delighted to be working closely with the council to contribute to the success of the National Dialogue process." Biruk also underlined that activities are underway to ensure the inclusion of youth at the regional level.

Representatives of the youth-focused and youth-led CSOs at the launching of the alliance have pledged their commitment to engage in the process with a high standard of ethics and a spirit of foresight.

Over 300 representatives of local and international Civil Society Organizations came together on September 23, 2022, with the aim of mobilizing resources to respond to the dire emergency humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, particularly, for internally displaced people (IDPs). This comes as thousands of people were internally displaced amid the resurgence of armed conflict in the Northern part of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council has called on CSOs to make maximum effort to ensure that internally displaced persons and people facing urgent humanitarian needs have access to the much-needed emergency response. In his opening remark, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Henok Melese said “serving humanity is the main characteristic of civil societies. We are here today to provide immediate humanitarian support to those who have been displaced from their homes and are facing urgent humanitarian needs due to the resurgence of the armed conflict. He added, “Now is the time to step up our efforts by providing urgent humanitarian aid to support the thousands of people who have been displaced and are facing the impacts of the war. On behalf of our council, I would like to urge all CSOs to play their role to reach our people in need of support.” Director General of the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO), Jima Dilbo has also called on all Civil Society Organizations to step up their efforts to reach out to citizens that are in desperate need of humanitarian aid with lifesaving support. CSOs and partners at today’s event have pledged over 11 million birr in cash and in-kind heeding the urgent humanitarian support call by ECSOC & ACSO.

 
Participants representing different Civil Society Organizations deliberated on the “Role of Civil Societies in Peace Building.” In his opening remark, the Executive Director of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC), Henok Melesse, said "The Civil Society is an important actor in Peacebuilding.
It is expected that civil societies will contribute a great deal in reducing violence and facilitating the conditions needed for sustainable peace.” Legal and Policy Advisor at ECSOC, Zelalem Eshetu, stated in his presentation that studies have proved that the inclusion of civil society actors in the peace settlement increases the durability of peace so it is important for those in the sector to participate closely in the peace process.

preview
The third Round of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Mapping Study – 2021 Report Launch event has taken place. The report launching event was hosted in the presence of ECSOC leadership, representatives of different CSOs, high-level government officials, and developmental partners that contributed their share in the course of conducting the study. Addressing the gathering at the event, Vice President of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Tinebeb Birhane, who was part of the Reference Group of the study said that the findings of the study will paint a significant picture as CSOs move forward. The study aimed at providing updated, multi-dimensional information on CSOs in Ethiopia operating at the National and Regional Levels.

The Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) and the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council (EPPJC) have today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in a historic move to work together by setting aside barriers that separate them and focusing on the common grounds pertaining to national issues.
The two sides underscored that one of the issues that need to be given due emphasis is National Dialogue Process and civil societies, as well as political parties, need to come together to address issues of peacebuilding in the nation. Speaking on behalf of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Henok Melesse, Executive Director of ECSOC, said that even though civil societies and political parties have several issues that set them apart, it is important to closely work together for the common good of the nation as both sides also have various mutual areas.” For her part, the Chairperson of the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council Dr. Rahel Baffie, said: “We must learn to live together as a nation. As civil society and political parties are key stakeholders in the national dialogue process, the decision to work together in this historic collaboration will be of great national benefit.”