{"id":2547,"date":"2026-08-24T10:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/?p=2547"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:52:08","slug":"a-historic-turning-point-ethiopias-diaspora-steps-in-to-reimagine-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/a-historic-turning-point-ethiopias-diaspora-steps-in-to-reimagine-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"A Historic Turning Point: Ethiopia\u2019s Diaspora Steps In to Reimagine the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Miwodew Muluye<\/em><\/p>\n

Addis Ababa (AMECO)<\/em>– Ethiopia has conducted a historic national dialogue designed to reimagine the country’s future from the ground up. Gathering delegates from every region\u2014alongside key voices from the global diaspora\u2014the conference has marked a pivotal shift in how the nation handles its internal conflicts. For participants traveling from thousands of miles away, the message is clear: the dialogue is no longer optional; it is a vital investment in national survival.<\/b><\/p>\n

For decades, political disagreements in Ethiopia followed a familiar confrontational path. But inside the halls of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Conference, a fundamentally different experiment has taken shape\u2014one centered on conversation over conflict.<\/p>\n

Among the participants are members of the global diaspora who traveled thousands of miles to take their seat at the table. For representatives like Yonas Akita, from South Sudan, and Selam Werqu, from North Carolina, USA, the gathering is both a personal milestone and a historical turning point for their homeland.<\/p>\n

Reframing the Diaspora’s Narrative<\/b><\/p>\n

For many living abroad, news about Ethiopia\u00a0 often meant absorbing a constant stream of crisis coverage.<\/p>\n

“There is a lot of narrative we used to face as a diaspora,”<\/em> said Selam, reflecting on the media portrayals back home. “The media have been telling us Ethiopians are divided, cannot gather, and cannot talk on their own issues because Ethiopia is destroyed. But when I came here and spent a month with these Ethiopian people, I saw how strong they are.”
\nThat strength, Selam, noted, is manifested not in absolute agreement, but in a shared willingness to sit together despite deep differences. “At the table, we have very different ideas, but different ideas cannot make us enemies. We can discuss, talk, and even if we are not on the same page, we can still bring our ideas to one table and make peace.”<\/em>
\nYonas, on his part, highlighted how this shift challenges entrenched patterns in Ethiopian political history.<\/p>\n

“Whenever there’s an issue or different ideas, we used to rush to raise arms and fight together,”<\/em> Yonas said. “To give three historical instances: during Mengistu’s era, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam wrote asking for reconciliation, but the president dismissed it as ‘not a husband-and-wife issue.’ In 1986 (Ethiopian Calendar), people came from Belgium and France for a peace dialogue, only to be taken from the airport and thrown into prison. And in 2005 (1997 E.C.), an opportunity for discussion was given, but wasn’t allowed to proceed.”<\/p>\n

“Now, this is the first real chance I have seen,”<\/em> Yonas explained. “If we use this dialogue properly, it will not only save our country, but give us a chance to move forward together as a nation.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Moving Beyond Elite Politics<\/b><\/p>\n

A frequent critique of past Ethiopian peace efforts was their reliance on political elites operating behind closed doors. Both Yonas and Selam emphasized that the current structure of the National Dialogue marks a significant departure from that model.
\n“Previously, the Ethiopian issue was all related to the elite,”<\/em> Yonas said. “Now, it shows us a diverse community\u2014whether highly educated, middle class, or otherwise\u2014all gathered in this discussion. Previous regimes tried to impose their mindsets because they had not interacted with all other sectors… That history must change.”Selam echoed the sense of broad-based inclusion, noting the wide spectrum of backgrounds present in the room. “People bring different cultures, religions, behaviors, and even anger,”<\/em> Selam said. “This dialogue is really fair, and all Ethiopians are participating. Diaspora, government, citizens, and political parties are all sitting, eating, and discussing at the same table. You cannot ignore any Ethiopian; that is what we learned.”<\/em><\/p>\n

A Phased Methodology That Demands Every Voice<\/b><\/p>\n

To process complex national issues efficiently without suppressing individual perspectives, the Commission implemented a phased deliberation model: starting in micro-groups of 10, scaling to groups of 50, and eventually expanding to full assemblies of 250. According to Yonas, this structured approach ensures active engagement and participation. “Starting from the group of 10, all participants are encouraged to present their ideas\u2014staying silent isn’t even allowed. Points agreed upon by the group of 10 moved up to the group of 50, where they’re further digested before moving to the group of 250. This methodology is very effective.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Role of Panel of Experts <\/b><\/p>\n

Yonas told of the significant role of the 80-membered panel of experts assigned to facilitate meaningful deliberations in the selected agenda items. ”The panel of experts facilitated deliberarions, up to providing comparative models from around the world\u2014ranging from parliamentary systems like the UK and Germany to federal frameworks like India and the United States\u2014allowing participants to evaluate structural options while tailoring them to Ethiopia’s unique context,” Yonas told Amhara Media Corporation.“We can adopt good practices, but we cannot copy everything from Western or American models,<\/em>” Selam noted, emphasizing the need for uniquely Ethiopian solutions.<\/p>\n

The Weight of Expectation<\/b><\/p>\n

While optimism remains high among participants, both representatives stressed that the true test of the National Dialogue lies in post-conference implementation.
\n“My expectation is that Ethiopian people have spoken up and put what they want on the table. Then, it is up to the government and political parties to work together to fix the country,”<\/em> Selam stressed. “We paid a huge price to be here. They must respect this dialogue and make results happen,”<\/em> she added.<\/p>\n

The Effect of the Dialogue <\/b><\/p>\n

Beyond national boundaries, Yonas pointed out the broader regional impacts of the Ethiopian National Dialogue, citing recent reports of Sudan’s opposition parties discussing their own dialogue mechanisms. “This national dialogue has a seismic effect,” Yonas said. “Ethiopia’s security is vital to Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Eritrea. A national dialogue gives global citizens an opportunity to discuss peace and security.”<\/em><\/p>\n

As the formal deliberations of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Conference have been wrapped up, the diaspora representatives have emphasized that building a lasting peace is an ongoing, multi-generational effort. And for them,\u00a0 establishing a culture of dialogue over division is already a monumental step forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Miwodew Muluye Addis Ababa (AMECO)– Ethiopia has conducted a historic national dialogue designed to reimagine the country’s future from the ground up. Gathering delegates from every region\u2014alongside key voices from the global diaspora\u2014the conference has marked a pivotal shift in how the nation handles its internal conflicts. For participants traveling from thousands of miles […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[1433,78,1116,1111,84,1114,1405,126],"class_list":["post-2547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-local","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2547"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2550,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2547\/revisions\/2550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2547"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ameco.et\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}