By Peter Clottey | VOA
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — A three-day conference that focused on good governance, peace and security as well as sustainable development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa ended over the weekend in the Washington-Metro Area of Arlington, Virginia.
Aklog Birara, a senior advisor at the World Bank and an organizer of the conference, said it was a soul-searching conference, adding that Ethiopia’s future and that of the Horn of Africa will largely depend on the talent pool of experts in the Diaspora.
“One of the features that really attracted me is the fact that it (conference) drew a cross-section of experts — foreign experts, Europeans, Americans, Ethiopians, and Ethiopian-Americans from different backgrounds. Overall, there were more than 70 speakers on different topics,” he said.
The conference organized by Advocacy for Ethiopia (AFE) and the Ethiopian National Priorities Consultative Process attracted specialists, former diplomats, human rights activists, and scholars, as well as top officials of the international community.
Birara said the conference also focused on how countrymen living abroad can help improve the lives of Ethiopians back home.
“The focus was on Ethiopia, the Ethiopian people, and the Horn of Africa particularly. What is it that all of us can do that will make a difference in terms of the ordinary people in Ethiopia. What is it that we can provide in terms of really engendering hope (and) aspiration. Bridging relations, for example, across ideological and ethnic lines,” Birara said.
The organizers believe that development in Ethiopia, the stability and its viability, as well as peace and economic development in the region are tied to how Addis Ababa and the international donor community can work together to address previously unmet challenges.
They also said the stakes for Ethiopia and its population of 83 million people are higher than at any other time in its history.
Birara said unity and dialogue among Ethiopians could help rebuilding efforts.
“One of the areas that we tried to explore was we can’t just be constant critics. How is it that we can bridge relationships in order to contribute our part at least in building durable, strong-pluralized institutions in Ethiopia? I think the fact is that we do not reach out to one another across ethnic lines. Dialogue among us, you know. And also dialogue between the opposition parties and government. We need to really accentuate the reaching out,” Birara said.
He added that if Ethiopians fail to come together, the challenges facing the country will persist.
7 thoughts on “Horn of Africa conference draws cross-section of experts (VOA)”
Wikipedia tells the census done in 2007, and in three years time the Ethiopian population is reported to be 10 million higher. It is mistifying who is inflating it and for what purpose. Many say the inflation is done for Woyannie to get more aid and more sympathy, the fact is the number of Ethiopians is a problem for world population growth and must be halted so Ethiopia’s economic progress can go hand in hand with population growth. It’s time to have a policy of two children per a woman vis-a-vis per family.
Population
– 2008 estimate 79,221,000[3] (15th²)
– 2007 census 73,918,505
– Density 79/km2 (123rd)
194/sq mi
The problem in Ethiopia is not only over population,it is also corruption. We have never seen corruption as it is now in our life time in Ethiopian history. The goverment make corrupt the young genration by giving incentive in order to get their vote. You shouldn’t use public money to motivate people to vote for your own poltical party. This is a dangerious move by the woynne regim to hold power for the next five years. In terms of solving the hot issue inside Ethiopia, this conference did not do nothing to address the problem.
I gave them a BIG X
Tolesa,
You wrote: “In terms of solving the hot issue inside Ethiopia, this conference did not do nothing to address the problem.”
You must remember two negatives – “did not do nothing” – make your entire sentence positive; therefore, you must give the conference a big “A” instead of a big “X.”
Mr Aklog Birara’s concluding remark is great.The sole solution for the problem of Ethiopia isnot hatrage and vengance,but I quote ” unity among Ethiopians and reaching out across ethinic and ideological lines” As stated on the conference,our stake is 80 million people who need to be met their basic necessities.Thus,it is time to move forward to alleviate the problems by forgiving and forsaking the inconvenience of the past and by sacrifying our future interest to the best interest of the people by promoting peace and reconcilation geared to the development of that country.
peacs,unity and reaching out across ethinic and ideological lines
Come on Assta, you know what the guy means!!! Forger his minor error and focus on what he said. He sais this confernce did not do anything to help Ethiopia and Ethioians in term of solving the hot issues, which are PEACE, STABILITY, POVERTY and CORRUPTION. Most of all the conference did not provide any hope to erradicte the biggest cancer in Ethiopa, Meles Zenawi and his Mafia cronies. The conference pannelist were a bunch of old and grey-haired so-called professors, who mumbled and jived for 3-days with no positive results. What is needed is a fresh and young mind with totally new approach.
MR
A commendable contribution towards a noble objective. However I must make a very strong objection on the following belief of the organizers
“The organizers believe that development in Ethiopia, the stability and its viability, as well as peace and economic development in the region are tied to how Addis Ababa and the international donor community can work together to address previously unmet challenges.”
This paragraph suggests a fatal oversite of the centrality of the role of the Ethiopian people on the fate of their country. It also ignores the historical lessons on the role of aid, aid agencies and Foreign (particularly western) governments in Africa and Ethiopia. I am afraid it reveals a state of mind that I have witnessed so often including in the learned sectors of many African societies. We need to reverse the roles and recognize in mind and in practice that the center stage in the transformation toward peace, stability and development of Ethiopia is the primary stake holder, the Ethiopian (masses). The Ethiopian masses are the central and irreplacable actors in the journey to peace and stability.
Objections notwithstanding once again we must commend the organizers for their efforts towards a noble objective. It is in trend with recent initiatives to engage Ethiopians in discussions on how they can contribute. Closely related efforts to engage the peoples of the horn in discussing matters of common interest must also be lauded. These efforts are essential and overdue. So let us keep discussing.
Peace
Tesfa
Peace
Tolesa, I totally agree with you. Ethiopia is suffering from the worst corruption ever in its history. All Ethiopians are aware it. The national Bank of EThiopia employees are taking bribes openly, the courts are organized by a Mafia groups to rob litigants, Internal Revenue is also organized in mafia groups.
Why no study has been done by any of the experts, I do not know. I hope the Ethiopian elites are no inured to corruption.