As Ethiopia goes through changes,
there is a need to invest in the Ethiopian youth and women. A need to invest in
the future generations and reap the fruits together. A need to encourage
Ethiopian young people and women to be active citizens that speak loud and
clear; to make sure Ethiopian youth and women are fully empowered and actively
engaged in local, regional and national democracy.
Need
assessment
Ethiopian young people and women live
in a country with institutions that lack democratic culture, principles and
accountability. Our young people and
women had been part of what George
Soros in his essay Open Society Needs Defending refers as a closed
society. These young people and women now live in an open society - Ethiopia.
60% of Ethiopians are below 25 years of age. These people live in different parts of
the country and make a majority. They are keen to see a better Ethiopia. They
want to see their voices heard and included. They want to be part of the change
process. Yet we often see silence. We see silent majority. Yes a few do speak
loud; louder than many others. But that is not enough. There is a need to get
the balance right. A need to bring the silent majority on board.
Although we have seen a transformation
of the gender balance at governmental and institutional level, with many
prominent women and young leaders being appointed to positions of power and
responsibility, we still have a long way to go. The impacts of these appointments
will be minimal unless they are matched by changes in the grassroots of the Ethiopian
people – the wider society. It is, therefore, vital we pave ways for young
people and women to be part of this change making process as we cannot sustain
the change without them; or change and progress remain dreams!
What
can be done
It is vital to design projects that
will highlight the challenges facing the silent majority, at times anxious
middle, and what it takes to overcome these challenges. We need projects that
aim at encouraging Ethiopian youth and women to actively engage in what matters
to them and the wider public. Project that aim at equipping Ethiopian youth and
women with some of the basic skills and processes to build and rebuild their
confidence and help them take control of their destiny. Projects that support
Ethiopian youths to be part of the wider collective voice that works towards a
stronger, inclusive, open and tolerant society. Projects that work to see how empowered
Ethiopian youth and women could hold the state and the market to account. Projects
that can explore and engage Ethiopian youth and women leaders from higher
education, civil society and faith institutions and prepare them for actions. Community Organising could be used as one of
the tools. These projects could be grassroot based and do as much awareness
work as possible so that the wider community engages in what matters most for
itself.
Urgency
The need for the project arises from
the fact that many young people and women want to see change happen but do not
take part in the change making process for a number of reasons. Hence the
project should aim at tackling the challenges through training, capacity
building, community organising, confidence building and reviving. The current leadership in
Ethiopia have done their part to promote youth and women in leadership roles in
governmental institutions. However, they have called upon non-governmental and
civic organisations to provide the changes that are required in the grassroots
of Ethiopian society. Hence there is a need for civic insitutions to step in and take charge. A need
for young people taking charge and leading. This is both important and urgent as we cannot afford to spend more time. It is now and only now.
