"Making National Dialogue Deliver"

This workshop was organized to inform the critical deliberative process aspiring to positively inform the upcoming National Dialogue initiative. The formal establishment of the National Dialogue Commission in January 2022 and the subsequent appointment of the eleven commissioners have lent the process the much needed drive. In light of these developments, initiating a series of consultations and deliberations on challenges and expectations surrounding the dialogue process remained critical.

The event featured key discussants Dr. Adem Kassie (International IDEA), Mr. Negusu Aklilu (Destiny Ethiopia) and Ms. Eyerusalem Solomon (Executive Director, TIMRAN) who shared inputs for discussion on how to “Make National Dialogue Deliver” from different angles. During the discussion, a broad consensus appeared from the comments and questions of participants on the imperative and urgency of political settlement, dialogue, and reconciliation as the primary way to ensure lasting and comprehensive peace, stability and development in Ethiopia. According to the elements taken from the discussion, given the multifaceted challenges facing the country at the moment, executing this essential task in accommodative, accountable, transparent manner remains a priority. It was stressed that achieving this required careful examination of all essential elements, including the preparatory phase, and proper execution of the procedure of a National Dialogue.

Participants welcomed the event as both timely and successful in terms of the quality of the panel and the audience, but also the depth and scale of engagement from all sides on the essence of the dialogue process and on the imperative to manage diverse expectations. FES and AAU envisage to continue their cooperation in this regard and accompany the National Dialogue process with similar discussion formats.