Youth Take the Lead for Peace, Democracy, and Development in Ethiopia

Young people from across Ethiopia gathered in Addis Ababa for the National Inclusive Youth Dialogue for Peace & Development (IYD4PD), a landmark forum designed to amplify youth voices in national policymaking. Organized by FES Ethiopia in partnership with Ybuntu Youth Peacebuilding Alliance, the event brought together youth representatives from Afar, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Central Ethiopia regions. The dialogue aimed to strengthen youth leadership, foster understanding among young people, and create a platform where they could articulate their priority agendas for Ethiopia’s peace and democratic development.

A significant part of the dialogue focused on understanding why many young people are not engaged in politics, with youth mentioned that the “generational trauma” stemming from Ethiopia’s turbulent political history is a key factor. Many participants explained that the legacy of conflict and authoritarian rule has: 

• Created distrust toward formal politics. 
• Diminished youth voter turnout and party affiliation. 
• Led to a perception that political participation is risky or ineffective.

This trauma, they argued, must be addressed through truth‑telling, psychosocial support, and inclusive peacebuilding before sustainable youth engagement can flourish. 

Participants also highlighted that the exclusion of youth from political processes continues to fuel frustration, weaken peacebuilding efforts, and hinder the country’s progress toward stability. They expressed limited confidence in public institutions, including the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), and called for more transparent, inclusive, and youth-responsive national processes. The dialogue made clear that when young people are sidelined, opportunities for long-term peace and reconciliation are significantly diminished.

The Youth Demanded:

1. Civic & Democratic Space & Participation 
   • Creation of safe, transparent spaces for youth political engagement. 
   • Strengthening mechanisms that allow direct youth input in legislative processes.
2. Jobs, Technical Skills & Digital Literacy 
   • Expansion of vocational training programmes aligned with market needs. 
   • Wider access to ICT tools, coding bootcamps and entrepreneurship support.
3. Equality & Social Cohesion 
   • Policies that address gender, ethnic and regional disparities. 
   • Initiatives fostering inter‑regional dialogue and mutual understanding.
4. Representation in Decision‑Making 
   • Institutional quotas or reserved seats for youth in parliament, and regional and local councils. 
   • Formal channels for youth generated policy proposals to reach ministries.

One of the key milestones of the event was the official handover of the compiled Youth Agenda Document to the National Dialogue Commission and the House of People’s Representatives. The handover also reflects the broader objective of empowering non-state youth actors to contribute meaningfully to national policy consultations and confidence-building initiatives aimed at strengthening social democracy.