Online magazine Ethiopian People's Friendship Association "Right Information for Better Youth Rational Decision"

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ቅጽ፡03 ቁጥር፡ 14 ጥቅምት 21፣2015 ዓ.ም
“Communities in Ethiopia who share and care for each other are important for preventing
conflict and creating and maintaining peace.”
Belayneh Zelelew, Rotary Peace Fellow
Stability in Ethiopia is important
not only to the people of Ethio-
pia, but also to the region as a whole.
Conflict is an actual or a perceived
incompatibility of actions and/
or goals in a relationship between
two or more parties (individuals
or groups). It is a dynamic process
where attitudes, behaviours, con-
texts and structures are constantly
changing and influencing one an-
other.
Vol.03 No.14 October 31/2022

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Ethiopia as a country has been experiencing turmoil that is diverse in nature.
This is due to socio-politically instability, violent conflict, lack of strong insti-
tutions and rising inequality exacerbated by complex issues, like corrup-
tion, climate change and resource related conflicts.
Communities in Ethiopia who share and care for
each other are important for preventing
conflictandcreatingandmaintainingpeace.
If there should be unrest, several families
can come together and engage in peace-
ful dialogue and interaction. The com-
munity can also engage in bringing
former enemies together and helping
the wounded, orphaned and widows/
widowers. The community also plays
an important role in the peacebuilding
process by helping to reconstruct schools,
villages and health-centers that were de-
stroyed during conflicts.
In Ethiopia, where the majority of people follow
a certain religion, religious leaders and faith-based
organizations can play a critical role in providing the mor-
al fabric that reduces the likelihood of conflict and increases
peace through ethical reflections. They also offer a solid basis for
spiritual healing of trauma that victims experienced during con-
flicts and encourage forgiveness and reconciliation. They can foster
spaces for the community to learn to live together and build a better fu-
ture. However, religion can also be used to fuel violence. For instance, the
extremist group Al-Shabab encourages violence in the name of Islam, even if
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such violence runs counter to the teachings of the religion itself.
Through education for peacebuilding, schools and teachers can build a culture
of peace in the classroom, school environments and in the community. Educa-
tors can encourage and model peaceful debate, collaborative work, equality be-
tween boys and girls and interact with respect towards all learners. Schools also
have the potential for releasing latent tensions through arts, drama, poetry and
sports. Schools can strengthen their community through open days for their
student’s family, where the school and the family come together as one commu-
nity and have some sort of exchange meeting.
The media plays a vital role in preventing, han-
dling and transforming conflicts. Media
literacy focuses on the development of en-
quiry-based skills and the ability to engage
meaningfully with the media in its various
forms. The key outcomes include: (1) under-
standing the role and functions of media in societies to pre- vent, resolve,
manage and transform violent conflicts; (2) appreciate the conditions under
which media can fulfil their functions; (3) critically evaluate media content in
the light of media functions; (4) engage with media for self-expression and dem-
ocratic participation; and (5) review skills (including ICTs) needed to produce
user-generated content.
The government has an immense role for conflict prevention and resolution.
The government has a duty to protect its citizens and has the obligation for the
respect of rule of law. Government is also very crucial in drafting and imple-
menting economic and social policies for conflict prevention and resolution.
The government’s approach to conflict prevention should be proactive rather
than reactive. The government should not fail to address the fundamental and
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spiritual healing of trau-
ma that victims experienced
during conflicts and encourage for-
giveness and reconciliation.

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underlying causes of conflicts and not to use the wrong approach to redress the
problem. Several reasons have been floated to suffice the fact that the use of force
alone cannot curb conflict in Ethiopia. If for instance, in some conflict preven-
tion operations, police/military personnel are backed by inappropriate force, which
government also uses, to control conflicts it will widen the relation gap between
the government and its citizens. The government might be viewed as an enemy and
not as a provider of services, guarantor of rights, including security, fundamental
human rights and the rule of law. Hence, the government’s role in conflict preven-
tion and resolution needs eloquent balance. Therefore, a holistic and integrated
approach of intervention is needed since the issues are imbedded and mutually
inclusive.
“For the sake of peace, hard decisions must be
made.” Tanzanian Proverb
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