Ethiopia

What we do

Ethiopia is a federation of ten states largely based along ethnic lines, and these ethnic divides continue to have a huge impact on the country’s political landscape, with ethno-nationalist tensions frequently erupting into violence.

These tensions also have an impact on attempts to develop a thriving and inclusive multiparty democracy, and one organization, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), has dominated Ethiopian politics since the beginning of 1990s.

The objective of NIMD’s programme in Ethiopia, which began in 2017, is to contribute to the consolidation of democracy at both the national and regional levels, and we work towards that goal by providing democracy education, fostering dialogue, and helping develop democratic infrastructure.

Dialogue

Including voices from across the political and ethnic spectrum is key to the success of any political reform in Ethiopia, and NIMD contributes to fostering this inclusive environment by assisting in a number of national and regional dialogue platforms.

NIMD began a collaboration with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) in 2018, which opened up many avenues for dialogue between the political parties given the mandate of the NEBE to organize political dialogue on electoral and political reforms.

In 2019, the NEBE established the Ethiopia Political Parties Dialogue, and NIMD supports this process by providing technical assistance, supporting the NEBE’s review of its strategic plans, and providing training for political parties on skills to support further interparty dialogue.

Democracy Education

In March 2020, the Ethiopian Democracy Academy opened its doors to a diverse group of Ethiopian politicians and activists, with the aim of training the future leaders and emerging politicians who will help shape Ethiopia’s political future.

The target group for the academies are men and women aged between 25 and 40 years old from all of Ethiopia’s ten regions and the two city administrations of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. We welcome students from all Ethiopia’s political parties, some of whom are at the start of their careers, while others are already well-established on Ethiopia’s political scene.

The training covers theoretical areas including political economy, rule of law, human rights and federalism, as well as practical skills including leadership and conflict resolution. But one of the most important elements of the academies is the rare opportunity for representatives from the government and opposition parties to interact in an informal environment, as they eat, study, cook and even play sports together.

Alumni from the Ethiopian Democracy Academies also regularly come together to reconnect and ensure the exchange of skills, knowledge and ideas continues.

Strengthening Democratic Infrastructure

NIMD works with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the National Parliament, the Oromia state legislature, regional assemblies, and Ethiopia’s political parties to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary institutions.

Activities facilitated by NIMD include an exchange visit between delegates from the Oromia state legislature to the National Legislature of South Africa and the Western Cape Provincial Legislature to exchange best practices. Delegates from the Oromia state legislature also visited to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch local government elections.

NIMD runs training sessions and workshops for parliamentary delegates on themes including the drafting of legislation, women’s leadership, and writing and research skills.

And through NIMD’s ongoing collaboration with the NEBE, we support legal reforms underway to help the conduct of free and fair elections, and support the NEBE’s review of its civic voter education programmes.

Meet The Team

Yinebeb Nigatu
Country Director, NIMD Ethiopia
NIMD Ethiopia is based in Addis Ababa. Yinebeb Nigatu has a degree in law, an MA in International Politics, and a PhD in political science. He has more than 10 years’ experience as a researcher, consultant, manager, and academic, focusing on democracy, peace and security, and rule of law in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
Tayuh Ngenge
Programme & Knowledge Advisor, NIMD
Tayuh Ngenge is the focal point in The Hague for the Ethiopia team, and NIMD’s thematic lead for strengthening democratic infrastructure. Tayuh has over 15 years of experience on democracy, human rights and rule of law assistance and programming, with a focus on sub–Saharan Africa. He previously worked (and consulted) for various organizations including Amnesty International, International IDEA and Max Planck Foundation.

Who We Work With

NIMD’s work in Ethiopia is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Power of Dialogue programme. The Power of Dialogue consortium is made up of NIMD, Gorée Institute, Akina Mama wa Africa, and Centre des Études Méditerranéennes Internationales, and seeks to enhance collaboration of political and civic actors to participate in accountable political processes.
We are also grateful to USAID and the European Union for their support of our work on the Ethiopian Democracy Academies and the Ethiopia Political Parties Dialogue.

News

Opinion & analysis 10-08-2024
African elections show democracy should not be taken for granted
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News 31-05-2023
Strengthening and sustaining democratic culture through youth training and inter-generational conversations
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News 11-05-2023
NIMD at the Summit for Democracy: Shining a spotlight on democracy around the world
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Stories 24-01-2022
Sowing the seeds of reconciliation in Ethiopia
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News 27-10-2020
Second Group of Politicians Completes the Ethiopian Democracy Academy
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News 03-09-2020
Charting a fresh course for interparty dialogue in Ethiopia
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News 09-04-2020
Ethiopian Democracy Academy Welcomes its First Participants
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News 31-01-2020
Ethiopian Inter-Party Council presents certificate of recognition to NIMD
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Stories 27-11-2019
Dialogue among Political Parties in Ethiopia: Reconciling political rivals
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News 20-08-2019
Seminars and supporting dialogue: our Summer in Ethiopia
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News 19-03-2019
100+ Ethiopian parties join PM to sign new Code of Conduct
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News 14-01-2019
32-item democratic reform agenda agreed between Ethiopian parties
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News 06-09-2018
60 Ethiopian political parties come together for dialogue in Adama
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Stories 23-07-2018
Our work in Ethiopia: Strengthening legal drafting skills
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News 05-06-2018
NIMD to begin working with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia
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News 05-04-2018
Preparing for genuine and credible elections in Ethiopia: A visit by the new National Electoral Board
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News 28-03-2017
Training workshop kicks off new Ethiopia programme
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