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Development partners
discussed on creating an enabling environment for civil
society
Policy makers, development partners, over 150
CSOs/NGOs and other stakeholders have discussed on how to create an enabling environment for
civil society in Ethiopia at a day long conference
held on Tuesday 30th October 2007, at the Imperial Hotel
in Addis Ababa.
The conference jointly organized by the Forum for Social
Studies (FSS), the Union of Ethiopian Civil Society
Associations (UECSA) and the Organization for Social
Justice in Ethiopia (OSJE) have examined the
prevailing legal and policy environment of civil society
organizations, their institutional situation and
engagement.
In his welcoming statement,
FSS Executive Director, Professor Bahru Zewde, said the conference is an important occasion to
asses the achievements and shortcomings of the Ethiopian
Civil Society.
The conference examined the legal-and political-
environment in which civil society is operating in
Ethiopia, he said, adding that civil society still
continues to be governed by the rules and regulations
laid down by the 1960 E,C Civil Code and Associations of
1966 E.C.
Though the government has been exerting efforts to come
up with new legislation to accommodate the changed
circumstances, Professor Bahru said, the legislation
can have lasting value only if civil society, which is
directly affected by it, is consulted and inputs are
taken.
The conference also discussed the issue of Code of
Conduct for Civil Society in Ethiopia and came up with
recommendations towards creating a more enabling policy
environment. While making a remark at the
Conference, Director of Ethiopian Human Rights
Commission, Getahun Kassa said Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs) assume an important role in the
promotion and protection of human rights.
The role of the civil society organizations in the
promotion and protection of human rights is growing in
the international domain as well as in Ethiopia, the
director said.
The Ethiopian Human Rights
Commission, Getahun said, is ready to partner with civil
society organizations in the efforts launched to nurture
culture of respecting human rights in all aspects of the
life of the society.
The European Commission funded research projects
presented at the conference while the United States
Agency for International Development and Pact Ethiopia
provided additional support to the conference.
The conference have tried to identify some of
the major challenges facing civil society organizations
and forwarded recommendations to be taken by policy makers,
the CSOs and development partners.
Senior researchers in the field of legal and policy
environment as well as on civil society institutional
dynamics have presented their studies conducted in
Ethiopia and selected African countries.
Participants drawn from
pertinent government and non governmental organizations
attended the conference.
(Source:
ENA and FSS)
NEW Good Governance
and Democracy in Africa
With a view to fostering a
critical debate around governance and development in Africa, the
Forum for Social Studies and Heinrich Boll Foundation are
launching a series of lectures entitled "Good Governance and
Democracy in Africa".
The first guest speaker in
the series was Dr. Kojo Busia,
Officer-in-Charge, APRM Support Unit at UNECA. Dr. Busia's title
was
'The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM): A new Approach to
Strengthening Governance Institutions and Systems in Africa.'
He highlighted the need for
creating a working environment ensuring the increased
involvement of African civil society in the APRM process.
In his opening remark,
Executive Director of Forum for Social Studies, Prof. Bahru
Zewde, said such public lecture series would help raise
awareness on conflict resolution and poverty alleviation among
others, in Africa enhancing the sharing of experiences among
Africans in how to solve their problems.
The lecture was held at
Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, on 22 June 2007, starting from 6:00
PM (15:00 GMT).
The
4th Congress
of the Association of African Historians held from 22-25
May 2007 in Addis More than 150 pertinent
scholars from within and outside Africa have gathered here in
Addis Ababa in the 4th Congress of the Association of African
Historians (AAH) which was held May 22 - 24, 2007.
read more
A
"National conference on
Academic Freedom in Ethiopian Higher
Education Institutions"
was held from
26th -27th
April 2007, at Semen Hotel, Addis Ababa. The Conference in its
final deliberation draws Recommendation.
Click here
Recommendation of
the National Conference on Academic Freedom in Ethiopian Higher
Education Institutions
Basic findings of
the Conference
News
IGTK Public Discussion
on Banking in Ethiopia
The Forum for Social Studies
organized a public discussion on the development of the banking
sector in Ethiopia. The discussion, which was launched under FSS’
Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge (IGTK) series, featured
a public lecture (in absentia) by the prominent Ethiopian
banker, Ato Teferra Degife. It was held at the Hilton Hotel on
18th May 2007. read
more
"Emperor
regime laid the foundation for good governance"
 The
Emperor period laid a historical foundation for better
industrial relations by gradually dumping the then slave-master
type relation, says a scholar who contributed a lot in
modernizing industrial laws during the 1950’s.
While
lecturing at FSS’s Inter-generational Transfer of Knowledge
program, Ambassador Tefera Haileselassie, who had
served at senior posts at the civil service and diplomatic posts
during the Emperor Haileselassie’s and the Derg period
respectively, said the foundation for good governance in the
industrial sector contributed to the development of the economy.
Read more (Amharic)
Tsion Michael Andom shares knowledge and
life at FSS IGTK forum
(read Amharic version)
PDF 366KB
As part of its
Inter-Generational Knowledge Transfer program series, the Forum for
Social Studies (FSS), organized on Friday (January 12, 2007) a forum
entitled, “The Contribution of Women to Development.”
read more
FSS reveals its preliminary findings on Decentralization Policy
December 19, 2006
FSS has been conducting a research focusing on the Ethiopian Government's
decentralization policy since June 2006.
The study covers four main Regional States
namely; Oromiya, Amhara, Tigraye and SNNP as well as in two selected Zones
in Addis Ababa. The findings of its preliminary report were revealed on
December 19, 2006 at Addis Ababa Ghion Hotel at 8:30 AM.
Researchers, government representatives,
Regional officials and experts, representatives of partner organizations
and the civil society as well as concerned bodies were part of the
gathering.
Click here to read Amharic
press release PDF 84kb
English
version |
As
part of its Inter-Generational Transfer of Knowledge (IGTK)
series, the Forum for Social Studies, held a public
lecture aimed at the genesis and development of modern
diplomacy in Ethiopia on 23 November 2007 at the Hilton
Hotel.
Address: Forum for Social Studies, P. O. Box 25864 code 1000 Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
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Telephone: (251-
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