Diversity – Our strength

                                                                                                                       Dawit Miteku

The outlook various countries have on diversity is not the same. It can have different meaning and weight in each country. It is natural that its meaning and weight differ in various countries. Some may believe that diversity doesn’t have any benefit for development and growth, while others see it indispensable component to development, growth and their future.

And we should also consider looking at diversity from the perspective of each country’s respective politico-economic order. This is because the realities of one country may not exist in another country. Even there might be differing outlook on diversity within a single community, let alone in a country.

I will not be analyzing about the outlook various countries have on diversity. Instead I will be reflecting on how the federal system that is being setup in our country is hosting diversity. I think it will give us the opportunity to understand how the system hosts diversity in our country.

Our country’s nation, nationalities and people are strengthening the culture that enables them to live together while maintaining their differences. There are people that think talking with many languages create disagreement, but Ethiopia has shown that it is possible to agree while speaking 75 different languages. It can be said that the Ethiopia’s people have shown that it is possible to live together with respect while adhering to differing faiths and religious institutions.

I think the past 25 years have tangibly shown that the building of a single political and economic community that is put on the preamble of the FDRE constitution is going very well. Today, the diversity in our country has become an expression of our democratic unity. And this has completely changed the wrongful attitudes that used to be flaunted regarding diversity previously.

As the values of tolerance, respect and collaboration has gained constitutional guarantee currently in Ethiopia, they have become values of our togetherness. We have reached an era where we reflect and respect our common tradition and history believing that one’s community identity will be respected when they respect the identity of the other community.

Although the right to secede has gained constitutional guarantee, the times where it was a societal demand is waning – I think it is possible to say that it is waning through time after people weighed it against the advantages to be gained while living in diversity within unity.

It can be recalled that the objective of some of the armed political forces in the aftermath of the fall of Derg was to secede. However, as the advantages of living together has widened, I don’t think it is possible to say that seceding has a societal or public basis now. As long as the right of a certain people is respected and there is mutual benefit, it is not sound to think about seceding.

Nevertheless, the fact that not only the myth which believes Ethiopia will disintegrate in the aftermath of the downfall of the Derg regime and that a federal system that is based on language and identity will not guarantee unity is wrong and baseless, but also the fact that it didn’t take into account our country’s diversity has been confirmed.

Diversity has been turned into strength and capability in the new Ethiopia. Our nation and nationalities have seen that they can benefit exponentially more when together instead of the benefit they get separately or in separate with each other.

The fact that they won by standing together against a force that threatened their peace is an illustration of this. We can mention the unity created within diversity during the Ethio-Eritrea war, and the high level of mobilization and motivation displayed on the Grand renaissance dam.

The Ethiopian people have shown that they are diverse people but stand together as one community for their unity, development and growth. Indeed! Our diversity is changing the image our country has in the eyes of the world.

Even though some say that a federal system that is based on ethnicity will not work, but what the experience in Ethiopia shows is vastly different to their outlook. Diversity has become the key into our future opportunity. However, past experiences have shown that we can only make diversity an opportunity by making nation and nationalities the owners of the nation and institution building process.

Many international institutions have confirmed that the unity based on diversity has brought rapid and sustainable development. Thus, Ethiopia’s handling of its diversity has been a good education for other countries that have diverse ethnicities. And with all this, diversity has become an important politico-economic dimension within the federal system.

The aforementioned basis of diversity is the pillars of the federal system and has an important contribution in the political building of the system. And this is how it is going on the FDRE political economic process.

It can be said that Ethiopia’s multinational federal system gives more freedom and right to ethnicities that exists within the diversity compared to other federations and can serve as an example to other countries with many ethnicities. The system’s handling of nation and nationalities emanates from the basic thinking that says ‘diversity is an opportunity’. And this has been stipulated on the general spirit and various article of the FDRE constitution.

As I have tried to mention it earlier, by stating on its preamble which states that nation, nationalities and people agree to continue to live with their rich and proud cultural legacies in territories they have long inhabited, and to create a common community by using the bond they have inherited from their history, the constitution gives huge place to diversity. And it has been agreed with a pledge that their diversity is an opportunity and a basis for their togetherness and mutual benefit.

The FDRE constitution states that nation, nationalities and religions are equal, and their right to live together is expressed on the national emblem that sits in the middle of the flag of the federation. The languages of each nation, nationalities and people of our country are given equal recognition. It is also clearly stipulated that each region has the right to choose their working language.

The fact that nation, nationalities and people are the ultimate holder of sovereign power is stated on the constitution. The constitution has also put the duty on the government to serve every religion faith equally by stipulating state and religion to be separated. As every human are equal before the law, it is guaranteed on the constitution that any of identity are not greater or lesser to the other.

Every ethnicity has the right to use their own language, nurture their language and the right to foster their culture and history. And the right of self-administer is also there on the constitution. It is also clearly stated that our diverse identity is strength and beauty and not a reason for a separation.

The diversity of our country’s nation, nationalities and people are not only the cornerstone of the federal system. It is also the strength that enabled us to finish the first growth and transformation plan for the most part, and the capability that will help us finish the second phase of the plan satisfactorily.

So, it is inevitable that we will facilitate our renaissance helped by the energy of our diversity within our unity. And then, we all will be the evidence of the fact that our diversity is the ladder that will bring us to our renaissance. And we understand that the federal system further blossoms by this force of development.