Nat’l Dialogue Commission to engage community groups from 1,400 woredas

Addis Ababa, November 9, 2023 (FBC) – The National Dialogue Commission of Ethiopia has announced that community groups from 1,400 Woredas (districts) across the country will be engaged in the national dialogue process.

The House of People’s Representatives (HPR) has held its 3rd regular session today to discuss on various national agendas.

The four month report that indicated the activities, achievements, and challenges of the National Dialogue Commission of Ethiopia was one of the issues discussed by the house.

On the occasion, Chairperson of the Commission, Professor Mesfin Araya said that preparatory work is being carried out in various regions, including identifying participants and discussion agendas.

The Commission has also identified the entities that will participate in the dialogue from the public, starting from the grassroot villages in a representative and inclusive manner, Professor Mesfin indicated.

To achieve this, he explained that nine community groups have been identified including religious leaders, representatives of the youth, political parties, the teaching community, and elders.

Chairperson of the Commission also said that work is being done to include community groups that have been displaced from their former places of residence due to various reasons during the identification process.

Professor Mesfin added that efforts are being made to ensure that community groups from all 1,400 districts across the country will participate in the national dialogue through their representatives.

He also emphasized that efforts are being intensified to disseminate information about the national dialogue process to the public in various languages.

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission was established in 2021 to address deep-seated differences and disagreements among various groups in Ethiopia on fundamental national issues.

The commission aims to foster national consensus, strengthen national cohesion, and restore social values through inclusive dialogue.

To achieve these goals, the commission has been actively engaged in facilitating an inclusive national dialogue to address the country’s pressing issues.

Since its inception, the commission has made significant strides in laying the groundwork for a meaningful dialogue process.

The commission, according to ENA, has established a neutral and capable institution to facilitate and lead the dialogue process, ensuring that all segments of Ethiopian society are represented and have an opportunity to contribute to the national conversation.