Ethiopia

Land to the Tiller

Land to the Tiller

One of Ethiopia’s most radical policy changes in the modern era was land reform, which nullified tenure agreements and redistributed land (changing much of rural Ethiopia from large land holders with farmers as tenants / sharecroppers to farmers as landowners). Ann Oosthuizen (whose connection to this issue or interviewee is not explained) published an interview […]

Tags: #Ethiopia #Land #Land Reform #Land to the Tiller #Zegeye Asfaw

Thought Provokers
The Ethiopia Book of Travels

The Ethiopia Book of Travels

In many of my critiques of books written about Qatar I have focused on the almost exclusive reliance upon the British colonial record for history making, despite other sources being available (notably Ottoman records in that case). I was directed to an interesting translation of a travel dairy of an Ottoman dignitary, sent by the Sultan, […]

Tags: #Decolonial #Ethiopia #Ethiopia Book of Travels #History #Ottomon

Thought Provokers
Humanitarian Work in Ethiopia’s Somali Region

Humanitarian Work in Ethiopia’s Somali Region

Lauren Carruth provides a useful introduction to Ethiopia’s Somali region, to the practices of global health, to ‘humanitarianism’, and to anthropology / ethnography with her 2021 publication: Love and Liberation: Humanitarian Work in Ethiopia’s Somali Region (Cornell University Press). The book helpfully deconstructs international / Euro-Western conceptualizations of humanitarianism and re-orients that within the Somali context (linguistic, socio-cultural, […]

Tags: #Anthropology #Ethiopia #Humanitarian #Humanitarianism #Somali

Thought Provokers
Wax & Gold

Wax & Gold

Levine’s Wax & Gold (1965) is one the ‘classics’ of Ethiopian studies in the socio-anthropological realm. Much ink has been spilled about his work (including the author himself added a Preface to the 1972 to explain his change of views), much work has also been inspired that draws on the wax and gold concept that Levine describes […]

Tags: #Culture #Ethiopia #Tradition #Wax & Gold #Wax and gold

Uncategorized
Ethiopia & Food Security

Ethiopia & Food Security

QUOTES: “As every farmer will emphasize, there is no average household, average yield, average rainfall or average food security situation. Averages are imposed; they provide illumination but are not lived realities. Instead of focusing on averages, greater attention should be placed on the diversity of ways in which households encounter food insecurity” (p. 25-26) “One […]

Tags: #Ethiopia #Ethiopians #Famine #Food Security #Logan Cochrane

Research
Native Colonialism

Native Colonialism

The people of Ethiopia defeated European attempts to colonize it. However, Dr Yirga argues that in embracing western education and erasing local history and tradition, the institutions and laws put in place colonizing processes, what he calls ‘native colonialism’. This is one of the most interesting books I have read of recent, highly recommended to anyone interested […]

Tags: #Colonialism #Education #Ethiopia #Native Colonialism #Tradition

Thought Provokers
Ethiopian Discourse

Ethiopian Discourse

Teodros Kiros is a public philosopher, demonstrated by his commitment to making philosophy accessible and bringing philosophy into the public spaces. Ethiopian Discourse (2011) is a kind of companion book to Teodros Kiros’ Philosophical Essays (2011). Both are published by Red Sea and both are collections of articles written in the Ethiopian Reporter newspaper, amongst […]

Tags: #Ethiopia #Ethiopian Discourse #Philosophy #Public Philosophy #Teodros Kiros

Thought Provokers
Democracy Project

Democracy Project

Starting in 2001 Teodros Kiros began writing articles in Ethiopian newspapers, as a way to engage with the public about democracy and democratization. The articles continued until 2004, and are gathered in his book “Philosophical Essays” (2011). The series of articles are short interventions, and are largely an introduction to Euro-Western thinkers, or a sort […]

Tags: #Democracy #Democracy Project #Ethiopia #Philosophical Essays #Teodros Kiros

Thought Provokers
Ethiopia in the Wake of Political Reforms

Ethiopia in the Wake of Political Reforms

Following years of protests, unrest and instability Abiy Ahmed became the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 2018. After a year of optimism and positivity, the challenges put increasing pressure on a fragile transition. It was around this time that a group of scholars met to take stock of the situation and develop the ideas of […]

Tags: #Abiy Ahmed #Ethiopia #Political Reform #Transition #Tsehai

Thought Provokers
Globalization and Seed Sovereignty

Globalization and Seed Sovereignty

Walshe’s “Globalisation and seed sovereignty in sub-Saharan Africa” (2019) explores some of the contestations and contradictions that exist between globalization and sovereignty (Ch 1), sovereignty in a globalized world (Ch 2), and seed sovereignty (Ch 3). The book provides two country case studies on Kenya (Ch 4) and Ethiopia (Ch 5), exploring their respective laws / regulations / proclamations […]

Tags: #Ethiopia #Globalization #Kenya #Seed #Seed Sovereignty

Thought Provokers