Civil Peace Service (CPS) Ethiopia

GENERAL INFORMATION AND MAIN OBJECTIVE

Commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Implementing GIZorganisation

Partner organisations House of Federation (HoF), Ministry of Federal Affairs (MoFA), Oromia Bureau for Administration and Security (OBAS), Oromia Pastoralist Association (OPA), Council

of Nationalities (CoN), Resource Center for Civil Society Groups Association (RCCSGA), Southern Nations Nationalities’ and Peoples’ Regional State Security and Administration Bureau

(SNNPRS SAB)

Current phase 01/2014 – 12/2016

Budget Approx. EUR 2.3 million

Objective Conflict transformation and prevention capacities among national, regional and local actors have been strengthened enabling them to independently resolve existing and rising conflicts in Ethiopia.

Implemented by:

CHALLENGE

Ethiopia is a densely populated country which is home to more than 80 different ethnic groups. The various groups’ traditional homelands overlap geographically – both within Ethiopia and beyond its national borders. Their ways of life are often fundamentally different. Pastoralists in particular stand out on account of their (semi-)nomadic and community-oriented lifestyle. This diversity opens up many opportunities but also harbours potential for conflict. Dwindling resources due to climate change, high population pressure and the weak organisational structures of governmental and non-governmental actors further exacerbate the conflicts.

OUR APPROACH

The CPS takes a systemic approach to conflict transformation. It involves supporting actors by building trust and relationships. This aims at strengthing capacities and networks and coordinating all the involved levels by:

• building capacities of governmental and non-governmental actors at national, regional and local level, e.g. in the areas of mediation, ‘Do-No-Harm’ and planning, monitoring and evaluation;

• linking modern and traditional approaches and methods for conflict prevention and transformation;

• networking actors to coordinate peace processes and joint conflict resolution;

• developing sustainable solutions for selected conflicts in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS) and Oromia;

• Supporting early warning systems for conflicts and crosslinking them on the regional and national level;

• integrating experiences gained at local levels into the overarching policy context.

PROGRAMME IMPACTS

• Building trust and relationships: Sustainable partnerships have been established between governmental and non-governmental actors.

• Building structures and institutions: Dialogue structures have been established within pastoralist groups. A Resource and Mediation Centre as well as networking structures have been established.

• Strategy-building and implementation: A conflict transformation strategy has been developed for the SNNPRS and is being implemented across the entire region.

• Conflict transformation and peace building skills have been enhanced at all levels through the provision of training measures involving more than 2,500 participants. These measures focused on conflict analysis, Do-No-Harm principles, mediation, and methods of non-violent conflict resolution.

• Conflict prevention and peace education: A peace radio reaches up to five million regular listeners in SNNPRS and Oromia.

• Developing conflict prevention and transformation methods: A mediation approach that combines modern and traditional elements has been developed and is being disseminated by multipliers.

ImprintDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Registered offices: Bonn and Eschborn

German Development Cooperation OfficeP.O. Box 100009, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaT +251 11 5180 200F +251 11 5540 764E giz-aethiopien@giz.deI www.giz.de/ethiopia

Photos: Claudia Roos © GIZ Updated: February 2014