For over three decades, I taught most of my college courses using the Socratic method. That is teaching by interrogation, as it were. I would ask my students a series of probing, open-ended questions on a topic or subject to stimulate critical thinking and expose strengths, weaknesses, inconsistencies and contradictions in analysis, arguments and beliefs. Socrates is credited with the epigram, โThe unexamined life is not worth living.โ
For more than two decades, I pursued a personal crusade speaking truth to those abusing power in Ethiopia framing my fight for democracy and human rights primarily as a moral, legal, and civic struggle against authoritarian rule, using my platform at http://almariam.com, among others, to educate, mobilize, and document abuses. I vociferously demanded unconditional release of all political prisoners, restoration of democratic rights and full press freedom, judicial independence and fair laws, accountability for human rights abusers, including those responsible for the 193 deaths and 763 injuries cited from the 2005 crackdown, electoral reform to ensure fraudโfree elections and competitive party politics, limits on the use of foreign security assistance against civilians, among other things.
In my commentaries, public statements, press interviews, op-eds and official submissions, I always promoted the idea of resolving Ethiopiaโs political and social problems through a deliberative democratic dialogue process: a system where legitimate decisions arise from inclusive, reasoned dialogue among citizens at the grassroots level rather than from coercion, elite pacts, or sheer majority rule.
For the past two decades, I have argued that democracy in Ethiopia is not merely about elections and parties, but most importantly it should be about institutionalizing the practice of public reasoning about power, rights, and the common good. I have emphatically advocated for dialogue and against all forms of over violence. I have insisted that sustainable solutions to Ethiopiaโs deep-rooted conflicts must come through meaningful conversations, listening, negotiation, and compromise, not through force, demagoguery or intimidation.
๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐, ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง. ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐ซ, ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌโ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌโ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ.
I have vigorously advocated for a bottomโup agenda setting. I have opposed the practice of allowing political elites to dictate terms and argued for processes where mass-based participation is used to ascertain public preferences and engage them in discussions before decisions are taken. I have never believed lasting and durable solutions could come from negotiations among party leaders, armed groups, or ethnic elites without deep citizen involvement. Such arrangements only entrench division and make peaceful change impossible fueling an endless cycle of violence and destruction.
๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐โ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐, ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญโ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐กโ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌ. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆโ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅโ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌโ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ(๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ).
So, finally, my wish for a deliberative dialogue has come true. Not only that, I am also a part of that process, one of four thousand Ethiopians from all walks of life. I am convinced that this new national dialogue will lead to a new social contract which will enable Ethiopia to shift away from a recurring cycle of violence and conflict to reconstruction, development and national prosperity. I hope Socratic dialogue will drive our deliberative dialogue.
๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ
Day 1 โ Wednesday, July 15, 2026
The Dialogue conference officially opened in Addis Ababa with a highโprofile ceremony attended by PM Abiy Ahmed, senior national leaders, regional representatives, religious figures, and the 4,000+ delegates selected from across the country and the diaspora.
Opening statements by ENDC Chief Commissioner Prof. Mesfin Araya and other senior officials framed the dialogue as a decisive opportunity to transform Ethiopiaโs political culture from cycles of confrontation to a tradition of consultation, compromise, and consensus. Emphasis was placed on the dialogue as a nationโowned, citizenโled process, built on years of grassroots consultations in over 1,200 woredas, and designed to address deepโrooted structural issues rather than temporary crises. Participants were reminded of the guiding principles of the process: inclusiveness, equality of voice, mutual respect, cooperation, and consensusโbuilding.
Day 2 โ Thursday, July 16, 2016
Day 2 focused on consolidating participantsโ understanding of the process and beginning structured work on the eight agenda pillars. Participants were provided briefings clarifying the dialogue methodology, rules of procedure, and the role of expert groups attached to each thematic pillar. Experts were described as a professional advisory body meant to ensure the conference is โled by reason rather than emotion,โ providing technical advice, simplifying complex concepts, and presenting policy options without making decisions themselves.
Day 3 โ Friday, July 17, 2016
Day 3 focused on discussion of thematic clusters aligned with the eight major agenda pillars, including: Nationโbuilding, identity, and belonging, state structure, governance form, and federalism, constitutional status and governance of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, religious affairs and interfaith harmony, institutional building, rule of law, and human rights, socioโeconomic affairs, resource management, and inclusion of youth, farmers, and pastoralists, antiโcorruption, transparency, and good governance, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and conflict prevention.
Day 4 โ Saturday, July 18, 2016
Day 4 focused on discussions of code of conduct for dialogue, the importance of consensus building and procedures for decision making, reporting of irregularities, managing differences, resolving deadlocks, reaching collective decisions and resolution of procedural disputes.
Day 5 โ Monday, July 20, 2016
Day 5 is scheduled to be the first day of full deliberations for the eight thematic issues.
๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!
Originally posted on X:
https://x.com/AlMariam1/status/2079588567144157598
For over three decades, I taught most of my college courses using the Socratic method. That is teaching by interrogation, as it were. I would ask my students a series of probing, open-ended questions on a topic or subject to stimulate critical thinking and expose strengths, weaknesses, inconsistencies and contradictions in analysis, arguments and beliefs. Socrates is credited with the epigram, โThe unexamined life is not worth living.โ
For more than two decades, I pursued a personal crusade speaking truth to those abusing power in Ethiopia framing my fight for democracy and human rights primarily as a moral, legal, and civic struggle against authoritarian rule, using my platform at http://almariam.com, among others, to educate, mobilize, and document abuses. I vociferously demanded unconditional release of all political prisoners, restoration of democratic rights and full press freedom, judicial independence and fair laws, accountability for human rights abusers, including those responsible for the 193 deaths and 763 injuries cited from the 2005 crackdown, electoral reform to ensure fraudโfree elections and competitive party politics, limits on the use of foreign security assistance against civilians, among other things.
In my commentaries, public statements, press interviews, op-eds and official submissions, I always promoted the idea of resolving Ethiopiaโs political and social problems through a deliberative democratic dialogue process: a system where legitimate decisions arise from inclusive, reasoned dialogue among citizens at the grassroots level rather than from coercion, elite pacts, or sheer majority rule.
For the past two decades, I have argued that democracy in Ethiopia is not merely about elections and parties, but most importantly it should be about institutionalizing the practice of public reasoning about power, rights, and the common good. I have emphatically advocated for dialogue and against all forms of over violence. I have insisted that sustainable solutions to Ethiopiaโs deep-rooted conflicts must come through meaningful conversations, listening, negotiation, and compromise, not through force, demagoguery or intimidation.
๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐, ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง. ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐ซ, ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌโ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌโ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ.
I have vigorously advocated for a bottomโup agenda setting. I have opposed the practice of allowing political elites to dictate terms and argued for processes where mass-based participation is used to ascertain public preferences and engage them in discussions before decisions are taken. I have never believed lasting and durable solutions could come from negotiations among party leaders, armed groups, or ethnic elites without deep citizen involvement. Such arrangements only entrench division and make peaceful change impossible fueling an endless cycle of violence and destruction.
๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐โ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐, ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญโ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐กโ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌ. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆโ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅโ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌโ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ(๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ).
So, finally, my wish for a deliberative dialogue has come true. Not only that, I am also a part of that process, one of four thousand Ethiopians from all walks of life. I am convinced that this new national dialogue will lead to a new social contract which will enable Ethiopia to shift away from a recurring cycle of violence and conflict to reconstruction, development and national prosperity. I hope Socratic dialogue will drive our deliberative dialogue.
๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ
Day 1 โ Wednesday, July 15, 2026
The Dialogue conference officially opened in Addis Ababa with a highโprofile ceremony attended by PM Abiy Ahmed, senior national leaders, regional representatives, religious figures, and the 4,000+ delegates selected from across the country and the diaspora.
Opening statements by ENDC Chief Commissioner Prof. Mesfin Araya and other senior officials framed the dialogue as a decisive opportunity to transform Ethiopiaโs political culture from cycles of confrontation to a tradition of consultation, compromise, and consensus. Emphasis was placed on the dialogue as a nationโowned, citizenโled process, built on years of grassroots consultations in over 1,200 woredas, and designed to address deepโrooted structural issues rather than temporary crises. Participants were reminded of the guiding principles of the process: inclusiveness, equality of voice, mutual respect, cooperation, and consensusโbuilding.
Day 2 โ Thursday, July 16, 2016
Day 2 focused on consolidating participantsโ understanding of the process and beginning structured work on the eight agenda pillars. Participants were provided briefings clarifying the dialogue methodology, rules of procedure, and the role of expert groups attached to each thematic pillar. Experts were described as a professional advisory body meant to ensure the conference is โled by reason rather than emotion,โ providing technical advice, simplifying complex concepts, and presenting policy options without making decisions themselves.
Day 3 โ Friday, July 17, 2016
Day 3 focused on discussion of thematic clusters aligned with the eight major agenda pillars, including: Nationโbuilding, identity, and belonging, state structure, governance form, and federalism, constitutional status and governance of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, religious affairs and interfaith harmony, institutional building, rule of law, and human rights, socioโeconomic affairs, resource management, and inclusion of youth, farmers, and pastoralists, antiโcorruption, transparency, and good governance, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and conflict prevention.
Day 4 โ Saturday, July 18, 2016
Day 4 focused on discussions of code of conduct for dialogue, the importance of consensus building and procedures for decision making, reporting of irregularities, managing differences, resolving deadlocks, reaching collective decisions and resolution of procedural disputes.
Day 5 โ Monday, July 20, 2016
Day 5 is scheduled to be the first day of full deliberations for the eight thematic issues.
๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!
Originally posted on X:
https://x.com/AlMariam1/status/2079588567144157598
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