The Faculty of Social Sciences, in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, conducted the 9th annual national conference on the theme "the conflict in Ethiopia since 2018" on May 23 and 24, 2022 G.C. The program of the conference was started by Mr. Getahun Kumie (Vice Dean, PGRCS, FSS) by giving an introduction to the conference in general, the significant steps and activities undertaken by the faculty, the members of the faculty, and other stakeholders. Following this, the welcoming speech and opening remarks were given by Dr. Taye Demissie (the dean of the faculty) and Dr. Essey Kebede (Academic Vice President of the University), respectively.
Then a keynote speech was given by Dr. Deresse Sahilu, Mayor, Bahir Dar City administration, and Dr. Seyoum Mesfin, State Minister, Ministry of Peace & Guest of Honor. Dr. Deresse Sahilu's keynote speech gave emphasis on the timing of the issue and its significance in revealing the main cause, its dynamics, and the consequence of the war. He stressed that since the Amhara region is the hotbed of the current war, the theme of the conference is important in showing knowledge gaps and possible policy implications. The conference can disseminate evidence-based knowledge about the political, social, and economic dynamics of the country since the reforms of 2018. In addition, Dr. Seyoum Mesfin also emphasized the timely nature of the conference theme, and in his keynote speech, he attempted to address Ethiopia's political dynamics through an analogy with Yugoslavia. He furthered the analogy by mentioning the similarity of the political reforms, the military, social, and economic dynamics, and the weakness of the governments of the two countries' demonstrated ability to respond to such changes.
The theme of the conference papers gives emphasis to political reform and its aftermath; the attempts at peace building and dialogue; governance and democratization; history, identity, and ethnic-based conflict; and gender, migration, and internal displacement. The presentation of the papers and discussions with the audience were made based on the given time frame effectively. The two-day conference addressed very pertinent and timely issues with the active participation of both academia and stakeholders. The conference was accompanied by giving a certificate to the presenters and the organizing committee before it was concluded with closing remarks by the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
