Factors Affecting Urban Cemetery Service Delivery in Addis Ababa: The Case of Selected Orthodox Christian Cemeteries
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Date
2011-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study focllsed on the [actors affecting urban ceme/elJJ service delivelY in selecled Cemeteries of
Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa. Ceme/elY service problem ... 1I(lS one of the seriolls issues oj the cily. The
ceme/elY service delive/J' was not accessible/or all society. Shortage a/urban land was one of the causes.
Poor protection and land management oj most cemete,y places thai were under (he management of
Orthodox Church was the other calise. Since the cemeteries that were under the ae/ministration oj
Orthodox Churches lacks organized body that/ollows cemerelY place management.
As a result, they were physically not attractive and healthy environment. In most cases, they were areas of
lI~aste disposal and lack a well-planned design. All Ihese led Jar illegal exhumalion to ger burial placejor
new deceased.
Case study areas selected/rom/our sub-cities of Addis Ababa based on the location of the cemelel'h!s and
the activity of/he areas as a major criterion. All of them were selectedJrom the cemeteries administered by
OrrhoC/ox Chllrch.
Thus. the study Jocl/sed 10 pinpoinl aliI Ihe rOOIJaclors that affect cemetery service delivery in Addis Ababa
in selected cemeteries of Orthodox Church. The stucly lIsed a qualitative research methodology: Data
gathered through Focus Croup Discussion, Field Observation and In-depth Interview as a primm)' source.
Secane/cuy sources slich as books, documents and internet web sites also were used
All the data obtained through FGD, Field observation and In-depth interview analyzed lIsing a qualitative
analysis based on various countries experiences and documents slIch as Qale A wadi, Fithiha Negesl ,
Criminal Code, EFDR 1995 constitution, the Health Proclamation of 1947, Cemete/J' service delivelY
regulatiol1 alld Mam;al of BPR were mainly llsed to analysis the data.
T1,e result indicated all cemetelY places under Municipal administration were delivering a planned service in
sustainable manner when compared with cemeteries oj Orthodox Church. CemetelY places oj the
Municipal became attractive, vegetated and equally accessible fo/' all society. On the other hand, burial
places of Orthodox Churches were over crowded, not well planned and designed; lInnecessary monuments
and huge tombs characterized them. AI/oreover, illegal exhumations of cOIpse were common clue to
shortage of burial place. There was also disagreement as to who manage cemetelY places in Ethiopian
context. Some Orthodox religious fathers ' supported the idea of cemetery service de!ivel:Y was under
church administration but practicall.y in the Church administration more emphasis had been given Jar
spiritual service than cemetery service, The monagel1lel1l aspect of cemetelJ' 1>lIas became a great
controversy between the EOC and the A1unicipal. The sludy also tried to compare the EOC cemetel)' places
with experience of other Oriental Orthodox Church cemetelY places.
The sludy finally. recommended for beller service delivelY of burial place. Among these; cemetelY
managemenl to be under the Municipal, considering cemetelY service as aright if evel), citizens, an open
discussion belween, the EOC and the Municipal, developing appropriate policy, rules, regulation and
manllals, parlicipaaon q( the NGOs and others were manda/OJY to bring a slistainable cemetelY service
delivelY and to make the city attractive and beautiful.
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Keywords
Affecting Urban Cemetery Servic