State and Nation Building in Ethiopia: With Special Reference to the Ethiopian Federalism
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Date
2015-05
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AAU
Abstract
In politico-historical terms, nation building has been central during state formation or
consolidation in all parts of the world. Nation building basically urges to create one nation
without due consideration of diversity in the country. After Westphalia treaty, in practical terms,
most European states objected to destruct diversity and create culturally homogenous polities.
Moreover, in the postcolonial periods, the African and Latin American states have pursued nation
building strategy in the state formation and consolidation attempts. The inherent problems (denial
of people-hood, overlapping citizenship and nationality and cultural homogeneity) of nation
building project had/have challenged the political elites in order to respond to societal demands.
In the mean time, the concept of state building has emerged in a way to accommodate diversity
through the institutional, policy and politico-psychological innovations like federalism,
democracy and multiculturalism. Federalism is of such innovation to establish a state nation
instead of nation state through the elements of shared-rule and self-rule balancing nation-hood
and state-hood.
The Ethiopian experience shows plausible centralist-unitary pursued by successive regimes
through cultural assimilation. As a result of failed/confused nation-building project the Ethiopian
state and society have experienced rough vertical and horizontal relations. In Ethiopia nation
building, reasonably has failed having implications for post-1991 Ethiopian state and society.
Understanding the historical trajectory of the Ethiopian state and society, the EPDRF regime has
come up with state building project through ethnic federalism and revolutionary democracy. Later
on, the regime has lavishly added two strategies: developmental state and a dominant party
democracy. In the last two and half decades the country’s socio-economic and political
developments are shaped by strategies of state and/or nation building projects. Accordingly,
Ethiopia under EPDRF has experienced two state building phases: from 1991-2001 and from
2001-to present thereby mixing state building and nation building projects together. The first
phase of Ethiopia’s state building approach has been responsive whereby historical injustices
were addressed both in the constitution and institutional arrangements. The post 2001, however,
has implied a retreat to unresponsive state and nation building approach where national issues are
given priority without/little due consideration of regional self-rule.
The objective of this study is to explore the role that GERD contributes to state and nation
building projects in contemporary Ethiopia. To pursue this, the study used both secondary and
primary data sources. The data showed that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is one
of mega-projects under construction exhibiting socio-economic, political, psychological and geopolitical
dynamics. The finding denoted that GERD has positive contribution in the contemporary
state and nation building projects through socio-economic, psychological and geo-political
aspects endeavoring to enhance national consensus. It has the potential to strengthen the federal
shared-rule while its contribution on the regional self-rule will be the potential policy and scholar
research interest. However, the development drive long the developmental state seems to
undermine the federal values and democratization processes that might be unresponsive approach
of state building project. Some nations still demand their own nationhood than national statehood
informing the gaps and challenges to Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism. The study suggests addressing
issues undermining responsive state and nation building approach in line with the federal
democracy would result in successful state and nation building in Ethiopia. This in turn enhances
national consensus and bring about smooth state-society and intra-society relations.
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Keywords
State and Nation Building in Ethiopia, With Special Reference ,Ethiopian Federalism