Commission Receives Recommendations from Amhara Region Scholars on Strengthening Inclusiveness in the National Dialogue
August 21, 2025 (Bahirdar) – The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has received recommendations from scholars of universities in the Amhara region, calling for greater efforts to include groups that have so far remained outside the dialogue process.
The recommendations were made during a two-day forum entitled “The Effective Role of Scholars in National Dialogue,” held on August 20 and 21 in Bahirdar. The forum brought together selected scholars from 10 universities across the region and concluded with key reflections on inclusiveness, representation, and the way forward for the ongoing national dialogue.
Participants highlighted that despite the difficult circumstances, reaching the current stage of the dialogue—where citizens from diverse backgrounds have been engaged—is a remarkable achievement. However, they stressed the need to address existing gaps, particularly the exclusion of certain groups.
The scholars identified armed groups, political prisoners, political refugees, as well as political parties and factions that have distanced themselves from the process as groups that must be reached. They recommended that the Commission design a framework to facilitate the participation of these actors in the dialogue.
In addition, the forum urged the Commission to uphold principles of impartiality, transparency, and fairness as essential elements for building trust and credibility.
Commissioner Dr. Yonas Addaye, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to the scholars for their thoughtful contributions and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that all groups—whether currently engaged in armed struggle, in detention, in exile, or politically self-excluded—are given opportunities to participate in the dialogue.
The Commission also emphasized that it will continue working closely with university scholars across the country to enrich the dialogue process with evidence-based perspectives and solution-oriented recommendations.
