As part of the preparations to organize the national dialogue for the coming November, the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) has been making various arrangements to ensure that civil society organizations play their part in the process.
The Council is undertaking various initiatives in order to ensure that the National Dialogue process is convenient and all-inclusive. In connection with this, a National Dialogue Reference Group has been established, which includes various civil society organizations and experts working on the issues related to the National Dialogue.
Accordingly, the Council will help facilitate the role that civil society organizations can play in the process by developing an Engagement Framework Policy and a Code of Ethics that civil society organizations should follow during the consultation process. ECSOC is also focusing on ensuring that Civil Society Organizations are working intensively to create favorable conditions for the National Dialogue process to be successful through knowledge-based and integrated participation.
ECSOC stepping up efforts to ensure CSOs constructive engagement in the upcoming National Dialogue Process
Commitment on digital skill and literacy initiatives
During a digital skill and literacy event organized by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT), attendees committed to greater collaboration in ensuring that Ethiopian citizens can fully participate and benefit from the life-changing impact of digitization. Some of which include ease of access to essential healthcare, increased productivity for smallholder farmers, increased employability among the youth and equal and significant participation of women in the digital economy.
They also agreed that fair access and equal participation in building citizens’ digital skills are critical to boosting Ethiopia’s digital economy. Limited internet access and electricity coverage in rural communities, affordability of electronic devices, inadequate training opportunities and low educational levels, particularly among women and youth, are among the major barriers to the country’s digital skills drive.
In its Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy, the government highlights that digital upskilling is crucial to its digital transformation agenda. As part of the strategy, MInT developed the Digital Ethiopia Learning platform, which UNCDF is supporting to enhance digital learning in the country. MiNT, in collaboration with UNCDF, has also rolled out the IBM DNA Platform, which provides free standardized digital training.
Proposal by AGRA to create Malawi’s Agricultural Transformation Agency
The former Prime Minister of Ethiopia and current Board Chairman of AGRA, Hailemariam Dessalegn, on 1st August 2022 met with Malawi’s President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, for dialogue on his country’s food system priorities.
During their meeting Hailemariam Dessalegn proposed the establishment of an Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) in Malawi.
“We need multiple agencies to work together and this calls for an institution to have binding effect on delivery. ATA is an important institution that IFAD, AGRA, BMGF and McKinsey are supporting to establish to unlock bottlenecks by Malawian institutions… Support can be accessed through the ATA on transforming the economy through the establishment of agro-processing areas to double production and resolve market and processing issues as was experienced in Ethiopia through the ATA,” said Hailemariam.
President Chakwera said “Working with AGRA is a great advantage for us as a nation that will enable it not only to feed itself but also move from subsistence to commercialization. So, when you talk of ATA, this is more than welcome, and we could fast track that because local cooperatives and anchor farms will benefit a lot… With AGRA and ATA, we can succeed!”
Elein Ayalew
Name: Elein Ayalew
Education: Diploma in secretary science
Company name: Elein Ayalew Security and Cleaning Service
Title: Owner
Founded in: 2021
What it do: Gives security and cleaning service
Hq: Addis Ababa around Lideta
Number of Employees: 10
Startup capital: 20,000 birr
Current Capital: Growing
Reason for starting the Business: Financial freedom
Biggest perk of ownership: Always being able to create opportunities
Biggest strength: Hard worker
Biggest challenge: Inflation
Plan: To start a food bank, to be able to feed those who cannot afford
First career: Sales
Most interested in meeting: Biniyam Belete, founder of Macedonia Humanitarian Foundation in Ethiopia
Most admired person: My mother
Stress reducer: Praying
Favorite past time: pending time with my families
Favorite book: The Bible
Favorite destination: Jerusalem
Favorite automobile: Ford
