The Role of the Ethiopian Diaspora in Political Affairs of the Homeland

Abstract

This chapter explored the varied roles the Ethiopian diaspora plays in peacemaking, peacebuilding, and nation building in their homeland. It identified the policy implications of these engagements. Secondary data sources and reflections on the authors' personal experiences were used in this study, in the hope of providing conceptual constructs for future empirical studies. While it is noted in this study that members of the Ethiopian diaspora are behind major peace-building and nation building activities in the country, the authors call for a more strategic partnership between the diaspora and the government. Such intervention requires policymakers to be more creative and pragmatic in their approach to the nation's development. This approach will transform the current transactional relations (between the diaspora and the government) into a more focused, sustained, and strategic partnership that has the potential to transform Ethiopia.