This thesis critically assesses state-society relationships and challenges to human rights in Ethiopia. The main argument of this thesis is that the state-centred approach to human rights in Ethiopia, introduced by the EPRDF in the post 1991 period, did not resolve the major questions centred on human rights. At the theoretical level, the attempts made to implement human rights in Ethiopia can be related to the claim of the mainstream theoretical perspective of human rights. The mainstream approach to human rights is essentially state-centric because it views the state as the primary agent for the institutionalization of human rights. This claim is based on the widely held notion that the state has the primary obligation in implementing human rights.l This approach involves acceptance of international human rights agreements, their incorporation into domestic laws, and the establishment of human rights institutions, among other things. Within the realm of this state-centred approach, these activities, which have also been undertaken in Ethiopia, are considered as major indications for the implementation of human rights. However, this thesis argues that, in Ethiopia, these undertakings are not reflected in state-society interactions in practice. This problem needs to be explained by examining state-society relationships in Ethiopia from the perspective of different societal groups. The Oromo, as one of the ’nations, nationalities and peoples’ in Ethiopia, workers in the Ethiopian trade unions, and students in state-run educational institutions, are the three groups identified here, and their experiences will be used to examine their relationships with the state in the aftermath of 1991. The information obtained through interviews with the informants drawn from these societal groups is central to the analyses in this thesis, leading to the following major findings or conclusions: First, the analyses in this thesis indicate that the prevailing form of interaction between the state and the society in Ethiopia is characterized by antagonism. The divergence in state interests, policies and strategies form the basis of the antagonistic relationships. Secondly, the closer examination of the problems shows that the questions of human rights, notably ’collective (group) rights’, the right to subsistence, freedom of expression and association, among others, are not resolved because antagonism remains the central feature of state-society relationships. Thirdly, the analyses show that the state-centred discourse of human rights has not contributed to the formation of societal solidarity, and to the creation of space for expression at the societallevel. Nor has it led to the emergence of human rights as an organizing principle and leadership within the society. Finally, the observations drawn from the experiences of different societal groups in Ethiopia profoundly challenged the view that the state is central for the institutionalization of human rights. The analyses also suggested the need for the reappraisal of the state-centred theoretical and methodological basis of human rights. In sum, the study points towards the need for a change in the locus of human rights: a change from the state-centred to society-oriented approaches.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:685344 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Mebrie Gofie, Solomon |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0069 seconds