Settlement and Resettlement in Ethiopia: Population Displacement,
Pastoralist Sedentarisation and Peace-Making

Joint workshop organized by The United Nations Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia
and The Ethiopian Society of Sociologist Social Workers and Anthropologists

28-30 January 2003

Rationale

The resettlement of populations affected by famine, conflict and development
projects and the settlement of pastoralist groups have once again become
crucial national and regional issues. In a context of impending famine and
distress migration the search for durable solutions often results in
consideration of options for resettlement and settlement related to
irrigated agriculture. However, lessons from past experience have tended to
limited to academic circles, and have not been part of the development
debate. This workshop will assess the current situation in the light of the
results of previous projects.

The workshop will present findings of the socio-economic and environmental
impact of resettlement and settlement carried out in the 1980s. Papers will
also address the issues of refugees, returnees, demobilized soldiers,
internally displaced groups, resulting from population displacements on
account of famine, conflict, and development projects such as pastoralist
settlement, parks, dams and urban expansion with a view to developing an
integrated approach to understanding issues relating to forced migration.

Studies of current initiatives by Amhara and Oromia region will also be
reviewed on the basis of the findings of workshops held in both regions.
Contexts of famine often exacerbate conflicts, and the workshop will also
consider the experiences of local peace making between conflicting groups,
with discussions of peace-making initiatives and the screening of a world
premiere of the film 'Calling Peace and Cursing War".

The workshop will benefit from international expertise on the subject with
the former Director of the Refugees Studies Centre of the University of
Oxford presenting a key-note speech providing an overview of global issues
on forced migration, as well as inputs from researchers at Addis Ababa
University, and the experience of government, international and
non-governmental organizations, pastoralist groups and other stakeholders.

Objectives

- To assess the current status of settlement and resettlement in Ethiopia
- To learn from past experience and make accessible findings of studies
- To consider the experience of local peace-making initiatives
- To provide recommendations for appropriate measures to address the issues.
Programme

Day I: 28 January

9:00 - 9:30  registration

9:30- 10:00  Opening Address
Mr Ilunga Ngandu, UNHRC Regional Liaison  Representative

10:00- 10:30 coffee break

10:30 - 11:00 Key-note speech
  Dr David Turton, Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford University
'Refugees and 'other forced migrants': towards a unitary study of forced
migration'.

1.   Resettlement issues: Past experience

11:00 -  11:30  Dr Assefa Tolera, Department of Sociology, Addis Ababa
University
  'Resettlement and its impact on the local population in Eastern Wollega'.

11:30 - 12:00  Dr Wolde-Sellassie Abbute, Gottingen University
 'The effects of Resettlement in Mettekel area, Gojjam'

12:00 - 12:30 Dr Alula Pankhurst, Department of Sociology, Addis Ababa
University
 'The longer-term implications of resettlement in Ethiopia'

12:30 - 1:00 Discussion

1:00 - 2:30 Lunch Break

2.   Resettlement issues; current situation

2:30 - 3:00 Dr Francois Piguet and Dechassa Lemessa
 'Study report on current resettlement in Ethiopia'

3:00 3:30 Professor Seyoum Gebre Sellassie
'Report on the Amhara Region Workshop on Resettlement'

3:30 - 4:00 Abate Jijo, Team Leader, Regional Food Security Bureau
 'Report on the Oromia Regional Workshop on Resettlement'

4:00 - 5:00 discussion
 Day II: 29 January

3. Pastoralist sedentarisation

9:00 - 9:30  Dr Getachew Kassa, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa
U.
 'Settlement among the Afar of the Awash Valley'

9:30 - 10:00 Dr Ayalew Gebre, Department of Sociology, Addis Ababa
University
 'The effects of development projects on the Kereyu'

10:00 - 10:30 Dr Melese Getu,  Department of Sociology, Addis Ababa
University
 'The effects of investment on the livelihoods of the Tsamako of the Omo
Valley'

10:30 - 11:00 discussion

11:11:30 Coffee Break

4. Panel discussion on pastoralism and sedentarisation

11:30 -12:30 leading discussants  Horn of Africa Pastoralist Communication
Initiative,
 Care, Farm Africa, Action Contre la Faim, GTZ.

12:30 - 2:00 Lunch Break

5. Refugees, returnees and demobilized soldiers

2:00 - 2:30 Representative from UNHCR
 Refugees, protracted case-loads, resettlement and repatriation.

2:30 - 3:00 Dr Kassahun Berhanu, Department of Political Science, Addis
Ababa U.
 'The experience of refugee returnees in Humera'

3:00 - 3:30 Yisak Tafere
'Socio-economic reintergration of ex-soldiers: case studies of male and
female cooperatives' (MA research)

3:30 - 4:00 Tea break

6: Panel Discussion on Refugees
4:00 - 5:00 leading discussants: UNHCR, ZOA, Jesuit Relief Services, ACORD.

 Day III: 30 January

7.   Development-induced Displacement

9:00 - 9:30   Dr Taddesse Berisso, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis
Ababa University
 'the experience of the Guji and the Netch Sar Park'

9:30 - 10:00  Kassahun Kebede
 'The Gilgel Gibe dam and the experience of resettlement' (MA research)

10:00 - 10:30  Feleke Tadele, Save the Children (UK and Canada)
 The expansion of Addis Ababa and the displacement of the surrounding
population, (MA research)

10:30 - 11:00 coffee break

8.   Panel Discussion on Development Induced Displacement

11:00 -12:30 leading discussants : World Bank, ICRC, SOS-Sahel, GTZ

12:30 -1:30 Lunch Break

9. Peace-making initiatives

1:30 - 2:00 Dr Taddesse Mesfin, Ethiopian Pastoralist Research & Development
Assoc.
'Peace-making in Borana. Lessons from current initiatives'

2:00 - 2:30 Abdullahi Haji, Somali Pastoralist Network
'Peace-making initiatives in the Somali Region

2:30 - 3:00 Abraham Sewinet and UNHCR representative
 'The conflict between the Anuak and the Nuer and attempts to solve it'

3:00- 3:15 tea break

10. Panel Discussion on peace-making initiatives
3:15 - 4: 15  leading discussants: Pastoral Communications Initiative, Save
the Children USA, Hararghe Catholic Secretariat,  ICRC, Afar Pastoralist
Development Association

11. Screening of world premiere of the film
4:15 - 5:00 'Calling Peace and Cursing War" by Alula Pankhurst

12. General Discussion and formulation of recommendations

5:00 - 5:30 General discussion
5:30 - 6:00 Recommendations

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