National Dialogue for Peacebuilding in Ethiopia: Lessons from Rwanda, Tunisia, and Yemen

Abstract

Since the late 20th century, national dialogues have been a widely recognized mechanism for peace-building during political transitions. Following its own transition in 2018, Ethiopia launched an inclusive public dialogue process aimed at addressing both historical and contemporary sources of discord while fostering national consensus to build a peaceful and prosperous state. While this process holds significant transformative potential, it currently lacks a systematic framework for integrating empirical lessons from comparative international models, which hampers its ability to incorporate proven success mechanisms. This study examines national dialogues in Rwanda, Tunisia, and Yemen to extract a comprehensive set of lessons that could inform Ethiopia’s ongoing process. Through a systematic literature review and thematic data analysis, the study identifies ten key factors that contribute to the success or failure of national dialogues: political will and national ownership; the credibility of the convener; the inclusion or exclusion of key stakeholders; the scope and nature of the dialogue agenda; connecting public suffering to structural solutions; decision making systems; unifying dialogue slogans; support structures and programs; the interplay between tangible and intangible goals of national dialogue; and the implementation and sustainability of dialogue outcomes. Effectively adapting these insights could significantly enhance the prospects for the success of Ethiopia’s national dialogue.