Chapter Three: Method of Teaching National unity, Multiculturalism and Federalism In

Ethiopia

3.1. Concept of Multiculturalism

The Harper Collins Dictionary of Sociology (1991) defines multiculturalism is the

acknowledgement and promotion of cultural pluralism as a feature of many societies.
 It celebrates and seeks to protect cultural variety, for example, minority languages. At
the same time it focuses on the often unequal relationship of minority to mainstream
cultures.
 It is thus political, social, and cultural movement which aims to respect a multiplicity of
diverging perspectives outside the dominant traditions. Put differently, Multiculturalism
is a term which recognizes and celebrates cultural diversity.
 It accepts and respects the right of all to express and share their individual cultural
heritage. It also refers to the strategies, policies and programs that are designed to:
• make administrative, social and economic infrastructure more responsive to the rights,
obligations and needs of culturally diverse population;
• promote social harmony among the different cultural groups in society;
• optimize the benefits of cultural diversity for all.
Multicultural and multiculturalism are frequently used words to describe the ethnic diversity that
co-exists with mainstream society everywhere in the world today. And basically
multiculturalism means pluralistic or culturally diverse society which celebrates the
existence of diverse cultures, experiences, communities and traditions of immigrant or
ethnic groups.

Though multiculturalism is a theoretical framework for understanding the multi-ethnic,

multiracial, multi-religious and multi-lingual societies of postcolonial world, yet
multiculturalism has its emergence as a movement, first in Canada and Australia and then in the
USA, UK and Germany. It came into wider public use in the early 1980s in the form of public
school curriculum in America.

The term multicultural includes people of several different religions, races, languages and
traditions. The concept of multiculturalism is a source of co-existence of multiple cultures which

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nurtures understanding and appreciation of different cultures. It is not just about existence of
different cultures, rather it also looks at appreciation of the richness of these cultures.
Multicultural and multiculturalism are the terms frequently used to describe ethnic and religious
diversity. Multiculturalism symbolizes a society which is composed of people who belong to
different cultures.

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines multiculturalism as “the practice of giving

importance to all cultures in a society and it includes people of several, different races,
religions, languages and traditions.” Terence Turner in his book Anthropology and
Multiculturalism points out that:”Multiculturalism is one manifestation of the postmodernist
reaction to the de-legitimization of the state and the erosion of the hegemony of the dominant
culture in advanced capitalist countries” (416).

Bhikhu Parekh in Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory(2000)

defines multiculturalism as a way of viewing human life. According to Parekh, equal rights to
every cultural group irrespective of race, religion and language constructs the base of a
multicultural society. Tariq Madood in his book Multiculturalism (2007) defines that
multiculturalism is a mode of integration that can be juxtaposed with other modes, such as
assimilation and adaptation. It is based on the core democratic value of liberty, equality and
fraternity. He claims that each mode of integration has some demerits, but multiculturalism as a
whole is a response to shortcomings in the other modes. So, multiculturalism is necessary to any
strategy where groups are needed to be integrated for a larger benefit. Emergence of
Multiculturalism can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century. The German critics
developed the notion of difference and diversity of cultures and favoured the harmonious
existence of cultural diversity and pushed differences outside the boundary of society. The
German historians including Herder and Ranke supported the idea of cultural diversity in order
to enlighten the idea of progress from Dark Age to the civilizational progress. They argued that
human society is constituted by distinct and heterogeneous cultures and each culture has its own
values, traditions, norms, political and economic structures. Thus, each culture is complete in
itself. Peter McLaren viewed multiculturalism from the position of critical pedagogy while
identifying four major political positions of multiculturalism: conservative multiculturalism,
liberal multiculturalism, left-liberal multiculturalism and critical or resistant multiculturalism. In

2
the postmodern world, multiculturalism is seen as the medium to represent race and ethnicity,
class, gender and sexuality as part of larger struggles for identity. In this globalized world,
migration changes the cultures continuously. It reconstructs the world into a large multicultural
pot, which has shifted from monocultural assimilation tomulticultural adaptation because of the
migration shifts like north to south or east to Multiculturalism west as well as socio-economic
transformation of the immigrants. In simple words, people do not migrate alone, they bring their
cultures along to the hostland and when two cultures, homeland and hostland culture come into
contact with each other, a hybrid or melting pot culture takes birth. The post-Civil War society in
America is the beginning of the multiculturalism that occupied the centre stage of American
sociology, politics, and history in late twentieth century. Incorporation of different cultural
values transforms the socio-cultural integration of a society which generates the hybrid identity
and culture. Hybridization of cultures is pluralistic in nature and it allows the immigrants
freedom to embrace multiculturalism. As a result of hybridization, encounters of diverse cultures
have given acceptance to diversity and differences in a society. Maintaining the notion that all
cultures have merits of equal respect, multicultural societies have incorporated a variety of
people, belonging to different parts of the world. Multiculturalism grows when migrant
communities get settled in a new surrounding and begin to merge their cultural identity in their
day to day life in the hope of assimilation in the host society. Multiethnic societies of America
and Europe assisted multiculturalism to grow which was supported by civil rights movements
and feminist movement. In his article, “Is There a Case for Multiculturalism?”

• Multiculturalism as a demographic social reality simply refers to the demographic

condition of contemporary societies which contains two or more ethnic groups whose
differing cultural traits are distinctive enough to enable the establishment and maintenance
of differing cultural identities and communities. For many, it simply refers to the
demographic fact of having many different cultural groups inhabiting one area.
• In the second sense, multiculturalism is understood as a normative claim or political
ideology, argues that this ethno-cultural diversity should be accommodated, not
suppressed, and celebrated, not feared. In this sense, multiculturalism stands opposed to
traditional models of nation building and nationalism that sought to create homogeneous
national societies within. In a political context it has come to mean the advocacy of
extending equitable state to distinct ethnic and religious groups without promoting any

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 specific ethnic, religious, and/or cultural community values as central.

Thus, multiculturalism means

 Appreciation, acceptance, and promotion of various cultures.

 It advocates cultural diversity and distinct ethnic and religious groups.
 n other words, it defends cultural rights of individuals as well as different ethnic groups.
 It tries to build bridge among different cultures.
Understanding National Unity

 National unity: refers to a feeling of oneness and cohesion across a country's population,
where individuals from different backgrounds agree to live together in harmony as an undivided
nation. It is a collective commitment to the shared destiny and progress of the nation.

 True national unity is built

 on civic integration,
 mutual understanding,
 Tolerance, and respect for differences, rather than the suppression of those differences.

Diversity

 Diversity is a term used by scholars to refer to the composition of social units and is a
concept used by both employers and researchers to describe a wide range of physical,
cultural, psychological, and behavioral differences in organizations.
 Different diversity types recognized by employers (e.g., national origin and culture,
gender, race and ethnicity, age, disability, and social class) are summarized and
approaches to managing diversity (i.e., the prejudice reduction approach and the
preventing discrimination approach) based on the individual-level model of intergroup
conflict and leadership are examined. Furthermore, globalization trends and its
implications on diversity management in organizations are discussed.

Types of diversity.
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Age diversity. As traditional age norms in
organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 2009),
Types of diversity.
Age diversity. As traditional age norms in
organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 2009),
Types of diversity.
Age diversity. As traditional age norms in
organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 2009
Types of diversity.
Age diversity. As traditional age norms in
organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 2009)

3 . 2. Diversity in Ethiopia

Human diversity is a salient and challenging issue in most countries. The term “diversity” has
become one of the most frequently used words in social sciences. However, there is no single
way to define diversity. Finding an agreed upon definition of diversity is rather challenging.
Literally, diversity is a state of being diverse. In some studies diversity refers to “differences
between individuals on any attribute that may lead to the perception that another person is

5
different from the self” (Van Knippenberg, De Dreu, & Homan, 2004, p. 1008), or as a variation
that exists within and across groups on the basis of race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, and social status (Banks et al., 2005).

In general terms, diversity can be broadly conceived as all the ways in which people are
different. This includes both visible and invisible differences that exist between people both at
individual and group level. Ethnic and linguistic diversity were common features of most African
countries even before the arrival of European colonizers. Nevertheless, European colonization
influenced the ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of most African countries. Many African
countries have culture, identity, and ethnic boundaries that resulted from European colonialism
and their ‘divide and rule’ policy (Van der Beken, 2008). Many of Africa’s colonial boundaries
were drawn at the infamous Berlin Conference, 1884-85. In this conference, European colonizers
agreed to avoid a potential armed conflict in their struggle for compelling motives for conquest
which includes natural resource, strategic advantage, market, and national glory (Keim, 1995).
Most political boundaries, which were drawn between and within the European colonial claims,
became the border of African countries at the time of their independence.

The politically and economically motivated conquest (Sheldon, 1995) and border demarcation by
European colonizers divided ethnic groups that had lived together, merged ethnic groups that had
never lived together, and even created new ethnic groups that had never existed. European
colonizers imposed their languages on their colonies in Africa, despite the fact that Africans have
several indigenous languages. Consequently, European languages such as English, French, and
Portuguese became official or national languages of former European colonies.

Although there was Christianity in some African countries such as Ethiopia and Egypt, it was
introduced and spread out in most African countries during the European colonial period through
European Christian missionaries who had converted millions of native Africans to Christianity.
Unlike most African countries, the diversity in Ethiopia is not influenced by the colonial
imperialist design (Van der Beken, 2008), because Ethiopia is one of the two African countries
(the other is Liberia) that retain their sovereignty during the colonial era.

Unlike most western countries, the diversity in Ethiopia is not also influenced by international
migration, because Ethiopia is one of the poorest African countries that hardly attract

6
international immigrants. The arrival of Europeans to Ethiopia, however, had contributed to
increased religious diversity. Christianity was introduced in Ethiopia in the early fourth century,
while Islam was in the seventh. Orthodox Christianity was the only Christian faith that existed in
Ethiopia before the arrival of Europeans. Later, in the 16th century, when the strong Muslim
army from Eastern Ethiopia led by Imam Ahmed (also known as Gragn Ahmed) destroyed many
churches and threatened the complete destruction of Ethiopian Christendom, Emperor Lebna
Dengel requested help from Portuguese to combat with Gragn Ahmed. Following the arrival of
Portuguese fleet that helped the Ethiopian Christians in the fight against Gragn Ahmed, the King
and Church of Portugal sent their own bishops and patriarchs to Ethiopia (Sundkler & Steed,
2000). This opened the door for the introduction of Catholic religion in Ethiopia which was first
accepted by King Susinyos in 1622. Afterward, many European Catholic missionaries came to
Ethiopia in the name of other missions and taught the Roman faith.

Diversity-related issues have been the historic and prevalent questions of the Ethiopian society.
The reality of ethnic domination during the imperial regime is beyond dispute as the regime was
led by the motto of one country, one religion, one people and one language. There was a clear
ethnocentrism, and linguistic and religious discrimination based on the perception that the
Amhara ethnic group, the Amharic language and the Orthodox Christianity are superior to all
other ethnic groups, languages and religions. The discrimination was not simply an individual
bias, rather an institutional, and above all a state practice that denied equality among the diverse
Ethiopian society.

During the Derg regime, the domination of the Amhara ethnic group was not as visible as it was
in the imperial regime but government’s high positions were filled by ‘Amharaized’ people, not
merely Amhara. Although the military government allowed using some other languages in mass
media and national literacy campaign, Amharic continued as a dominant language both in
administration and education sectors. The demise of Orthodox Christianity as state religion was
one of the positive measures taken by the regime. However, instead of establishing religious
equality, its socialist ideology severely repressed all forms of religious expressions.

Compared to the imperial and the Derg regimes, the EPRDF-led government has empowered
ethnic groups in many areas of linguistic, religious, and cultural aspects. Even though the ‘clear
domination’ of one ethnic group is vanished, and diversity and equality of ethnic groups are

7
constitutionally ensured, it is believed that there is still an implicit domination of one ethnic
group - Tigre ethnic group. What makes this domination different is that it doesn’t promote
cultural assimilation which was the typical features of the imperial regime. Its domination is
more of political than cultural. Since the establishment of modern Ethiopia, those who come to
power have made an attempt to address diversity-related issues in a way they thought is best to
serve the interest of the country or their political ideology.

In relation to issues of diversity, to date, Ethiopia has exercised two broad ideologies of state
policy. The first state policy was a unitary system of government which was used until the
downfall of the Derg regime in 1991. There were two phases of this system. In the first phase
(until the overthrown of the imperial regime), the policy attempted to bring unity without
diversity, and resulted in hegemony and suppression. In the second phase (during the Derg
regime), the policy recognized diversity but the implementation was far beyond the policy, and
thus failed to succeed.

The second state policy is a federal system of government that has been used since 1991. It
emphasizes and promotes diversity without balancing with unity, and this potentially threatens
national unity and leads to tension, conflict and disintegration. So far, Ethiopia has failed to
properly deal with issues of diversity but is striving to address by maintaining a delicate balance
between unity and diversity. It is very difficult to realize such an effort unless the current
government halts politicizing ethnicity including emphasizing ethnicity at the risk of citizenship
and national unity, and manipulating historical interethnic grievances to evoke resentment, fear,
and hatred toward the “other”.

The Major forms of diversity

Types of diversity include

 Internal (innate characteristics like age, gender, race) and

 External (acquired traits like education, location, marital status). Additionally,
 organizational diversity (related to job function, seniority, or management status) and

8
  world view diversity (based on different perspectives and values) are considered. A
more extensive list also includes ethnic, religious, linguistic, neurodiversity, disability,
and socioeconomic diversity.
 Internal diversity

 Age: Differences in age among individuals in a group.

 Gender: Diversity based on gender identity and expression.

 Race and Ethnicity: Variations in racial and ethnic backgrounds.

 Sexual Orientation: A diverse range of sexual orientations.

 Disability: Differences in physical and mental abilities.

 Neurodiversity: Diversity in brain function and cognitive styles.

 External diversity

 Education: Differences in educational background.

 Geographic Origin: Diversity based on where a person is from.

 Language: Differences in native languages.

 Marital Status: Variations in marital status.

 Lifestyle: Differences in personal lifestyles.

 Socioeconomic Status: Diversity in socioeconomic backgrounds.

 Religion: Variations in religious beliefs and affiliations.

 Organizational diversity

 Job Function: Differences in roles or departments.

 Management Status: Diversity based on whether someone is in management or not.

 Seniority: Variations in tenure or time with an organization.

 Union Affiliation: Differences in union membership.

 Worldview diversity

 Perspective: Differences in individual perspectives, beliefs, and values.

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 Task Attitude: Variations in approaches to work and task

3. [Link] concept of Federalism

The term federalism has its roots in the Latin word feuds, which means alliance or contract.
Federalism can be regarded as a voluntary agreement on the form of territorial rule. Individual
territories commit themselves to permanent cooperation, whereby, unlike a federation of states,
the political autonomy of the territories is restricted in favor of uniform decision-making at the
federal level. Federal law trumps state law. The federation is required to behave in a considerate
way towards the decision-making process of its members.

 It is a doctrine of balance;
- Self-rule vs. shared-rule
- Unity vs. diversity
- Integration vs. diversification
 It is a political remedy for political disease.
 In this structure, power and responsibilities are constitutionally divided b/n the federal and
federating units (regional government).
 Each level of government has an exclusive power.
 Neither of them is subordinate to one another.
 Regional units minimally making procedure at the national level.
 It is a state structure as a response to widely diversified ethic, linguistic and political
tradition. Though the rationale of federalism is by no means limited to a solution of problems
in multi-ethnic states, federalism certainly has special relevance for ethnically heterogeneous
societies. In a unitary state, national minorities feel marginalized and excluded from political
decision making, because of the political hegemony of the majority community. Those
marginalization and exclusions result from the absurd contradiction of imposing a mono-
ethnic state on a multi-ethnic polity.
Rational for federalism:
o To mitigate protracted civil war
o To accommodate question of identity
o Alleviate problem of secession

10
  Federalism is a system of government where power is divided and shared between a
central, national government and regional governments (like states or provinces).
 This creates a structure of both "self-rule" for the regional units and "shared rule" at the
national level, with each level having its own constitutionally guaranteed powers and
institutions. Key features include a constitutional division of powers, shared revenue
sources, and mechanisms to resolve disputes between the levels of government.
 Federalism combines national unity with territorial diversity. The forms of federalism,
the division of competences and the cooperative relationships between the federation and
member states reflect the balance between these two ideas.
 Arrangement of federation varies from country to country. It is contextual.
 There are two types of arrangement of federalism;
A. Ethnic/non-territorial based federalism
B. Geographic/ territorial based federalism
A. Ethnic Federalism and Multiculturalism
-known as Non-territorial Federalism

 Ethnic federalism is the most promising alternative for handling and compromising
ethnic diversity or multicultural societies. It is more suitable for territorially large &
multiethnic society. Further, as a compromise,

 ethnic federalism arguably provides a sound strategy for promoting national unity and
political legitimacy. Advocates might argue that the creation of distinct ethnic homelands
with cognate rights of language, culture, and self-governance will help to blunt the ethno-
nationalist desire to possess one's own cultural belief.

 Underlying this concept is the thought that if an ethnic group can be convinced that their
national state is already a fact, regional division becomes a logical extravagance.
Referring to a state by the name of the titular ethnic group, as Ethiopia has done, could
also engender positive feelings of affection for and loyalty to the subunit, and indirectly
to the federation of which it is a part. By thus constituting each ethnic group as a unit of
self-government, ethnic federalism might be said to guard against the problem of rule by
remote leaders having insufficient identification with or knowledge of subunits.

11
 Ethnic federalism might help to quell ethnic nationalism, and thereby promote state
legitimacy and political stability. Further, non-territorial or ethnic or corporate federalism
is an unconventional federal concept. In this way, the so called non territorial minorities
can assert their rights of self determination, and several ethno-national groups can enjoy
autonomy in the same territory.

 The ethnic-based federal constitution makes the State and the whole society more
democratic and be inclusive. It provides the rights of self- and co-determination to all
existing communities and thus prevents the possibility of new ethnic cleavages and
tensions in the future.
 Non-territorial federalism is certainly not a comprehensive federal institutional solution
in itself, but it could be a useful additional building block in a solid constitutional and
political architecture combining territorial federalism, convocational power sharing
arrangements and constitutionally guaranteed safeguard for minorities.

 Despite the horrific experience of interethnic conflict and disintegration in the ethnic
federalism. It is still popular for reconciling unity and diversity under a single political
system. Ethnic federalism contributes to regional stability by sharing power with the
lower levels of government to decide on their own affairs.
 In addition to this, ethnic federalism accentuates ethnic tolerance, facilitates cultural
improvement, and eventually leads to the integration of cultures. It could emphasize on
centrifugal forces at the expense of centripetal ones.
 Furthermore, multicultural societies have been confronted with sophisticated problems of
managing diversity. States cannot eradicate and reduce such ethnic or/and multicultural
conflicts by establishing themselves as a neutral state rather by designing institutions to
recognize and accommodate diversity.
B. Territorial Federalism and Multiculturalism
- known as Geographic Federalism

- Based on Territorial democracy

 Division of power based on territory. It gives emphasis to territorial devolution of power
rather than giving the right to self-determination when we compare it within ethnic
federalism. Territory is paramount in autonomy concepts like federalism as well.

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 Territorial federalism is characterized by the distribution of power over territorial entities.
The overarching State, the federation, is divided into territorial sub-units (called states,
provinces, Lander or Cantons), and State Power is dispersed over these federated sub -
units. Territorially concentrated ethnic or multicultural societies benefit in such a
territorial federal structure in the following four ways:
 They are represented in the national parliament or first chamber as they would have been
in a unitary state;

 They are represented in the executive, legislative and judiciary of the federated sub-units
where they constitute a majority, enjoying their internal right of self-determination;

 They are represented as well in the second chamber which voices the concerns of the sub-
states in national policy making, and

 They are an active part in the intergovernmental policy networks which are typical of
federal arrangements.

In mono-ethnic or mono-national states territorial federalism may be an adequate solution. And

even in multicultural States where ethno-national communities are territorially concentrated and
where the sub-states reflect this situation, territorial federalism, or power sharing between the
central State and territorial political sub-units may be adequate and sufficient to satisfy the
aspirations and needs of all nationalities or culturally diversified communities.

3.3.1. Key characteristics of federalism

 Constitutional division of power:

A written constitution clearly divides legislative, executive, and revenue powers between the
federal and regional governments.

 Shared and separate institutions:

Each level of government has its own institutions, such as legislatures and executives, which
have direct contact with the citizens they govern.

 Self-rule and shared rule:

It combines the autonomy of regional governments with a shared system of governance at the
national level.

 Regional representation:

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 Federal systems often include specific institutions, like a second chamber in the legislature, to
ensure that regional opinions are represented in federal decision-making.

 Constitutional protection:

The constitution is supreme and cannot be unilaterally changed by one level of government,
requiring consent from a proportion of the members.

 Dispute resolution:
A mechanism, often a court, exists to resolve disputes between the different levels of
government.
Examples of federalism in practice

 The United States is a federal system, where the national government has certain powers, and
each state has its own constitution and powers, such as control over local elections.

 Some federal systems have three levels of government, recognizing the constitutional powers of
local governments in addition to national and regional ones, as seen in South Africa.

 Complex forms of federalism exist, such as linguistic federalism, as in Belgium, where power is
divided based on language groups
3.3.2. Key types of federalism

Dual federalism

 A system where federal and state governments operate in clearly defined, separate spheres of
power, only cooperating in a few specific areas.

 Each level has its own government, constitution, and courts.

 Often seen in economic theory as a way to encourage innovation and competition.

Competitive federalism:

 A model that encourages states to compete with one another to attract investors and provide the
best possible solutions to their problems.

 The success of a member state is thought to be retained by that state.

Asymmetric federalism:

 A system where some states or provinces have more autonomy than others, often to protect their
distinct characteristics.

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 Examples include Malaysia, where Sabah and Sarawak have powers normally reserved for the
federal government, and India, where the federal government has assisted less-developed states
in the past.
Cooperative federalism:

 Combines elements of both federal and state governments to work together on shared issues.
 This model is less distinct and can be seen as part of the continuum
between aggregative and devolutionary systems.

3.3.3. Potential Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism

Some of the advantages and disadvantages of federal systems are presented as follows:
A. Advantages of Federalism
Federalism can be defended by drawing upon a wide range of arguments that favors it stands:
federalism brings power sharing, power dispersion and political control, mainly of the executive.
Minority rights and claims are protected against the ‗tyranny of the majority‘. Federalism
functions as a form of empowerment because it offers opportunities for ‗regional voices‘ to be
heard. Multiple levels of government provide more opportunities for participation of citizens in
political issues. Therefore, federalism strengthens democratic legitimacy and serves as a school
for democratic culture and behavior. Federalism leads to the creation of regional political elites
and civil service jobs for local regional groupings.
Federalism bears the opportunity to tailor economic, social and cultural policies to the specific
needs, grievances and concerns of the constituent groups. According to some supporters,
federalism enables regions to engage in ‗creative politics‘. It serves as a social laboratory in
which innovative solutions for political problems can be tried out without the danger of the
solutions having far-reaching consequences for the whole country. Federalism allows for quick
and flexible solutions because regional-level problems can be solved autonomously without the
need to set in motion the huge ‗political machine‘ at the center. Competition between the
constituent states and the central level as well as between the subunits for scarce resources and
foreign investment can create incentives for good and efficient management. In addition to those
above facts federalism also has the following potential significances for a certain countries
 Under a federal system, small political units /states may unite themselves in to a more
powerful state and there by obtain certain manifest advantages both internal and external, which

15
flow from the union without wholly surrendering their separate existence and sacrificing their
right to self – government. In return for this advantage the people are reconciled to the loss of
power which they attain through the delegation to the central government of the authority to
regulate creating affairs of general interest to all the states composing the union. It furnishes the
means of maintaining between the centrifugal and centripetal forces in a state of widely different
tendencies.
 It is well suited to states of vast area ad diversity of conditions and also to those small ones
whose people are separated by racial, geographical and other barriers and who can be reconciled
to live under a common regime only when they are permitted a certain degree of autonomy.
 By permitting the inhabitants of each component state a large degree of self – government,
their interest in public affirms is stimulated; they are better qualified for determining their own
policies and regulating their own local affairs than uninformed, overburdened, distantly removed
bureaucrats in unitary systems.
 It stimulates interest in government by leaving the determination of local policy in the hands
of local officer‘s assemblies who are responsible to local electorate.
 It relieves the central legislature and authorities from the necessity of devoting time and
energy to the solution of local problems.
B. Disadvantages of federal state
 First, federal systems have a propensity to lead to the ‗tyranny of the minority‘, because
minority voices have many possibilities to be heard and to gain influence on the political
decision-making process. This is especially true for the cases in which the political minority
party at the central level has a strong position in the second chamber of the parliament and can
block reforms that the majority party wants to realize. The big influence of minority positions
might frustrate majority opinion.
 The fragmentation of political responsibility also leads to lack of transparency and
accountability (because it is unclear who is responsible for certain political decisions) and thus
toa democratic deficit. It can also lead to duplication of government and inefficient, over lapping
or contradictory policies in different parts of the country
 It can lead to quarrels between the states and lead to unhealthy competition and rivalry
between them, especially in multi ethnic federations whose administrative boundaries are
demarcated based on identity or ethnicity.

16
 Federal system creates a distinctive zone that becomes a source of unnecessary complexity
and confusion. There is duplicity of legislation, administration, taxation, adjudication and the
like. Thus, it entails heavy expenditure at the cost of taxpayers.
 The division of power between the federal units may lead to conflicts of jurisdiction between
national and local officers and authorities.
 It also creates unequal resource (natural or artificial resources) distributions among component
units

3.4. The roles of federalism in accommodating diversity

The rationale of federalism in contemporary Ethiopia is primarily the reconciliation of ethnic

diversity with political unity. In many ways the present federal system is the culmination of a
long period of searching for a constitutional formula which can unite and contain the Ethiopian
peoples. Ethiopia has been a country that, for almost a century, experienced a highly centralized
unitary state structure, irrespective of the diverse multiethnic groups that exist within the state.
For a very longtime in its history, Ethiopia remained a centralized state

But the idea of creating a centralized and unified Ethiopian state is proved to be ineffective. Any
viable government structure must be marked by a considerable degree of decentralization. Thus,
federalism could offer a promising formula for a smooth and satisfactory process of unity. The
introduction of federal system was denied the attention and recognition during the past centuries
as most governments used to propagate the idea,” one nation- one government, one nation one-
country, one country –one nation, one language and one religion”. This has completely side lined
the virtues of diversity. The existing federal arrangement, the federal democratic republic of
Ethiopia, is devised with the aim to accommodate the interest of distinct ethnic groups in
Ethiopia. Federalism is one of the essential elements to accommodate rights, needs, claims and
demands emerging among diverse ethnic groups. The reason Ethiopia has recognized federalism
as one essential mechanism in the current constitution is to accommodate its multi-faceted
diversity

Federalism accommodates diversity by dividing political power between a central government

and regional/sub-unit governments, allowing different groups to have self-rule in their areas

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 while also participating in a shared central government. This model can promote stability in
multicultural societies by respecting and protecting regional identities, cultures, and languages,
as well as ensuring representation for minority groups. However, its effectiveness depends on the
strength of democratic institutions and the genuine distribution of power, as a dominant central
party can limit the autonomy of regional units and exacerbate conflicts

Key roles of federalism in accommodating diversity

 Power sharing: Federalism constitutionally divides power, creating a framework where both the
national and regional levels have distinct and guaranteed authority. This prevents the
concentration of power in a single central authority and allows for regional self-governance.

 Recognition of group identities: It allows for the recognition and preservation of distinct ethnic,
linguistic, and cultural identities by granting sub-units the power to manage local affairs and
express their unique characteristics.

 Peace and stability: By providing a political framework for different groups to manage their
own affairs and participate in the national government, federalism can reduce conflict and create
stability in diverse societies.

 Representation: It can ensure that different groups are represented at the federal level,
particularly in the executive, ruling party, and upper chambers of the legislature, which can
prevent fragmentation.

 Flexibility and local solutions: Federalism allows regional governments to create policies that
are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of their local populations.

Challenges and limitations

 Dominant party rule: A dominant central party can undermine the federal structure by limiting
regional autonomy and co-opting regional institutions, leading to a gap between constitutional
design and actual practice.

 Weak institutions: The success of federalism is heavily dependent on the strength and
efficiency of democratic institutions. Weak or non-existent institutions can lead to conflicts and a
failure to manage diversity effectively.

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 Intra-unit and individual rights: A strong focus on ethno-nationalist rights at the regional level
can create challenges for minorities within those regions or for individual citizens who do not
belong to the dominant group.

Method of teaching national unity, multiculturalism and

federalism in Ethiopia
Teaching national unity, multiculturalism, and federalism in Ethiopia involves using a
curriculum that promotes a shared national identity alongside respect for diverse ethnic
identities, while also explaining the principles of the federal system. Key methods include
integrating ethnic and multicultural content into the curriculum, fostering citizen education on
democracy and tolerance, and using a curriculum that emphasizes both shared and self-rule
principles to unite different groups within a common polity.
Integrating multiculturalism and national identity
 Use a curriculum that reflects diversity: Integrate the history, cultures, and languages of
different ethnic groups into the national curriculum to show their contributions to the country's
heritage.
 Emphasize shared values: Focus on common values and national symbols to foster a sense of
patriotism and a shared Ethiopian identity alongside ethnic identities.
 Promote intercultural understanding: Educate students on the mutual benefits of diversity and
encourage interactions between students from different backgrounds to break down stereotypes.
Teaching about federalism and governance
 Explain the principles of federalism: Teach how federalism is a system for managing diversity,
allowing ethnic groups to maintain and promote their distinctive identities while also building a
common political and economic community.
 Detail the Ethiopian federal structure: Explain how the system is designed to balance self-rule
with shared rule, including representation in government bodies like the House of Federation,
where membership is based on representation of nationality groups.
 Focus on shared responsibilities: Educate on the division of powers, including how federal and
regional governments share responsibilities for the welfare of all citizens.
Fostering citizen education and engagement

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 Use citizen education: Incorporate civic education that teaches about democracy, political
tolerance, and the importance of national unity for prosperity.
 Encourage critical thinking: Encourage students to think critically about how to achieve
national unity in a diverse society, and how the federal system can be used to manage ethnic
tensions.
 Address past injustices: Teach about Ethiopia's history, including past mistakes like coercive
assimilation, to foster a more inclusive national dialogue.
 Emphasize conflict resolution: Use methods like conflict resolution to address ethnic tensions
and promote peaceful coexistence and cooperation

Age diversity. As traditional age norms in

organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 2009),
Types of diversity.
Age diversity. As traditional age norms in
organizations (e.g., younger at the bottom and
older at the top) decline, age diversity is on the
rise (Shore et al., 2009). Organizations increas-
ingly hire younger employees to fill middle and
top management positions, and with research
showing that age discrimination is more likely
to occur for older workers (Shore et al., 200

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