Announcing A New Organization: A Gift for Ethiopia from Ethiopians

                                    D.E.M.O.C.R.A.T.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Democratic Ethiopian Movement Of Creative Reform and Transformation (DEMOCRAT) is an organization of independent Ethiopians that wish to promote democratic political culture in Ethiopia through dialogue and open and free forums.  The mission and objectives of DEMOCRAT are guided by the principle of national reconciliation and peaceful conflict resolution; and because DEMOCRAT gives priority to negotiation via dialogue, its operational strategy as well as the analytic framework it employs in promoting democracy is essentially dialogical. However, the latter should not be perceived as acquiescence to the status quo; on the contrary, DEMOCRAT exhibits the highest form of integrity in its critical appraisal of the Ethiopian political landscape for the sake of reconciling Ethiopian democratic forces and help them iron out their ideological-cum-political differences. DEMOCRAT is not limited to engaging democratic forces; it also extends its hands to non-democrats and individuals as well as groups who entertain ideas and political agendas that are diametrically opposite to ours (us, Ethiopians who have been painstakingly sorting out strategies for democratic transformation of Ethiopia since 2009). Perhaps, the only groups that DEMOCRAT will not enter dialogue with could be elements that wish to violate the sovereignty and national integrity of Ethiopia and who would intentionally create havoc to the Ethiopian society. Thus, irrespective of ideological, political, religious, and ethnic affiliations, DEMOCRAT will enter dialogue with all Ethiopian groupings including the ruling party and/or seating government of Ethiopia.

Note: Ethiopians or non-Ethiopians who, in one form or another, have intimate relations with Ethiopia and who have sincere concerns on the development of Ethiopia and the welfare of the Ethiopian people, and who like to make input to DEMOCRAT, or simply send us feedback, can electronically connect with us via ethiopiandemocrat@gmail.com