In 2023, IAG has partnered with Life and Peace Institute (LPI) and Ethiopian Institute of Peace (EIP) to implement EU-funded project title “Civil Society Capacity Strengthening for Peace”. One of the objectives of the project is to identify and support CSOs working on peace. Accordingly, IAG conducted a CSO mapping study to locate and understand the organizational standing and technical experiences of the organizations for subsequent capacity development intervention. The second objective of the project is to enhance the role of CSOs in dialogue and reconciliation efforts at the national, regional and community levels. IAG was responsible for the preparation of a manual on dialogue facilitation and provision of training for CSOs on the manual.
In 2022 and 2023, IAG in collaboration with Mercy Corps and the CREATE (Collective Resilience Against Extremism) program conducted research on the dynamics leading to recruitment, radicalisation and collaboration with violent extremist actors in Ethiopia. The study, commissioned by the UK Office for Conflict, was undertaken in five research areas: Jigjiga and surrounds (Somali Region), Dolo Ado and Suftu area (Somali Region), Afder area (Somali Region), Dallo Mana and Meda Welabu area (Oromia Region), and Moyale area (Oromia and Somali Regions). This research aims to generate knowledge that will enable the Ethiopian Government and partners to understand and counter the threats of violent extremism.
In 2021, IAG partnered with International Republican Institute (IRI) to organize impartial debate platforms for contending political parties in the run-up-to to the 2021 national elections on selected vital policy issues. Three rounds of debates were organized in each three regions: Ahmara, SNNPR and Somali. The main objective of the project was to encourage a robust culture of conducing peaceful and courteous debate during pre-election cycle and thereby help voters make informed decision.
Between December 2020 and May 2021, IAG launched the Warka project to create a comprehensive virtual platform to be used before and during the 2021 national elections. The purpose of the project was to disseminate the programs and policies of the contending political parties on a range of social, political, and economic issues. The Warka project employed appropriate digital tools such as mobile application and also incorporated interactive functionality that enabled users easily access and compare different party policy positions and chose the one that suit their political preferences. Its primary objective was to help voters make informed decision.
Between February 2019 and June 2021, IAG in partnership with International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA) and International Revival Ministry (IRM) implemented the “Knowledge-Based Dialogue” (KBD) project to facilitate civil exchange of views on selected crucial thematic issues among political party leaders and other relevant stakeholders. This EU-funded project involved presentation of ten papers on vital national issues of concern, and the result has been published as a monograph. IAG was tasked with the research and publication and IRM was mandated to facilitate the dialogues in collaboration with IAG. IIDEA was the overall coordinator of the project.
Between March 2020 and May 2021, IAG and Life and Peace Institute (LPI), executed the “Listening Tour for Inclusive and Transformative Peace” project that aimed at conducting listening tours in selected universities. The project focused on students and surrounding communities to grasp the root causes of grievances of the youth including informal youth groups. The exercise was meant to enable partners to engage with government agencies in order to design appropriate policy measures and actions.
In 2020, IAG in partnership with CREATE, Mercy Corps-Europe, carried out rapid assessment study titled “Building Resilience in Countering Violent Extremism in Ethiopia” with the objective to explore the extent and nature of radicalization and recruitment into Islamist VE organizations. The study sought to enhance knowledge of the risks among stakeholders and governments and identify areas for further exploration for deeper understanding of the problem. The assessment was undertaken in four selected sites: Bole Sub-city in Addis Ababa, Gode, Dollo Ado and Moyale districts in Somali Region, and Moyale district in Oromia Region.
In 2020, IAG in partnership with the Ministry of Peace, PACT Ethiopia, and USAID undertook a study countering violent extremism (CVE) with the objective to understand the risks and dynamism of violent extremism and recommend the measures to prevent and counter them. The study focused on non-religious violent conflicts as a continuation of an earlier research on countering religiously inspired violent extremism. This nation-wide research aimed at generating evidence-based findings to design intervention programs and develop a national strategy. The study revealed that identity politics, the demand for self-rule, the struggle to control political and economic power, territorial claims and counter-claims, and the polarization of political ideologies, among others fueled the emergence violent extremism.
IAG, organized a symposium on “Poverty: Dimensions, dynamics and response options” the result of which was published in 2020. Several distinguished experts presented quantitative and qualitative analysis on poverty in Ethiopia. The conference deliberated on the existential dynamics and the social and cultural dimensions of poverty in the country and suggested policy measures. The project was funded by SIDA.