Peaceful struggle is a method to achieve social, economic, or political objectives through non-violent and conflict-free means. It is characterized by public participation, adherence to law, principles of human security and dignity, and similar values. Throughout history, peaceful struggle has grown and expanded, from the ancient Chinese, Greek, and Roman eras to the modern era of information science. According to Mahatma Gandhi, a veteran of peaceful struggle, “Peaceful struggle is a great tool for change in the hands of mankind and can be used at any time.” Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr., another prominent figure in global peaceful struggle, said, “A peaceful fighting style is a powerful strategy that can heal not only physical conflict but also the inner spiritual conflict of human beings.”
In general, peaceful struggle has become widely accepted around the world for its fairness and effectiveness. Some experts in the field suggest that there are more than 100 ways to conduct peaceful struggle. If we focus on the primary methods of managing peaceful struggle, we can identify more than a dozen strategies, including civil disobedience, public and street protests, boycotts, hunger strikes, refusal to cooperate on inappropriate issues, interference in unjust processes, communication and persuasion, media campaigns, diplomatic efforts, societal mobilization and organization, peace-building and reconciliation, negotiations, election participation, lawsuits, signature campaigns, and more.
If we evaluate the peaceful struggle attempts during the 27-year rule of the EPRDF and the current Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s regime, it’s hard to say whether the effort has failed or started. Especially under the current administration, aside from weak election participation, uncoordinated and unresearched media campaigns, and denial of permits for peaceful protests, there hasn’t been a significant peaceful struggle.
However, Ethiopia’s political landscape remains highly restrictive, making it difficult for political parties to operate freely, particularly those committed to peaceful struggle. Political figures, their parties, journalists, and human rights activists face direct harassment and imprisonment by the ruling government. This repression has intensified over the past six years, despite the government’s initial promises to liberalize the political environment and grant greater freedoms to journalists. The government does not encourage robust political parties, active party members, or influential media organizations, which creates a breeding ground for conflict and war. The ongoing conflicts in Oromia and Amhara, as well as the bloody civil war in Tigray, are direct outcomes of these political practices. The mistrust between armed groups currently fighting the government stems from the lack of space for peaceful protest and the absence of strong political entities to compete with the government.
Despite these significant challenges, the Balderas Party has chosen to persist in peaceful struggle. Following the recognition of Balderas for True Democracy as a national political party, it is crucial for patriotic Ethiopians to support and help implement this peaceful strategy.
Written by Ameha Hailemariam from the North America Support Group.
The recent surge in service fees at government institutions has left many shocked and confused, with the increases appearing unprecedented and unjustifiable. Services such as the renewal of driver’s licenses, vehicle ownership certificates (libere), replacement of lost driver’s licenses, and Bolo (annual vehicle inspection) do not require special technical expertise, skills, or knowledge beyond printing cards, papers, and stickers.
However, the Ethiopian government, merely by virtue of being the service provider, has raised prices by 150% to 700% for services that are already inefficient, outdated, and prone to corruption. This price hike does nothing but further frustrate the public. It is difficult to comprehend the logic behind such an exorbitant increase, and the justification for these hikes has not been disclosed.
The cost of the materials, such as paper, cards, or stickers, is not more than 50 birr, whether sourced through imports or from the local market. Yet, opening a computer, verifying names, and confirming that an existing driver’s license is valid now incurs a price increase of 900%, despite the fact that the actual service costs less than 100 birr.
For instance, the fee for transferring a title of ownership has risen from 3,000 birr to 5,000 birr, annual vehicle inspection (Bolo) from 1,010 birr to 2,500 birr, and issuance of a vehicle ownership certificate from 300 birr to 1,200 birr. Additionally, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has already decided to apply Value Added Tax (VAT) to all services provided starting October 1, 2024. Reports from social media also suggest that Ethio Telecom is expected to follow this pattern and raise service prices in the near future.
The arbitrary price increases for government services are a clear sign that the country is heading in the wrong direction. A large majority of Ethiopians believe the government isdoing a very bad job in its management of the economy. The drastic price hikes on literally every item in the market as a result of the currency floating regime coupled with a more than doubling of all government administrative costs across the board, are stifling the economy and causing significant harm to the public by way of a staggering increase in the cost of living . Obviously, all this is the result of the failed economic policy being pursued by the OPDO/Prosperity regime, to indirectly increase it tax base for the purpose of funding its war effort in the Amhara region.
ሀ. ለብልጽግና መራሹ አገዛዝ እና የአዲስ አበባ ከተማ አስተዳደር የቀረበ ጥሪ፦