The last three years have been a dramatic time in Ethiopia. A popular uprising has taken place outside the capital, met with armed violence and a state of emergency. At least 1 people have died and at least 000 have been imprisoned. Free media is lacking and the internet is periodically shut down. In addition, there is an ethnically colored polarization that has been exploited politically and caused one million internally displaced people.
This side of reality has received little coverage in the Swedish media, where the image of Ethiopia as an "African tiger" with record high growth has continued to dominate. What has really happened in Ethiopia and what is the background? What does the future hold - now that a certain opening may be on the way? What has Sweden done, and what could Sweden do?
The seminar is hosted by Pierre Frühling, who has just returned from Ethiopia, where he worked as an advisor and deputy head of the section for regional development cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in Addis Ababa. Pierre has worked with a wide range of development issues, programs and projects for 35 years, first as an investigative reporter and later as an independent consultant, diplomat and government employee. The conversation is moderated by Lennart Wohlgemuth, FUF.
