Ethiopia in the news

I've had quite a few interesting, Ethiopia-related media pieces forwarded to me in recent weeks. For example, an article from the French newspaper Le Monde, "Boomtown Ethiopia - Can Former Poster Child Nation Become A Model For African Growth?" (translated into English here), and an Economist article that takes a critical look at Ethiopia's state-controlled development policies. Also, the video of  an Ethiopian-born graduate delivering the Valedictorian speech at Morehouse College, sharing the podium with President Obama. Another is a radio piece produced by a Seattle student whose mother left Ethiopia during the civil unrest of the 1980s. Then there's this great blog that covers "Politics and Religion in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa." A search for "Ethiopia" brings up coverage of negotiations between Ethiopia and the neighboring countries with whom it shares the Nile River.

NPR and other news outlets have also been reporting on concern and controversy around the major hydroelectric dam projects underway here, one of which - the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - will be "Africa's largest" and promises to generate over 5,000 megawatts of electricity when completed in about five more years. Among the issues are concern in Egypt over availability of vital water farther down the Nile, the displacement of people for the construction, the push for public funding of the projects, and detention of journalists for reporting on these issues. This CNN video from last year gives good background and images.

In Ethiopia, the dams are being celebrated as essential steps toward economic development, and the government is understandably sensitive about this criticism. The website of Ethiopia's Embassy in London is a great source of information from the government's perspective; it includes a link to "A Week in the Horn" a Ministry of Foreign Affairs weekly publication and "Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance," a special section from the May-June 2012 issue of Foreign Affairs.

Lurking in the background of all this news coverage are the challenges of accommodating a rapidly growing population (both in the capital city and across the country), extending the benefits of development to the poorest people, and protecting the environment along the way.