searchers Unlimited

Denkfabrik: Addis Ababa
Searchers Unlimited
Sections
A|
Telephone directory
B|
Schedule
c|
Participants
D|
Welthungerhilfe
e|
The 5 most important words
F|
Introduction Ethiopia
G|
Ethiopia country report
H|
Food outlook Ethiopia 2015
I |
Addis Ababa
The addis ababa meeting
Searchers Unlimited
There have been some changes for the better in recent years,
including for many people in so-called developing countries.
Greater life expectancy, lower infant mortality rates, better access
to safe drinking water and better education for more children – all
thanks in part to development aid. But still: Globalization gallops
on. New and bigger challenges face humanity. Financial and
economic crises, climate change, increasing food prices, growing
inequality. The impact is hardest on poor people. Almost a billion
people are starving and more than a billion people have to
manage on barely more than a dollar a day.
Globalisation has left these people out - “The Bottom Billion,” as
British economist Paul Collier called his bestseller. International
cooperation and aid organizations aim to support them, aim to
help them achieve greater autonomy.
But how can that be best achieved today, and tomorrow too?
Do these organizations actually have the right approach? Or the
right approach for today?
Let’s call the advocates of
the traditional approach the
Planners, while we call the
agents for change in the
alternative approach the
Searchers…A Planner thinks
he already knows the answers;
he thinks of poverty as a
technical engineering problem
that his answers will solve.
A Searcher admits he doesn’t
know the answers in advance;
he believes that poverty is a
complicated tangle of political,
social, historical, institutional,
and technological factors.
William Easterly,
The White Man’s Burden
We’re asking you:
If there were no such thing as Welthungerhilfe or Oxfam or Action
Aid, would you invent it today? Or would you change it radically?
What has gone wrong in the interaction between North and South?
In what way can – and should – it be differently designed? How
should a cosmopolitan society express solidarity with those in
need – without undermining their independence?
How does an economically sound and fair world of tomorrow look?
How do we get there? And which values do we want to bring along?
Just before its 50th birthday in 2012, Welthungerhilfe, Germany’s
leading aid organization, created in 1962 through the United
Nations’ worldwide Freedom from Hunger Campaign, had
gathered together thinkers and creative minds from Germany
and neighbouring countries to find answers, ideas or suggestions
to at least some of the questions.
The addis ababa meeting
Three years and four meetings later, we want to enter
into a next phase by broadening our point of view.
Therefore, we invited you to Addis Ababa. The idea is
to gather on a multinational level in order to include
thinkers, movers and “shakers” from different African
countries. The aim is not so much to walk out with an
activity plan, but more to gain input from renowned
people from various fields of expertise. To us it is
enlightening on a higher level and thus gives us food
for thought on a strategic level.
We are asking for a critical feedback from experienced
and self-confident people who are not necessarily part
of the aid sector. This is why we ask you to share your
thoughts with us on issues like
the development frames in our minds and the
future of global (and mutual) solidarity
how do we want to earn our money – agriculture,
high-tech, services, industrial production?
migration as thread and chance.
Background
Unlike 50 years ago, development policy is relatively
low on the list of priorities in politics and society
today; it is no longer able to move people rationally
and emotionally, to reach hearts and minds.
Since the end of the Cold War, development policy and
cooperation, which got off to a euphoric start in the
early 1960s, have settled into an increasingly
smaller, technically oriented niche, which at best
remains accessible to the community of experts.
Meanwhile, aid organizations that solicit donations
have steered the theme towards charity, which may
have “more mass appeal” – but sympathy alone does
not justify support for development cooperation or aid agency
work in the 21st century. If these organizations are even needed:
Development policy is suffering from a lack of legitimation. Some
critics want to “pull the plug” because they think development
cooperation steers the needy into the dead-end of dependency.
On the other hand, many people would have been lost without
the help of aid agencies; just consider the increasing numbers of
catastrophes such asthose in the Central African Republic or Syria.
Fifty years after its invention, development cooperation needs
a new lease on life, perhaps radical changes and a new position
in our western society – beyond pity and technical explanations. This is why we need Searchers Unlimited.
The Searchers Unlimited Project
Welthungerhilfe’s mission is related not only to projects abroad
but also to those within its own society. Our goal is not only to
inform people about our work and ask for donations. We also
want to provide orientation in a world that is growing more
complex and at the same time more integrated.
Development policy used to divide the world into “us” and “them.”
In a new era, this division has become obsolete long time ago:
We are speaking of world citizenship, an international domestic
policy. Development policy relates in this way to the entire globe,
not only to economically weaker countries. We all can and must
develop. But how, and toward what goal?
Answers to these fundamental questions require insight from
the “outside,” a view from individuals who have special skills or
experience in other fields or systems that, like development policy,
appear to have reached their limits. From individuals who have
the ability to convince and mobilize people beyond traditional
pathways – individuals whose searching and flexible outlook
allows new perspectives to open.
Section A
Telephone Directory
Ursula Langkamp
+25 910577522
Miro Welcker
+25 940300719
Police
911
Emergency
0116630373
Hotel Addis
Bellevue
+25 1116676700
Kirse
Reservation Manager
+25 911212321
Hotel Langano African +25 1111140035
Vacation
Gutelat
Reservation Manager
+25 912607849
German Embassy
Addis Ababa
+25 1111235139
in case of emergency
+25 1911204020
WHH office
+25 1116624766
A|1
Searchers Unlimited
Section B
Schedule
Monday, Feb 16
8.30
Pick up at Hotel
9.00 
9.15
Arrival at Location “Abbaba’s Villa”
– Welcome (Welthungerhilfe, T.
Schulz-­Isenbeck // M. Mogge)
– Introduction
9.45  Block 1: What moves us?
 
12.15 Intervention:
– Francis Nyamnjoh: Africa- from
hopeless to hopeful
-Lars Harden: What German media
makes us think what moves Africa
– which pictures are conveyed?
Sunday, Feb 15
2.15 pm
2.30 pm
5.30 pm
  
6.45 pm
7.00 pm
9.30 pm
Meet in Lobby
– Pick up at Hotel
– Tour of Addis
(National Museum...)
Return to Hotel
Pickup for Dinner
– Arrival GRANI DI PEPE
– Welcome
by Welthungerhilfe
(Tobias Schulz-­Isenbeck)
– Introduction into Ethiopia/Addis
Ababa in general
and into the work
of the Welthungerhilfe
12.45
 
13.45
 
15.15
 
15.35
Lunch Break
17.15
 
17.45
Wrap-­up for the day
Block 2: Migration (1)
Coffee Break
Block 2: Migration (2)
Pick-­up for Hotel
18.45 Pick-­up from Hotel for Dinner
 
19.15 Arrival at MAKUSH Gallery
We will be joined by the German
Ambassador, Joachim Schmidt, and
Alemayu Diro, a representative of
the Ethiopian Civil Society
21.30 Pick-­up for Hotel
Return to Hotel
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Searchers Unlimited
Section B
Wednesday, Feb 18
Tuesday, Feb 17
8.30
Pick up at Hotel
9.00
Morning Welcome
9.20
Block 3: Economy
12.45
Lunch Break
13.45
Block 4: Solidarity
16.45
Open space/Wrap up
of the two days
17.45
Open Get together/
Drinks in the Garden
18.30
Pick-­up to Hotel
19.30
Pick-­up from Hotel for Dinner
20.00
Arrival at Yod Abessinia
22.30
Pick-­up for Hotel
8.30
Pick up at Hotel
9.00
Arrival ICE Addis (Discussion with
young Ethiopian Entrepreneurs)
10.30
Start Journey to Arsi Negele,
Lunch on the road
16.30
Arrival in Langano,
Africa Vacation Lodge
17.30
Project Brief and discussion
19.30
Dinner at Lakeside Beach
Thursday, Feb 19
8.00
Start at Lodge
8.00
Visit Water scheme
infrastructures
11.00
Discussion with community
managed water company
12.30
Lunch at Africa Vacation Lodge
13.30
Journey to Addis
18.30
Arrival in Addis,
Check in at Hotel Bellevue
19.30
Dinner at Top View
22.00
First transfers to Airport
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Searchers Unlimited
Section B
Solidarity
Background
The UN General Assembly has identified solidarity as one of the
fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations
between peoples in the 21st century. As the contexts in which we
live are getting more and more complex and as individualism is on
the rise, the question of what constitutes solidarity and how it can
be organized becomes ever so relevant in a globalized world that
seeks for its social glue.
First approach:
What do we mean
when we talk
about solidarity?
Wikipedia states: „Solidarity is unity (as of a group or class) that
produces or is based on unities of interests, objectives, standards, and
sympathies. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together
as one. (…) What forms the basis of solidarity varies between societies.
In simple societies it may be mainly based around kinship and shared
values. In more complex societies there are various theories as to what
contributes to a sense of social solidarity.”
Solidarity is also often considered as an “attitude of relatedness”.
In addition to this pure “attitude”, solidarity is also defined like this:
“Solidarity means signing on to whatever cause seems to be
presented by those who have suffered. This is a more engaged form
of protest, because it does not stop at mere pity or empathy – it
promises future action.”
First food for
thought
In our focus topic “solidarity” we want to discuss different perspectives
on solidarity, reaching from questions as “What is our (personal) understanding of Solidarity?” and “With whom do we feel solidary, who feels
solidary with us and do we like that feeling?”, towards a more global
perspective. This is to take into respect that development cooperation
is based on interests and solidarity. Both can easily undermine something we want to achieve: self- determination. Are we on the right
track? And: we mostly talk about North-South solidarity. But does the
North also need/want solidarity from the South?
A concluding thought might lead us to the following: The UN proclaims
solidarity to be one of the fundamental values of our century.
What does this mean for the way we act and move as global citizens?
Section B
Refugees and
Migrants
- The number of international migrants worldwide has
reached an all-time high in 2013: 232 million. 136
million migrants lived in the North, while 96 million
resided in the South. Refugees account for about 7.5 %
of the global migrant stock.
- According to UNHCR there were 51.2 million forcibly
displaced people worldwide in 2013. For the first time
since World War 2 the number of refugees, internally
displaced persons and asylum seekers has exceeded 50
million.
Among them there were almost 17 million refugees
(defined according to international law). Developing
countries host over 86% of them. 50% of refugees were
under 18 years old. Ethiopia, for example, hosted about
656.000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from
South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and the Sudan.
33 million people were forcibly uprooted people and
displaced within their own country (internally displaced
people/IDPs). More than 1 million people submitted
applications for asylum in 2013. Germany was, for
the first time since 1999, the largest recipient of new
individual applications (109.000 asylum claims).
- The situation of forcibly displaced people and the reasons why they fled their homes has to be analysed in
the respective context. While working with refugees it
is also important to distinguish between the different
stages of flight. At the point of departure often conditions have to be established that prevent people from
leaving. On your way you may need support center
at places with people smuggling gangs. In temporary
shelters refugees may need humanitarian assistance
or perhaps options to return. Life threatening passages
(e.g. Mediterranean Sea) are a particular responsibility
for international institutions (like FRONTEX). Recep-
tion camps and admission procedures require humanitarian and
political prudence. Last but not least refugees and asylum seekers
do need particular support with regard to their integration (eg in
Europe) or reintegration.
- It is one of the aims of international development cooperation
to fight the root causes of flight. But the relationship between
an increase in official development aid and the number of refugees and migrants coming to Europe is disputable. Independent
of ODA the number of people who look for protection in Europe
and North America will increase. The same applies for people
who look for work.
- Generally it should not be aim of development cooperation to
prevent migration from poorer to richer countries. Migration is a
strategy for better conditions of life, for the realization of certain
life styles and for the reunion of families. Migration is sometimes
leading to problems in the host society but is also offering chances.
The main aim of development related activities should therefore
be to support the innovative potential of migration and make
use of it. There is no contradiction between integration (in host
countries) and development (in the home country). According to
experience migrants get more involved with their home countries
the better they are integrated in their host country.
Section B
Section B
Future of Global
Economy
The year of sustainable
development 
Jeffrey d. Sachs: Reference Date: 09-December-2014
The year 2015 will be our generation’s greatest opportunity to move the world toward sustainable development. Three high-level negotiations between July and
December can reshape the global development agenda,
and give an important push to vital changes in the
workings of the global economy. With United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to action in his
report “The Road to Dignity,” the Year of Sustainable
Development has begun.
In July 2015, world leaders will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to chart reforms of the global financial
system. In September 2015, they will meet again to approve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide
national and global policies to 2030. And in December
2015, leaders will assemble in Paris to adopt a global
agreement to head off the growing dangers of humaninduced climate change.
The fundamental goal of these summits is to put the
world on a course toward sustainable development, or
inclusive and sustainable growth. This means growth that
raises average living standards; benefits society across the
income distribution, rather than just the rich; and protects,
rather than wrecks, the natural environment.
The world economy is reasonably good at achieving economic
growth, but it fails to ensure that prosperity is equitably shared
and environmentally sustainable. The reason is simple: The world’s
largest companies relentlessly – and rather successfully – pursue
their own profits, all too often at the expense of economic fairness
and the environment.
Profit maximization does not guarantee a reasonable distribution
of income or a safe planet. On the contrary, the global economy is
leaving vast numbers of people behind, including in the richest
countries, while planet Earth itself is under unprecedented threat,
owing to human-caused climate change, pollution, water depletion,
and the extinction of countless species.
The SDGs are premised on the need for rapid far-reaching change.
As John F. Kennedy put it a half-century ago: “By defining our goal
more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less remote,
we can help all people to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move
irresistibly toward it.” This is, in essence, Ban’s message to the UN
member states: Let us define the SDGs clearly, and thereby inspire citizens, businesses, governments, scientists, and civil society
around the world to move toward them.
The main objectives of the SDGs have already been agreed. A
committee of the UN General Assembly identified 17 target areas,
including the eradication of extreme poverty, ensuring education
and health for all, and fighting human-induced climate change.
The General Assembly as a whole has spoken in favor of these
priorities. The key remaining step is to turn them into a workable
set of goals. When the SDGs were first proposed in 2012, the UN’s
member said that they “should be action-oriented,” “easy to communicate,” and “limited in number,” with many governments favoring a
total of perhaps 10-12 goals encompassing the 17 priority areas.
Achieving the SDGs will require deep reform of the global financial system, the key purpose of July’s Conference on Financing for
Development. Resources need to be channeled away from armed
Section B
conflict, tax loopholes for the rich, and wasteful outlays
on new oil, gas, and coal development toward priorities such as health, education, and low-carbon energy,
as well as stronger efforts to combat corruption and
capital flight.
The July summit will seek to elicit from the world’s
governments a commitment to allocate more funds to
social needs. It will also identify better ways to ensure
that development aid reaches the poor, taking lessons
from successful programs such as the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. One such innovation should be a new Global Fund for Education, to
ensure that children everywhere can afford to attend
school at least through the secondary level. We also
need better ways to channel private money toward sustainable infrastructure, such as wind and solar power..
These goals are within reach. Indeed, they are the
only way for us to stop wasting trillions of dollars on
financial bubbles, useless wars, and environmentally
destructive forms of energy.
Success in July and September will give momentum to
the decisive climate-change negotiations in Paris next
December. Debate over human-induced global warming
has been seemingly endless. In the 22 years since the
world signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Rio Earth Summit, there has been far
too little progress toward real action. As a result, 2014
is now likely to be the warmest year in recorded history,
a year that has also brought devastating droughts, floods, highimpact storms, and heat waves.
Back in 2009 and 2010, the world’s governments agreed to keep
the rise in global temperature to below 2° Celsius relative to the
pre-industrial era. Yet warming is currently on course to reach 4-6
degrees by the end of the century – high enough to devastate
global food production and dramatically increase the frequency of
extreme weather events.
To stay below the two-degree limit, the world’s governments must
embrace a core concept: “deep decarbonization” of the world’s
energy system. That means a decisive shift from carbon-emitting
energy sources like coal, oil, and gas, toward wind, solar, nuclear,
and hydroelectric power, as well as the adoption of carbon capture
and storage technologies when fossil fuels continue to be used.
Dirty high-carbon energy must give way to clean low- and zerocarbon energy, and all energy must be used much more efficiently.
A successful climate agreement next December should reaffirm the
two-degree cap on warming; include national “decarbonization”
commitments up to 2030 and deep-decarbonization “pathways” (or
plans) up to 2050; launch a massive global effort by both governments and businesses to improve the operating performance of
low-carbon energy technologies; and provide large-scale and reliable financial help to poorer countries as they face climate challenges. The United States, China, the European Union’s members, and
other countries are already signaling their intention to move in the
right direction.
The SDGs can create a path toward economic development that is
technologically advanced, socially fair, and environmentally sustainable. Agreements at next year’s three summits will not guarantee
the success of sustainable development, but they can certainly
orient the global economy in the right direction. The chance will
not come along again in our generation.
Section B
The twilight of the
resource curse?
The Economist.Com: Reference Date: 10- January-2015
FOR decades commodity prices have shaped Africa’s economic
growth. The continent is home to a third of the planet’s mineral reserves, a tenth of the oil and it produces two-thirds of the diamonds.
Little wonder then that, as a rule, when prices for natural resources
and export crops have been high, growth has been good; when they
have dipped, so has the continent’s economy (see chart 1).
Over the past decade Africa was among the world’s fastest-growing
continents—its average annual rate was more than 5%—buoyed in
part by improved governance and economic reforms. Commodity
prices were also high. In previous cycles African economies have
crashed when the prices of minerals, oil and other commodities
have fallen. In 1998-99, during an oil-price fall, Nigeria’s naira lost
80% of its value. African currencies again took a beating during a
period of turmoil in commodity markets in 2009.
Since last year the price of oil has fallen by half and many metals
such as copper and iron ore have also dropped sharply. With commodity prices plunging, will the usual pattern repeat itself?
In some economies large drops in commodity prices have led to
currency falls. At least ten African currencies dropped by more than
10% in 2014. But there have been few catastrophic depreciations.
This suggests that investors do not see lower commodity prices
as a kiss of death. Ghana’s currency, the cedi, was the continent’s
worst-performing currency in 2014, having lost 26% against the
dollar. But it tumbled not because investors fret about the impact
of lower commodity prices. In fact, Ghana is by African standards
not especially commodity-dependent (see map). Rather, it has in
recent years run a lax fiscal policy. In 2013 its budget deficit hit
10% of GDP.
The mall, not the
mine
One reason currencies have been robust may be because economic growth is starting to come from other places. Manufacturing
output in the continent is expanding as quickly as the rest of the
economy. Growth is even faster in services, which expanded at an
Section B
average rate of 2.6% per person across Africa between
1996 and 2011. Tourism, in particular, has boomed: the
number of foreign visitors doubled and receipts tripled
between 2000 and 2012. Many countries, including
Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria, have
recently revised their estimates of GDP to account for
their growing non-resource sectors.
Despite falling commodity prices, the outlook also seems
favourable. Wonks at the World Bank reckon that SubSaharan Africa’s economy will expand by about 5% this
year. Telecommunications, transportation and finance are
all expected to spur economic growth.
What explains Africa’s increasing economic diversification? A big pickup in investment helps. That has arisen
partly because governments have worked hard to make
life better for investors. The World Bank’s annual
“Doing Business” report revealed that in 2013/14 sub-Saharan
Africa did more to improve regulation than any other region. Mauritius is 28th on the bank’s list of the easiest places to do business.
Rwanda, which 20 years ago suffered a terrible genocide, is now
deemed friendlier to investors than Italy.
After two decades of poor performance, Africa’s total investment
as a percentage of GDP increased after 2000. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa rose by 5% in 2012 and 10% in 2013, despite
global stagnation.
Ten years ago almost all FDI went to resource-rich African economies; resource-poor economies received very little (see chart 2).
Resource-rich countries still receive more FDI in absolute terms;
but resource-poor economies outpace them when investment is
measured as a share of GDP. Foreign investors from other African
countries are especially keen on non-commodity industries: nearly
a third of their investments are in financial services.
The most resource-intensive economies are working hard to
diversify. For the past three years growth in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest
economy, has exceeded 5%. You might think its growth is being powered by oil exports. Nigeria has Africa’s second-largest reserves, it
is the fifth-largest exporter and, according to the IMF, oil accounts
for 95% of all exports. But in recent years the Nigerian oil industry
has stagnated. Growth has instead come from things like mobile
phones, construction and banks. Services now represent 60% of
GDP.
Angola is similar. It is Africa’s second-largest oil producer and the
stuff makes up the vast majority of exports. But its 5.1% expansion in 2013 came mainly from things such as manufacturing and
construction. In 2013 fishing expanded by 10%, and agriculture by
9%. About a third of government revenue now comes from non-oil
sources, compared with almost nothing a decade ago, economists
at Standard Bank reckon.
Section B
In Botswana the percentage of GDP made up by the mining
and quarrying of goodies like diamonds, gold and copper has
fallen from 46% in 2006 to 35% in 2011, according to the
“African Economic Outlook”. Other countries that are successfully diversifying are Rwanda—which has thriving banks and
business-services firms—and Zambia, which although still
copper-dependent has posted growth of 12% a year in financial
services. Congo-Brazzaville, where oil makes up 80% of exports,
is seeing rapid growth in construction and transport. That may
be further fuelled by the All-Africa Games, which are to be held
this year in the capital, Brazzaville.
Better fiscal policy also plays an important role. Commodity markets are volatile; government spending smooths out the booms
and busts. Until a few years ago, nearly all African economies spent
freely when their economies were hot, only to rein in spending
when things cooled down. That is the opposite of what most
economists would advise a finance minister to do. But in recent
years, according to a report from the World Bank published on
January 7th, fiscal policies in many African countries have become
more sensible. These days a fair number of African economies save
money during the good times, in order to spend it in the bad ones.
There is still a long way to go. Africa is still the continent most
dependent on commodity exports. Countries such as Tanzania and
Nigeria want to develop giant gasfields which, while boosting the
economy in the short term, could tie them more closely to commodity cycles. Some worry that investment in infrastructure will fall as
mining companies retrench.
Even so, there is reason to think the “resource curse” is losing its
power. Despite turmoil in commodity markets, Africa is still one of
the world’s fastest-growing regions. With better education systems,
investment in infrastructure and sensible regulatory reforms, the
continent could completely break the spell that has held it back so
often in the past.
Section C
Participants
Alexander
Herholz
Communication Consultant
Germany
Amelie
Fried
Author and Journalist
Germany
Consultant, Digital Activist
Germany
Bahati
Kanyamanza
COBURWAS International Youth
Organization to transform Africa
Born Congolese,
lives in Uganda
Bernice
Dapaah
Bright Generation/
Ghana Bamboo Bikes
Ghana
Christina
Kufer
Law student at the University of Munich Works
as a journalist and for the Goethe Institute
Germany
Dr. Emmanuel
Gyimah-­Boadi
Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana,
and executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development
Ghana
Fambai
Ngirande
Country Manager Zimbabwe of ICCO
Focus: Fair economic development
Zimbabwe
Prof. Dr. Francis
Nyamnjoh
Professor of Anthropology at the University
of Cape Town Also: Novelist, Journalist, Playright
Cameroon, works
in South Africa
Prof. Dr. Gesine
Schwan
Professor for Political Science, Founder oft he Humboldt-­Viardrina
School of Governance and Governance Platform
Germany
Guy
Wouete
Artist
Cameroon,
lives in Antwerp
Hans
Rusinek
Student at the London School of Economics [international relations]
Germany
Dr. Hendrik
Groth
Editor-­in-­Chief of the „Schwäbische Zeitung“,
former dpa-­correspondent to various African countries
German
lives in London
Prof. Dr. Lars
Harden
Professor for Mass Media and Communication Managing
Director of a firm dedicated to communication research
Germany
Dr. Papa
Sow
Social Researcher, Currently University of Bonn,
focus: population dynamics/migration
Senegal
Prof. Dr. Peter
Eigen
Founder of Transparency International
Germany
Peter Probst
Screenwriter
Germany
Rejoice
Ngwenya
Writer, political activist, expert on Zimbabwean economics
Zimbabwe
Sileshi
Demissie
Musician
Ethiopia
Anke
Domscheit- Berg
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Searchers Unlimited
Section C
Moderation: Reyhana Masters (Zimbabwe)
Markos Lemma (Ethiopia)
Fotografin: Helen Zulu
Participants Welthungerhilfe
Tobias Schulz-Isenbeck [Supervisory Board],
Manfred Bischofberger [Country Director Ethiopia],
Abayneh Demeke [Financial Officer Ethiopia],
Michael Hofmann [Executive Director Marketing],
Ursula Langkamp [Country Director Ethiopia],
Mathias Mogge [Executive Director Programmes],
Ulrich Post [Director Policy and External
Relations and Director „Searchers Unlimited“ ],
Katrin Seegers [Director „Searchers Unlimited“],
Miro Welcker [Organizational Support]
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Searchers Unlimited
Section D
Welthungerhilfe
Program in Ethiopia
and Somaliland
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest
German Non-Governmental Organisations
working with private donations in the area
of international cooperation in Africa,
Latin-America and Asia.
Welthungerhilfe promotes self-help
projects in rural development, food security,
emergency and relief financed by private
donations and donor funds. Furthermore
advocacy on international development,
poverty eradication, MDGs is undertaken.
Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action) has
beena working in Somaliland since 2001
and in Ethiopia for more 40 years to support
Ethiopians living a better, healthier and
self-reliant life.
The overall objective of the program is
“to contribute to sustainable food and
nutrition security and poverty reduction”
According to Welthungerhilfe’s strategic
projects the following specific objectives
have been formulated:
1 To integrate the sustainable food and nutrition security
approach as an umbrella for the overall sector interventions
in the regional program;
2 To strengthen local partner organisations to become
self-reliant actors in terms of technical, methodological and
administrative project implementation;
3 To position Welthungerhilfe and the partner organisations
in Ethiopia and Somaliland through increased participation
in thematic forums, lobbying and research activities;
Welthungerhilfe’s and its partners built their
joint programme on five strategic pillars:
1 Water Supplay & Quality, Sanitation and Hygiene
2 Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource
Management
3 Nutrition and Health
4 Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change
Adaptation
5 Social Development and Education.
Target groups are:
1 Pastoralists and agro-pastoralist in the lowlands
and midlands of Ethiopia and Somaliland
2 Rural poor in the mixed farming systems of the
Abyssinian highland
3 Urban and peri-urbanpoor
Geographic areas are:
1 Midlands and lowlands of North-Somalia
2 Highland and midland areas in the regional states
of Amhara, Oromiya
and in Southern Nations in Ethiopia
3 Lowland areas of Southern Oromiya, Afar and WestAmhara in Ethiopia
4 Urban and peri-urban areas of Addis Ababa and Bahir
Dar, Amhara.
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Section D
Arrival-ABC
Airport Directly at town; ca. 4 km till town-centre; Taxi
and Mini-Bus available at any time; 80-300 ETB/tour; during
nights more; Visa upon arrival: 20$.
Car-hire Various offers; generally expensive and vehicles can be rent out only with driver; moderate prices from:
Amsalu Dereb 091-1230041 s.a. or Mr. Abebe, Tel.: 091 124
26 73; or: Mr. Kassa, Tel. 011-6189 738.
Clothes “Offensive” dresses may create distress; also: most
visitors forget: ETH is mainly cool highland area ~2000 m.
Customs Normal personal effects are let-in without
problem; generally generous; x-ray-check of luggage for
arrival & departure.
Departure at airport Airport tax is abolished.
Consider to be at the airport 2 hours prior departure due
to security checks.
Electricity 220 V; mostly simple sockets; adapters
sometimes necessary.
Emergency / Turmoil / Crisis Contact Embassy+
AA Berlin; presently calm; foreign-ministry web-pages!
Exchange - Rate 1€ ~26 ETB; 1$ ~18 ETB.
Internet Many I-cafes available; hotels normally offer
free-WiFi access; ask for pin at counter.
International roaming T-mobile, D1 work; Eplus hardly works!
Malaria In many parts of ETH common; mosquito-dome
/ net advisable; in AA no serious problems; precaution as
recommended by experts; blood-test recommended in case
of symptoms like sudden fever; Prophylaxis drug: Malarone;
for treatment also Riamet (not available in the country).
Medical care / service Hayat-Hospital; near
Airport / along Ring-Road towards Megenanya, Tel.: 011
6181 096, 011 6614 250; Korean Hospital near Imperial
Hotel; Sun-shine Clinic: 011-124 22 95 ambulant; Dr.
Tofik Idris; 011-465 16 66; Panorama-Medical-Centre;
Vertr.arzt Lufth/Bot.
Mobile / Handy Eth. Telecom monopoly; visitors
D |2
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Section D
have to rent / buy a SIM-card. W has cards for
visitors; interested visitors may inquire additionally. Thuraya mostly working.
Money Best by €+$ cash; international transfers by WesternUnion within minutes possible;
5% costs; credit cards accepted in big hotels
and some shops; ATM in town for Visa-card/
Maestro; new: Visa-card-transfers: 2.5%; Advise: change in the airport upon arrival; bring
cash from abroad.
Newspapers Daily Monitor, Herald; Weekly
Journals: like The Reporter; Sub-Saharan, Capital; Fortune: all in English.
Office hours / opening hours Officially from 8-17 hrs, Banks open on Saturday
too; shops: from 9-20/22 hours; in some areas
only till 18 hrs, mostly on 6 days, a few even on
Sundays;
Photographing At bridges, airports,
military sites: to be very careful; better to ask
before-hand; people: asking at first !!!
Restaurants Many; wide choice; meals
60-250ETB/meal; along Bole-Road and Telebole: African Queen; Makush; Pizza Roma; Korean; Alladin; good tradit. Restaurants with dance
performances: Fasika, Yod-Abessinia.
Security Normally not a big problem;
usual care and attention are due! Houses have
mostly a guard; walking at nights alone better
to be avoided. Only take necessary items while
walking through the towns; Group-attackers
with tricks divert attention; also in cars, minitaxis and busses; In case of attack: cry “Leba” =
thief, and people / police will help you.
Souvenirs Many places and shops; esp.
near Post-office and along Churchill road.
Special problem Beggars: widely active; anything
supporting beggar-culture is questionable; “tissueselling-mafia”; better to give money for controllable
purposes, eg. in existing social projects; English: only few
Ethiopians speak clear English; many misunderstandings
are common; Appointments / arrangements: make sure
that what, who, where, how, how-much, when, why, etc. is
clearly understood between inviters and invitees / interlocutors.
Taxi Many, but small, often not in good state; prices:
20-200 ETB; night-fares more expensive; little Englishspeaking; know important places/buildings for direction;
in town: minibus (2-10 ETB) can take to many places.
Telephoning ( internat.) Normally 1€/min.; in
hotels double; mobiles common; SIM-card upon request;
Skype satisfactory.
Temperatures Wide range due to extreme topographical diversity; for Addis Ababa.: early morning: 5-12ºC,
sun-downer: 15-20°; lunch: 20-25°; in Afar- / SomaliRegion: up to 45-50°C.
Tip According to service rendered; no fixed range; 5-20
ETB is a standard; 5%-rule as a guideline after professional service.
Tourist- guide - books E.g. Katrin Hildemann,
Martin Fitzenreiter: “Aethiopien”; Reise-Know-how , Verlag
Daerr; John Graham: “Ethiopia off the beaten trail”, ISBN
1-931253-11-0; “Lonely Planet” often praised; several
others; HYPERLINK „http://travel.insideethiopia.net“
http://travel.insideethiopia.net; addisallaround.com.
Tour- Operators Many companies; careful, pro-active precise pre-travel-arrangements are necessary!! Check
car before!! Get infos from RO.
Vaccinations No checking at airport; booklet
should be available for common vaccinations; yellow
fever may be checked when arriving from yellow fewer
endemic country.
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Section E
5 most important
words in Amharic
3
1 4
English
Amharisch
Hello!
2
How are
you?
Melekame
Kene
Dehena Note
Please!
Thank you!
One
more
drink,
please!
Ebakuwone
5
Amesegnalehu
Ebakeshe
chemerelegn
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Section F
Introduction
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered
by Eritrea to the north and northeast, Djibouti and Somalia to the
east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south.
With an estimated population of 94 million, Ethiopia is the most
populous landlocked country in the world, as well as the secondmost populated nation on the African continent. It occupies a total
area of 1,104,300 square kilometers and its capital and largest
city is Addis Ababa Ethiopia (World Bank, 2013). Ethiopia has an
elevated central plateau varying in height between 2000 and 3000
meters. In the north and center of the country, there are some
25 mountains whose peaks rise above 4000 meters. The highest
mountain is Ras Dashen with 4,620 meters. The most famous river
is Abbay (Blue Nile) which flows north a distance of 1450 kms from
its source in Lake Tana to join the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan.
Dallol depression is at the northernmost extension of the [Great]
Rift Valley. It is below sea level and acts like a cauldron, trapping
all the heat. This is special because it is one of the lowest points on
earth not covered by water (116 meters below sea-level
Ethiopia is regarded by many historians as the cradle of ancient civilization and home for fossil hominids, which invoke huge interest
among many archeologists and tourists, encouraging them to get
to know the country well.
Archeologists have found the oldest known human ancestors in
Ethiopia. 3.2 million years ago, a female being walks the land of
Ethiopia. Her bones are discovered by her evolutionary descendants
and known by the world as Lucy or in Ethiopia as Dinknesh, meaning “you are wonderful”
Ethiopia is a home to over 80 ethnic groups with diverse languages
and cultures.
Ethiopia derived prestige for its uniquely successful military
resistance during the late 19th- century Scramble for Africa, and
subsequently many African nations adopted the colors of Ethiopia‘s
flag following their independence. Ethiopia was the only African
country to defeat a European colonial power and retain its sovereignty as an independent country.
Ethiopia served as a symbol of African independence througF|1
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Section F
hout the colonial period, and was a founder member
of the United Nations and the African base for many
international organizations.
It was the first independent African member of the
20th-century League of Nations and the UN. In 1974,
at the end of Haile Selassie‘s reign, power fell to a
communist military junta known as the Derg, backed by
the Soviet Union, until it was defeated by the EPRDF,
which has ruled since about the time of the collapse
of the USSR in 1991. In the last two decades Ethiopia
has undergone major political reform – from a highly
centralized unitary government to a Federal structure
with nine member regional states formed largely
based on ethno cultural (linguistics) lines. The present
political system in the country allows constitutionally
empowered Regional States to use their languages,
develop their culture and also address development
matters within their respective states. Amharic is the
working language of the Federal Government. Other
major languages spoken in the country include Oromiffa, Tigrigna, Sumale, Sidama and Guragigna.
Ethiopia is the origin of the coffee bean. It is a land
of natural contrasts; with its vast fertile West, jungles,
and numerous rivers, the world‘s hottest settlement of Dallol in its
north, Africa‘s largest continuous mountain ranges and the largest
cave in Africa at Sof Omar. Ethiopia has the most UNESCO World
Heritage Sites in Africa.
Ethiopia is one of the founding members of the UN, the Group of
24 (G-24), the Non- Aligned Movement, G-77 and the Organization
of African Unity, with Addis Ababa serving as the headquarters of
the African Union, the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UNECA, African Aviation Training HQ, the African Standby
Force and much of global NGOs focused on Africa.
In Ethiopia, agriculture accounts for 41% of the Ethiopian Gross
domestic Product (GDP), 83.9% of exports, and 80% of the labor
force on 12.7 million smallholder farms (CSA 2012). Smallholders
produce 95 percent of Ethiopia‘s agricultural GDP (IFAD 2012).
Nearly 16 percent of GOE’s public expenditures are committed to
the sector. Due to investments by the GOE and its development
partners, the agriculture sector has witnessed consistent growth of
over 8 to 10 percent per annum over the last decade.
At the same time, Ethiopia also encounters multiple challenges
to harness its natural endowment. This very fact necessitates
the country to remain dependent on humanitarian assistance for
feeding millions of chronically food insecure people every year.
Concentrations of food insecurity and malnutrition are endemic in
rural areas, with a population of six to seven million chronically
food insecure, and up to 13 million seasonally food insecure.
Today, however, Ethiopia is on a rising pattern, and with its politics
stabilizing, the GDP of the country has seen a massive resurgence.
Ethiopia has envisioned to be one of the middle income countries
by 2025 and aggressively working towards this vision. Ethiopia has
achieved several targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
In particular, remarkable achievements have been registered in
the education and health sectors and infrastructural development.
The five year Growth and Transformation Plan, which ends in
2014/2015 considers agriculture as the pillar sector of the economy with the aim of transforming the economy towards the one
dominated by the industrial sector.
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Section G
Country Report
Ethiopia
Land area
1,221,900 sq km
Population
96.5m (Economist Intelligence Unit extimate for 2014)
Main cities
Addis Abeba (3.4m) ; Bahir Dar (218.000) ; Dese (219.000)
Climate
Temperate on plateu, hot in lowlands
Languages
Amharic, Orominya, Tigrinya, Afar, Somali and others. English and
Amharic are mainly used in business.
Currency
The birr (previous ehtiopian dollar) = 100 cents; the single legal
exchange rate is determined by a weekly auction
Time
3 hours ahead of GMT
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Section G
Country Report
Ethiopia - Political
outlook
Q: The Economist // Country Report December 2014
Political
stability
The ruling Ethiopian People´s Revolutionary Democratic Front
(EPRDF) plays an overwhelmingly dominant political role, and
there are few signs that this situation will change. Hailemariam
Desalegn- who has served as prime minister since the death of
the long-standing incumbent, Meles Zenawi, in August 2012- has
sought to rebalance the EPRDF, traditionally dominated by the
Tigray People´s Liberation Front (TPLF), to include leading
members of all parties in the coalition. This has sparked
speculation that he lacks sufficient support within the party to
replicate his predecessor´s dominat position. It is also questionable
wheter such efforts are serving to reduce long-standing tensions
between certain ethnic groups and central government. For
example, tensions and low-level violence are possible in the
Ogaden region in the south-east, where the government is seeking
to eradicate the Ogaden National Liberation Front, an ethnically
based, violent and fragmented separatist group.
Arguably more seriously tensions are also likely with the Oromo,
Ethiopia´s largest ethnic group, totalling around 27m people out of an
estimated population of 94m in 2013. A report published by Amnesty
International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in October 2014
accused the authorities of „ruthlessly targeting“ the Oromo, who,
despite their numerical preponderance, perceive themselves to be
politically and economically marginalised. This perceived
marginalisation has contributed to the development of a secessionist
movement, which includes the Oromo Liberation Front - designated
by the government as a terrorist organisation, and banned since 2011.
Although Mr. Hailemariam has sought to co-opt some members of the
Oromo-Oromo representatives, like those from other key ethnic groups,
hold a deputy prime ministerial role within cabinet-this is unlikely to
adress concerns about the region´s economic marginalisation. This will
probably lead to periodic protests and localised unrest. However, such
ethnic tensions are unlikely to develop into a nationwide issue, or
to present a serious threat to central government, not least given
the strength of the country´s security apparatus
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Section G
(An April 2014 report produced by Global Firepower
rated Ethiopia as the third-strongest military power in
Africa.)
The authorities will remain highly intolerant of all
forms of criticism, and the regime will continue to
protect its hegemony using restrictive legislation and
periodic crackdowns by the security services. In November, for example, an NGO, Reporters without Borders,
claimed that in 2014 the authorities had conducted the
„biggest crackdown on the privately owned press since
2005“). There is little likelihood of an amelioration of
this approach in the forecast-periodic-indeed, in the
short term, crackdowns are likely to intensify as the
political space narrows in advance of the May 2015
legislative election.
Despite all of this, the greatest threat to overall stability is more likely to arise from external terrorist group,
and in particular al-Shabab, Somalia´s main insurgent
group. In October, for example, the US emabssy stated
that it had „credible information“ that al-Shabab was
planning to carry out attacks in the capital´s wealthy
Bole area, the site of numerous hotels and resteraunts
frequented by foreigners, as well as Ehtiopia´s princi-
pal airport. The Ethiopians authorities claim to have thwarted a
number of such planned attacks, but although the African Union
Mission in Somalia (Amisom) - of which Ethiopian troops are a
part-continues to make progress in its offensive against the militant group, the threat of regional al-Shabab attacks has if anything
increased, as demonstrated by the November killing of more than
20 bus passengers in northern Kenya, Ethiopia is probably a less
high-profile target than Kenya, but given that it shares a long- and
difficult to police-border with Somalia, it is likely to remain at risk
of further attacks by al-Shabab.
Election Watch
The next federal eletion is due in May 2015. The EPRDF has not
indicated whether Mr. Hailemariam will continue to lead the coalition beyond this point, but there is growing speculation that the
prime minister is deemed to have failed to stamp his authority on
the ruling group and will be replaced. The ruling group will seek to
keep any rivalries out of the public eye, although there is speculation that potential successor candidates could include the foreign
minister, Tedros Adhanom, and a TPLF politburo member, Tewodros
Hagos. However, an open EPRDF split is unlikely, and the ruling
group is expected to win the poll whoever it is led by, since the
opposition remains constrained by internal rivalry, state oppression
and a lack of resources.
Nine opposition parties have signed an agreement pledging to
„co-operate“ in the May 2015 polls. However, strong personalities
within the constituent parties mean that the grouping will remain
prone to splits and divisions, and its inability to raise significant
funds domestically will make it relatively easy for the government
to keep it marginalised. Opposition groups are likely to focus on
the fact that Mr. Hailemariam will go into the polls as an appointed rather than elected head of state- assuming that he leads the
EPRDF into polls - but the restriction of political space and liberties means that the EPRDF will probably return with a powerful
mandate, if not necessarily the 99% majority that it currently holds.
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Section G
International
assumptions
Economic
growth
External
sector
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Section H
Food outlook
Ethiopia 2015
Reference Date: 23- January-2015
FAO-GIEWS
Country Brief
Food Security
Snapshot
Harvesting of main “meher” season crops is complete
and overall production prospects are favourable
In southern and southeastern pastoral areas, “deyr/
hagaya” rains (October-December) were generally
below-average and ended earlier than usual
Below-average “xays/dada” rains affected pasture
conditions in northern Afar region
Cereal prices decline or remain stable in most markets
Food security conditions continue to improve as newly
harvested “meher” crops are available for consumption

Cereal prices
decline or remain
stable in most
markets
Harvesting of the 2014 main “meher” season cereal crops is
complete. Cereal production from the smallholder sector is
estimated at about20 million tonnes, slightly above the level of the
2013 good harvest. Main season “kiremt” rains (June-September)
have been generally abundant and well-distributed in most major
western growing areas of Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz and western
Oromia regions. Here, “kiremt” rains continued until mid-November,
benefitting yields of late- planted varieties. By contrast, rains were
late by two/four weeks, erratic and below average in some
marginal producing areas of eastern Amhara (Wag Hamira and
North Gonder zones), lowlands of Oromia (East and West Hararghe,
Arsi, Borena, Bale and Guji zones) and parts of southern and eastern
Tigray regions, reducing yields of long-cycle maize and sorghum
crops which have been already affected by the early cessation of
“belg” rains at planting time. In September and October, heavy rains
in the highlands resulted in large-scale floods in Afar, Somali, SNNPR, Oromia, Tigray and Gambella regions, with significant displacements of people and damage to standing crops and pastures.
In southern and southeastern areas, the “deyr/hagaya” rains
(October- December) started on time, but have been characterized
by below- average amounts, prolonged dry spells and early
cessation at the end of November. Despite the non-uniform
distribution pattern of seasonal rains, the availability of grazing
resources improved in most areas, leading to better livestock body
conditions. However, early migrations of herds in search of pasture
are reported in Dollo and Borena zones, along the border with
Kenya. In northern Afar pastoral areas, “xays/dada” rains (OctoberFebruary) have been well below-average, leading to poor pasture
conditions (see NDVI anomaly map on the right).
Prices of maize declined by 10-20 percent in most monitored
markets between July and October as crops from the “belg”
harvest increased supplies. Subsequently, prices slightly increased
in November following seasonal patterns and started to decline
in December with the commercialization of newly-harvested
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Food security conditions
continue to improve as the
“meher” season harvest
progresses
crops from the main 2014 “meher” harvest. Prices of maize in
December were between 3 and 30 percent below the levels of 12
months earlier in most markets, while in the capital, Addis Ababa, they
were 8 percent higher due to sustained local demand. In Addis Ababa,
prices of red sorghum have been decreasing since May, and in December they were 30 percent lower than 12 months earlier, while prices of
wheat, teff and white sorghum were mostly stable in recent months,
and in December they were around the same levels of one year earlier.
The lean season in most “meher” producing areas ended last October
with the beginning of the green harvest. Food security conditions
have gradually improved as the “meher” harvest progresses and
new crops become available for consumption. In western surplusproducing areas, harvest labour opportunities are increasing the
purchasing power of poor households, improving their access to food.
However, access to food is likely to quickly deteriorate in areas that
received below-average rains and production of long-cycle crops
such as northeastern Amhara, eastern and southern Tigray, the
lowlands of East Hararghe zone in Oromia, northeastern Afar and
some pockets in southern Somali region.
According to the mid-year review of the 2014 Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD) carried out by the Disaster Risk Management
and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) of the Ministry of Agriculture
(MoA) in August 2014, the number of people in need of relief food
assistance until the end of 2014 was estimated at 3.2 million, about
18.5 percent more than in the first half of the year. The increased
humanitarian needs reflected the below-average performance of the
2014 “belg” season crops in northeastern Afar, southern SNNP and
Tigray regions as well as in south and southeastern pastoralist areas.
By mid-January 2014, Ethiopia hosted about 656 000 refugees and
asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and the
Sudan. In particular, over 258 000 refugees are from South Sudan
whose number rose quickly during the first six months of last year,
with a peak of about 65 000 arrivals only during the month of June.
Currently, the rate of new arrivals to Ethiopia from South Sudan has
remained relatively low as the rainy season has drawn to an end,
with 870 new arrivals entering since 1 December 2014.
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Section I
Addis Abeba -Schaut
auf diese Stadt!
Äthiopien gilt
als „Tiger-Staat“
Afrikas.Auf dem
Sprung in die
globale Moderne.
Überdeutlich
wird dies in
Addis Abeba
Süddeutsche Zeitung, 06.12.2014, Ausgabe Deutschland,
S. 19 / Ressort: Feuilleton  
Um halb sieben ist der Park leer, der sich quer durch die Mitte von
Addis Abeba zieht. Die Beete sind gewässert, ein Schaukelpferd
aus rosafarbenem Plastik wippt im Wind. Die Allee führt von der
Anhöhe, auf der Botschaften, der alte Herrscherpalast und die Universität residieren, zum Meskel-Platz. Wo sich Tausende drängen.
Sie kommen vom nahen Bahnhof. Busse warten an den nur vage
markierten Haltestellen. Taxis parken vor dem getreppten Halbrund am Eingang der orthodoxen Kirche. Der Platz erinnert schon
deswegen an ein Stadion, weil Läufer auf den terrassierten Bühnen
trainieren; die meisten tragen Sport-Outfits in den Landesfarben
Äthiopiens. Sie alle sind früh aufgestanden. Man lebt mit der Sonne
in einer Stadt, die kein Stromnetz hat. Und keine Straßenbeleuchtung. Der Meskel-Platz wird von den ersten Strahlen Morgenlicht
gezündet wie ein Motor.
Auch die Stille im Park erzählt etwas von Äthiopiens Metropole,
Hauptstadt eines Landes, das lange vor allem als Hunger-Region
wahrgenommen wurde. Inzwischen bezeichnet man Äthiopien, den
nach Nigeria mit 87 Millionen Einwohnern bevölkerungsreichsten
Staat des Kontinents, allerdings als „Afrikanischen Tiger“. Das Land,
das der Westen als stabile, gemäßigte Diktatur einordnet, hat Ghana und Kenia mit seiner Wirtschaftskraft überholt, sie resultiert vor
allem aus dem Export von Kaffee und Ölsaaten.
Jetzt interessiert sich auch das internationale Geld für dieses
Land, das im Horn von Afrika hinter der somalischen Küste liegt.
Einer, der mitverdient, ist der in Äthiopien geborene Mohammed
Hussein Al Amoudi, der heute in Saudi-Arabien lebt und als einer
der reichsten Männer der Welt gilt. Er feilscht um Baugenehmigungen für luxuriöse Hotels. Die rechnen sich in Addis Abeba,
das als „heimliche Hauptstadt“ des Kontinents gilt, weil dort die
Afrikanische Union und die Vereinten Nationen ihren Sitz haben.
Landeskind zu sein, ist von Vorteil: Dass Al Amoudi den Park mit
Spielzeug aufgemöbelt hat, ist als Geschenk an die Verwandtschaft
zu verstehen. Ein Zaun umgibt seither den einst beliebten
Grünstreifen, die Tore öffnen sich nur gegen Eintritt. Sonntags kann
man Diplomatenkindern beim einsamen Schaukeln zusehen.
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Section I
Das Bild wäre nicht vollständig ohne den Betonriegel, der Meskel-Platz und Park trennt. Er verschattet
Straßen, schrammt vorbei an Hausfassaden, geht über
alte Brachen und neue Ruinen gleichermaßen hinweg.
Hier baut China. Der Viadukt, der sich zur vielspurigen
Schnellstraße auswachsen soll, schiebt sich nicht
durch, sondern über eine Metropole, in der offiziell drei
Millionen Einwohner leben. Eine vage Größe: selbst
Behördenleiter, die wie viele Gesprächspartner ihren
Namen nicht in einer Zeitung lesen möchten, zählen
ratlos weiter, wo man nachfragt, „vielleicht auch vier,
fünf, sechs oder sieben“.
Landflucht ist die Ursache für das rasante Wachstum
der Hauptstadt, das allerdings bislang vor allem als
Ausbreitung des Slums beschrieben werden musste.
Mehr als achtzig Prozent der Stadtfläche werden ihnen
zugerechnet. Weil angesichts solcher Entwicklungen
nicht einmal ein Wohnungsbauprogramm viel ausrichten kann, das mehr als 300 000 Wohnungen errichten
soll, braucht es Infrastruktur und ein Verkehrsnetz. Die
von China vorfinanzierte Stadtautobahn ist geplant
wie eine hastig angelegte Rampe, über die man eine
Evakuierung durchführen kann. Dass man in die Landwirtschaft investiert, gehört zum Programm, sogar die
Gründung von 25 Universitäten in der Provinz verkauft
die Politik wie eine Umsiedlungsmaßnahme. Denn die
Studienplätze verlost der Staat, in der Hoffnung, dass
die Absolventen später in der Provinz etwas anschieben. Im Jahr
2020 soll es keinen Slum mehr geben in Addis Abeba. Doch wer
in Jahresplänen denkt, arbeitet nicht an den Konturen der Stadt,
sondern am Überleben. Dass die Baumaterialien billig sind und die
Streckenführung rücksichtslos, das weiß man, sagt ein deutscher
Ingenieur, der hier seit Jahren lebt. Addis Abeba kalkuliere sogar
mit der schlechten Qualität des Betons, vor allem, wenn er aus
China geliefert wird. Das garantiere, dass man das hastig Errichtete
in ein paar Jahren überdenken kann. Bis dahin will man nur, dass
Addis Abeba nicht kollabiert. Was aber, wenn so viele mächtige
Investoren an der Infrastruktur herumzerren, auf der Strecke bleiben könnte, sind die Qualitäten dieser Stadt. Die vielleicht sogar
modellhaft sein könnten für eine Gesellschaft im 21. Jahrhundert.
In Afrika wird Addis Abeba, dessen Name übersetzt „Neue Blume“
bedeutet, geschätzt, weil die Stadt nicht von Kolonisatoren angelegt und geplant wurde. Taytu Betul, Gattin des abessinischen
Kaisers Menelik II, verlagerte im Jahr 1886 den Hof näher an
eine heiße Quelle. Da sich um jede Ansiedlung eines Fürsten ein
eigener Versorgungsring ausbildete, ist Addis Abeba heute eine
polyzentrische Stadt, deren Schwerpunkte verteilt sind. Verbunden
durch nachträglich angelegte Straßen, von denen viele keinen
Namen tragen. Wer von der verkehrsreichen, von Shopping-Malls
gesäumten Churchill-Road abzweigt, steht knöcheltief im von
Ziegen zerstampften Lehm, vor Wellblech, Plastikfolien, Holzfeuern
und Abwasserpfützen.
Erst unter der Herrschaft Italiens, das Äthiopien zwischen 1936
und 1941 besetzt hielt, entwickelte sich zwischen Markt, Bahnhof,
Kaiserpalast, Universität und Georgskathedrale ein Zusammenhang
aus Straßen-Achsen. Und weil die Bewerbung von Großmeister Le
Corbusier als Stadtplaner erfolglos blieb, sieht sogar die Moderne
hier afrikanischer aus, lokaler: „International Style“ schmückt sich
mit rauen Fassaden aus lokalen Steinbrüchen.
Doch wie widerständig wird sich die Stadt erweisen, jetzt wo neues
Geld fließt, aus Asien und von global agierenden Investoren? Der
Meskel-Platz ist schon zerschnitten, er ist der Ort eines 1600 Jahre
alten religiösen Rituals, in den Siebzigern wurde er zum „Revolution-Square“ für Mai-Paraden und danach zur Etappe im „Great
Ethiopian Run“, an dem mehr als 30 000 Läufer teilnehmen. Aus der
Arena ist eine Verkehrsschneise geworden. Was das aussagt über
die Verhältnisse? Dass sie kompliziert zu lesen sind und sich hinter
routinierter Funktionalität und hastiger Machbarkeit verstecken.
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Section I
„Fortschritts ist sehr verführerisch“, sagt Fasil Giorgis,
Professor am Äthiopischen Institut für Architektur
(EiABC) an der Universität von Addis Abeba. Er erkennt
hinter dem rücksichtslosen Plan weniger das Konzept,
eher den Komplex. Irgendwann habe die Stadt realisiert, dass sie den Ansprüchen an eine Metropole nicht
genügt. „Der gegenwärtige Boom bedroht nicht nur die
Landschaft“, konstatiert er bei einem Festvortrag zur
Konferenz „Future Memories“ in der Kunstakademie,
zu der das deutsche Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
und das Auswärtige Amt eingeladen haben. „Er zerstört
auch die Gebäude des 20. Jahrhunderts und die Identität dieser Stadt“.
Es ist nicht nur das historische Erbe, um das sich der
Architekturexperte sorgt. Er sorgt sich auch um die
Slums, also ausgerechnet um die Zonen, die einem
Planer doch als leicht formbar erscheinen sollten. Fasil
Giorgis wohnt selbst in einem Hofhaus ohne fließendes
Wasser, abseits der wenigen Stromnetze. Das ist nicht
unüblich in einer Stadt, in der auch der Unternehmer,
der seine erste Million gemacht hat, seinen Lunch
weiterhin in einem mit Holzkisten möblierten Gartenrestaurant einnimmt. Giorgis erkennt aber, dass sich in
den Slums Qualitäten entwickelt haben, die in urbanen
Zusammenhängen des 21. Jahrhunderts wieder gefragt sind: Zusammenhalt, Flexibilität, Unternehmergeist, soziale Verantwortung.
Die Politiker, sagt Fasil, die dieses Gefüge angreifen, haben kaum
mehr zu bieten als Neubauten.
Was für westliche Stadtplaner aussieht wie eine Sackgasse oder
eine Müllkippe, kann sich ökonomisch als ein erstaunlich funktionales Stück Stadt entpuppen: Fabrik, Messe, Arbeitsvermittlung,
Rohstoffbörse in einem. Wo Fässer zerschnitten und umgeschmiedet werden. Kanister aus Plastik gereinigt weiter verkauft werden.
Ein Mechanismus, der sich auch vollkommen aufzulösen weiß. Dass
ein Viertel geräumt wird, erkennt man daran, dass am Straßenrand
Eisentore stehen, sauber ausgebaute Fensterrahmen, Dachbleche.
„Das hier ist ein Markt“, sagt der Familienvater, der zwei Dutzend
Gitter bewacht. Und dass er jeden Tag „Gott und dem Gouvernement“ für diese Freiheit danke, die es ihm auch erlaubt, irgendwo
am Stadtrand zügig und innerhalb einer Nacht ein neues Haus
hochzuziehen.
„Moonlight Houses“ nennt man sie, weil sie, wenn sie vor Tagesanbruch fertig sind, nicht abgerissen werden. Meist montiert der
Hausherr die Klingel, bevor die aus Schlamm und Altmetall zusammengeklitterten Wände getrocknet sind. „Die Mikro-Ökonomie ist
die Wurzel aller Entwicklungen hier; wir sind das Modell für diese
Stadt, für ihre Ökonomie“, beschreibt das Ato Zegeye Cherenet in
einem Videofilm, den das EiABC herausgegeben hat.
Wer Glück hat, ist in einem Viertel gelandet, in dem sich die Nachbarschaft auch um Schulen, Buslinien und Kirchen kümmert, alles
„informell“. Doch bis 2020 sollen die informellen Siedlungen verschwunden sein. Wo der Markt wucherte, wachsen schon Geschäftshäuser. Als die Moderne Mitte des vergangenen Jahrhunderts Addis
Abeba entdeckte, zeigte die Stadt sich anpassungsfähig, diese
zweite Moderne will in international konvertierbaren InvestorenMappen gut aussehen.
Die Regierung sitzt die „Debatte über Schönheit und Identität in
der Architektur“ aus. Was in einem Staat, in dem Zensur herrscht,
durchzusetzen ist. Allerdings kann man nicht verhindern, dass das
Schicksal jener Nachbarn öffentlich wird, die einem Investor ihr
Geld anvertraut hatten, damit er ihnen moderne Häuser baut. Die
Dokumentation „Me and My Home“, die davon handelt, wie er sich
absetzte, ist aktuell ein Renner in den Kinos. Und dienstagabends
schalten Tausende ihre Radios ein, wenn „Von Deinem Haus zur
Stadt“ auf Sendung geht. Seit mehr als fünf Jahren widmet
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Section I
sich Moderator Maheder „Bobo“ Gebremedhin so anspruchsvollen
Fragen wie dem „Modernismus“ und der „Analyse von Logos und
Signs im Stadtraum“. In einer Folge geht es um energie-effiziente
Haushaltsgeräte, in einer anderen darum, wie man Baukosten spart.
Der Moderator, ein Architekt, versteht sich nicht als Journalist,
sondern will als „Citoyen“, als Bürger einer Metropole, die Diskussion um Fakten bereichern. So artikuliert sich im Radio und im
Kino auch der Wille, vom Fortschritt nicht einfach verkantet und
verstaut zu werden.
Wie sich Autonomie in die Sprache der Architektur übersetzen
ließe, zeigt der Künstler Elias Sime, der seit Jahren an einem Gästehaus arbeitet. Sime verwendet Stroh und Lehm und Altmetall. Aber
sein zentrales Gebäude, in dem sich Stipendiaten und Künstler
treffen, sieht aus, als sei die Erde die Mauern hinauf gewuchert. Die
Türen zu den Gästezimmern sind mit Autoblech verkleidet, über der
Waschmaschine schweben Fliesenscherben, der Hof ist mit Steinen
verplättet, die er selbst in Tier-Reliefs verwandelt hat.
Doch ob die Politik, ob Afrika eigenhändig gebaute Schönheit noch
bemerken wird? Am liebsten treffen sich Investoren, Regierungsmitarbeiter, Funktionäre im Sheraton-Hotel, das Al Amoudi einen
Steinwurf vom Gelände der Afrikanischen Union weit als breit
gelagerten Prunkbau mitten in die nun kahlen Hügel abgeräumter
Slums gesetzt hat. An diesem Abend hält dort eine Limousine nach
der anderen. Bullige Herren steigen aus, es tagt die Konferenz
der „Confederation of African Football“. Draußen ist es dunkel, auf
der kurzen Strecke werden sie durch die schwarz getönten Scheiben nicht mehr erkennen als diesen einen Turm, das spiegelnd
verglaste „Conference Center“, das China der Afrikanischen Union
geschenkt hat.
Mit 99,9 Metern Höhe verbindet der höchste Bau der Stadt Afrika
und den Fernen Osten, weil auch dort wohl Klone dieses Entwurfs
stehen werden, China lieferte den kompletten Bausatz und flog
2000 Bauarbeiter zur Montage ein. Noch findet der Turm keinen
Anschluss im Stadtbild. Doch einer will den Klotz dort verankern:
Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi will genau gegenüber ein Luxushotel hochziehen, eine spiegelbildliche Verdoppelung. Das global
operierende Geld der Investoren und die unerschöpfliche Wirtschaftskraft aus China werden dann in der bis dahin rücksichtslos
geräumten Stadt doch ein Signet hinterlassen - eine Architektur,
die an die hohen Säulen einsamer Spitzenwerte in ImmobilienPortfolios erinnert.
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