Center for Development and Governance (CDG) organized a workshop to discuss the role of traditional values in restoring peace and social harmony as well as promoting and protecting human rights, the rule of law, and good governance. The event is underway today at the Miran Grand Hotel in Bishoftu City. Three selected custodians of the Oromo tradition offered a devotional prayer before the program began, reciting blessings for the success of the deliberation by the will of the Almighty.
Subsequently, the Executive Director of the CDG, Obbo Amanuel Adnew, made a welcoming remark, greeting participants with enthusiasm and thanking them for honoring the invitation to share their views on the urgency of restoring peace in our country. He underscored the importance of traditional values that have lived within the society for generations and have helped communities live in peace and harmony.
Continuing with his address, Obbo Amanuel briefly introduced the CDG, citing that a series of workshops were organized to bring together entities with different perspectives and contending views to peacefully resolve their differences and foster mutual understanding paving the way for sustained peace. Accordingly, he stated that a strong foundation had been laid to create understanding among Oromo political organizations, renowned personalities, the media, civil society organizations, academics, and other segments of the society. This has been true ever since the organization was registered under a different name—the Center for Development and Capacity Building (CDCB)—before changing to the CDG a few years ago. He added that several consultative workshops were conducted to support the reform program that began in 2018.
He explained that the objective of the workshop is part of the CDG’s effort to promote peace, human rights, and the rule of law. In line with this, the CDG has organized platforms consisting of the Elderly, Women, Youth, Justice Sector, and the Media. Their deliberations were documented in texts and video footages that have been disseminated to the wider audience. The objective has been to promote and protect human rights, the rule of law, and good governance, he underscored.
