The New Year in Ethiopia brings with it a chance for rejuvenation, and for some lucky people, the chance to win a lot of money. However, many lottery winners don’t stay in the public eye, leading many to wonder what they did with the money they won. Even though everyone who buys a ticket seems to have some kind of plan for what they would do if they won, EBR’s Menna Asrat tried to find out what the reality is for those who strike it rich on these games of chance.
Migration is still as a big concern in Eritrea. Youths, frustrated by the policies of the government, cross the border in droves, searching for a better life. Ethiopia hosts the highest number of refugees from Eritrea. The absence of rule of law, unlimited mandatory national service and absence of freedom of expression are reasons usually expressed by refuges for fleeing their home country. Even after entering Ethiopia, most of them are not able to join the workforce, partly because the law does not allow it. While the recent peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia renewed the hopes of a few Eritrean migrants, some still fear that the peace could endanger their lives. EBR’s Ashenfi Endale, reports.
Cycling is a culture in Eritrea. From the youth to the elderly, Eritreans use cycling as their primary mode of transportation. Introduced by the Italians during colonial rule, the sport has currently enabled the nation to be one of the top professional cycling countries in Africa, and the world. For instance, the national team won the African Championships for eight consecutive years. However, there are uncertainties behind the successes. Many Eritreans who aspired to follow the path of their friends into professional cycling have not been able to pursue their dreams because of financial constraints, as EBR’s Samson Berhane reports.
In Ethiopia, traditional dances used to celebrate festivals, weddings, and occasions of every kind. With more than 80 traditional dances from all the corners of the country, one of the most widely known forms of Ethiopian traditional dance, known as eskista, has been experiencing some ups and downs in the past few years. However, eskista along with other traditional dances are making their way to global audiences currently. Even some people in Europe and America are learning Ethiopian traditional dances on their own. EBR’s Menna Asrat looks at where Ethiopian traditional dance is today and what the future may hold for the art form.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) signed a Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship agreement with Eritrea in Asmara, on July 9, 2018. The Declaration explicitly allows resuming transportation, trade and communications between the two countries. This opens the door for both countries to utilize the Assab and Massawa ports for their mutual benefit.
Leadership can be discussed from different perspectives such as organizational, political, military, religion, and business. There are also different kinds of leadership styles such as strategic, charismatic, transformational, and ethical. Although this commentary focuses on the perspective of organizational leadership, the main point will be who effective leaders irrespective of their leadership style are.
Just like any other aspects of the economy, the insurance industry had been significantly affected by the overall economic and other policies existed in Ethiopia. Though the potential for growth is strong, the insurance industry is not delivering as expected due to structural bottlenecks and challenges at macro as well as micro levels.
Hence, to develop the industry, and achieve the growth envisioned, deeper understanding of the realities on the ground and enabling legal and regulatory framework is needed. On top of these, broader understanding of the industry perspective through the value chain, establishing industry conduct that will enhance consumer trust, identifying growth avenues and by crafting right strategies is also required. Above all liberalizing the sector in every aspect is needed to emancipate the industry.
Last month, I was invited to speak at the York Festival of Ideas, an annual forum for debating alternative, predominantly progressive policy goals. I talked about my work on asset-price stabilization. Andy Wood of the consultancy Grant Thornton spoke about inclusiveness in business, Neil McInroy of the Center for Local and Economic Strategies discussed local organizing, and Ander Etxeberria of the Mondragon Corporation told us about their employee-owned cooperatives in the Basque Country. But, most importantly, Wanda Wyporska of The Equality Trust gave a fascinating talk about the principle of “equality for all.”
US President Donald Trump’s erratic unilateralism represents nothing less than abdication of global economic and political leadership. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, his rejection of the Iran nuclear deal, his tariff war, and his frequent attacks on allies and embrace of adversaries have rapidly turned the United States into an unreliable partner in upholding the international order.
In Ethiopia, micro finance institutions (MFIs), which were mostly founded with the aim of fighting poverty, play a big role in addressing the needs of people who are considered ‘high-risk’ by commercial banks. In a country where over 77pct of the population is unbanked, MFIs provide loans to the large portion of the population with very few assets.
Menna Asrat
Ashenafi Endale
Samson Berhane
Anene Kejela Wodajo (LL.M)
Aychew Adane
Fikru Tsegaye Wordofa
Roger E.A. Farmer
Barry Eichengreen
Ethiopian Business Review