Why ACT

Rationale

Ethiopia’s post-2018 promises and process to deal with its past through transitional justice is not only marred by armed conflicts and political and social unrest but also lacks robust Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that can effectively support this fragile journey towards peace and democracy. The absence of CSOs capable of forming effective partnerships with seasoned international counterparts is partially linked to the repressive nature of Ethiopia's political climate prior to 2019, which severely restricted the emergence and operational capacity of such entities. In addition, CSOs that have been operating in Ethiopia, most of which can be described as development NGOs, often lack a holistic strategic approach and specific in-depth expertise in TJ. The lack of credible, independent and relevant SCOs is being felt now more than before, owing to Ethiopia's unique and increasingly complex nature of the conflict situation and TJ.

ACT is established to bridge these gaps and also augment existing work in the field through an informed, strategic, and locally nuanced approach to TJ.