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Demie Shiferaw
International Studies, FHS

Dennis Galvan, Mentor

The Rise of Ethnic Consciousness as an Active Political Force in Ethiopia:
The Oromo and Amhara 1960-2006

This research explores the development of Oromo and Amhara ethnic consciousness as political movements from the early 1960s to 2006. It rests on a social and anthropological understanding of the historic and modern Oromo/Amhara conflicts as it explores the use of ethnic consciousness as an active political movement. Three factors—urbanization, education, and governmental discrimination—help explain the rise of Oromo/Amhara enforced cultural identity differences. I will examine how the rise of cultural identity led to political ethnic conflicts and consider the overthrow of Mengistu Haile Mariam as a communist head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991 as well as post-1991 ethnic politics in Ethiopia.