Ethiopia is at a crossroads—politically, socially, and generationally. For decades, questions of identity, belonging, power, and coexistence have shaped the country’s national conversation. Today, those questions are no longer confined to academic circles or political elites. They are lived daily by millions of young Ethiopians navigating uncertainty, conflict, aspiration, and hope in a rapidly changing nation.
Against this backdrop, the Rift Valley Institute (RVI), through its Peace Research Facility (PRF), in partnership with Jigjiga University (JJU), has issued a timely and important Call for Submissions under its national youth-centred initiative, Rethinking Ethiopia. This round invites young Ethiopians—at home and in the diaspora—to critically reflect on one of the most sensitive and consequential ideas shaping Ethiopia today: patriotism.
This is not a call for slogans, loyalty tests, or rehearsed narratives. It is an invitation to think deeply, write honestly, and engage constructively with a concept that has become both powerful and contested in Ethiopia’s public life.
Rethinking Ethiopia: Creating Space for Critical Youth Engagement
Rethinking Ethiopia is an ongoing national initiative convened by the Rift Valley Institute’s Peace Research Facility. Its core purpose is to create inclusive, independent, and analytically rigorous spaces for debating Ethiopia’s political trajectories—particularly at moments of transition and crisis.
What sets this initiative apart is its explicit focus on youth perspectives. Rather than treating young people merely as beneficiaries of policy or passive observers of national change, Rethinking Ethiopia recognizes youth as:
- Analysts of present realities
- Bearers of lived experience across regions and identities
- Key actors in shaping Ethiopia’s political and social future
Across successive thematic rounds, the initiative has sought to expand who gets to speak, whose ideas are taken seriously, and how national debates are framed.
Specifically, Rethinking Ethiopia aims to:
- Encourage grounded, analytically rigorous reflection on major national challenges
- Promote dialogue across regions, identities, and lived experiences
- Support emerging thinkers to engage constructively with policy, peacebuilding, and public debate
- Broaden the range of voices shaping conversations on governance, belonging, and coexistence
Each round focuses on a theme of national relevance and combines essay writing with mentorship and public engagement—bridging the gap between ideas and practice.
Why Focus on Youth and Patriotism—Now?
The theme for this round—Youth and Patriotism in Ethiopia—could not be more urgent.
Ethiopia is experiencing profound political, social, and generational shifts. Federalism, identity politics, armed conflict, protest movements, and competing historical narratives have all reshaped how patriotism is understood and expressed. In many cases, the term “patriotism” has become contested, polarized, and politicized.
For young Ethiopians, these debates are not abstract. They shape:
- Access to opportunity and education
- Experiences of inclusion or exclusion
- Exposure to violence or displacement
- Expectations of loyalty, silence, or resistance
- The meaning of citizenship itself
In some contexts, patriotism is framed as unconditional loyalty to the state. In others, it is tied to ethnic identity, historical grievance, or cultural survival. For many young people, these competing interpretations create tension: Can one be critical and patriotic at the same time? Whose version of Ethiopia counts? Is patriotism about unity, justice, obedience, or solidarity?
This call seeks to open a national platform where young Ethiopians can interrogate these questions honestly, without fear or dogma, and imagine forms of patriotism that are inclusive, democratic, and peace-oriented.
Patriotism in a Diverse and Multinational State
Ethiopia is a profoundly diverse country—ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and historically. This diversity has long been both a source of richness and political tension. For youth growing up in this context, defining patriotism is rarely straightforward.
Some key questions emerge:
- Can patriotism exist without erasing difference?
- How do ethnic, civic, and state-centred forms of belonging interact—or clash?
- What happens when national narratives marginalize peripheral or pastoralist experiences?
In many regions, particularly in borderlands and pastoralist areas, young people experience the Ethiopian state differently from those in political or economic centres. Infrastructure, security, representation, and service delivery vary widely, shaping how “the nation” is felt and understood.
This round of Rethinking Ethiopia actively encourages submissions that challenge dominant narratives and bring forward regional, pastoralist, and peripheral perspectives—voices that are often missing from national debates.
Patriotism, Conflict, and Political Transition
Patriotism often becomes most visible during moments of crisis: war, protest, and political transition. In Ethiopia, recent years have seen patriotism mobilized in multiple—and sometimes contradictory—ways.
It has been used to:
- Rally support during armed conflict
- Silence dissent by labeling criticism as betrayal
- Legitimize exclusionary politics
- Inspire sacrifice and solidarity
Young people frequently find themselves at the center of these dynamics—as protesters, soldiers, activists, online commentators, or displaced civilians. Their experiences raise difficult questions:
- How is patriotism invoked during conflict, and by whom?
- When does patriotism unite, and when does it divide?
- How do youth navigate loyalty to community versus loyalty to state?
This call invites contributors to examine these tensions with nuance—moving beyond binary thinking toward a deeper understanding of how patriotism operates in practice.
Youth as Re-Imagining Agents, Not Just Inheritors
One of the most powerful premises of this initiative is the idea that youth are not simply inheriting old definitions of patriotism—they are actively reshaping them.
Across Ethiopia, young people are experimenting with new forms of civic engagement:
- Grassroots peace initiatives
- Digital activism and alternative media
- Community organizing across identity lines
- Cultural expression through music, poetry, and art
These practices suggest that patriotism need not be fixed or exclusionary. It can be re-imagined as commitment to justice, coexistence, dignity, and shared futures.
Submissions to this round are encouraged to be forward-looking: not only diagnosing problems, but also proposing ideas for how patriotism might be reframed to support social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
Scope and Guiding Questions
Contributors are invited to critically explore how patriotism is understood, expressed, contested, and mobilized in contemporary Ethiopia. Essays may draw on lived experience, historical legacies, comparative perspectives, or future-oriented visions.
Indicative questions include, but are not limited to:
- How do young Ethiopians define patriotism in a diverse and multinational state?
- What tensions exist between civic, ethnic, cultural, and state-centred forms of patriotism?
- How is patriotism mobilized during conflict, protest, or political transition?
- How do regional, pastoralist, or peripheral perspectives challenge dominant national narratives?
- What role can youth play in reshaping patriotism to promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence?
- What lessons can Ethiopia draw from its own history or from comparative experiences elsewhere?
There is no single “correct” answer. What matters is clarity of argument, depth of analysis, and constructive engagement with sensitive issues.
Objectives of This Essay Competition
This specific round of Rethinking Ethiopia aims to achieve several interconnected goals:
- Amplify Youth Perspectives
To provide a national platform where young Ethiopians can articulate nuanced views on patriotism, citizenship, and belonging. - Encourage Non-Polarizing Debate
To foster critical engagement that resists simplistic binaries and avoids inflammatory rhetoric. - Build Analytical Capacity
To strengthen writing, reasoning, and argumentation skills among emerging researchers, practitioners, and thinkers. - Inform Policy and Peacebuilding
To generate ideas that can contribute meaningfully to discussions on governance, civic education, and conflict transformation.
Who Can Apply?
The call is open and inclusive, reflecting the initiative’s commitment to diversity of experience and thought.
Eligibility criteria:
- Young Ethiopians aged 18–35
- Applicants may reside in Ethiopia or in the diaspora
- Open to students, early-career professionals, activists, and independent thinkers
- Applications from regional universities, particularly from pastoralist areas, as well as from women, are strongly encouraged
Academic credentials are not the primary requirement. What matters most is insight, clarity, and originality.
Submission Guidelines
To ensure accessibility while maintaining quality, the submission guidelines are deliberately flexible:
- Length: 1,500–2,000 words
- Languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo, Tigrigna, Af-Somali, or English
- Referencing: Essays do not need to be heavily referenced but should demonstrate analytical clarity and coherence
- Disciplinary backgrounds: Contributions are welcome from all fields, including political economy, governance, security studies, identity and nationalism studies, and social or cultural analysis
Writers are encouraged to write in a clear, engaging style—accessible to an informed public, not only to academic audiences.
Selection and Mentorship Process
Submissions will be reviewed by a joint panel drawn from Jigjiga University and the Rift Valley Institute.
Essays will be assessed based on:
- Originality of ideas
- Analytical strength
- Relevance to the theme
- Constructive and forward-looking recommendations
From the submissions:
- 15 contributors will be selected to participate in a structured mentorship programme, where they will receive guidance to further refine and develop their papers.
- From this group, five outstanding contributors will:
- Receive a modest honorarium
- Be invited to present their work at a national seminar hosted at Jigjiga University (hybrid format) in mid-2026
Selected papers may also be translated into additional languages to ensure wider national readership and impact.
Why You Should Consider Submitting
For many young Ethiopians, national debates often feel closed, intimidating, or dominated by established voices. This initiative offers something different:
- A serious platform that values youth insight
- A chance to engage without pressure to conform
- Mentorship that helps turn ideas into polished analysis
- Visibility in national and policy-oriented discussions
If you have ever felt that Ethiopia’s future is being discussed about youth rather than with them, this call is an opportunity to change that.
Submission Details and Deadline
All submissions should be sent by email to:
📧 [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Please include:
- The essay manuscript
- A short biography (maximum 200 words)
- Contact details
📅 Deadline for submissions: 27 February 2026
Final Thought
Patriotism does not have to mean silence. It does not have to mean exclusion. And it does not have to belong only to the powerful.
Through initiatives like Rethinking Ethiopia, young Ethiopians are being invited to reclaim patriotism as a space for critical thinking, ethical commitment, and shared responsibility. At a moment when the country’s future feels uncertain, these conversations are not optional—they are essential.
If you are a young Ethiopian with something to say, now is the time to say it.