The Constitutional Right to Enhanced Livelihood in Ethiopia: Unfulfilled Promises and the Need for New Approaches

Abstract

The civilized-uncivilized line of thinking had an element-system interface whereby social conduct was the aggregate of individual moral standards and behaviours. On the contrary, developmentalism tends to reverse this interface and give prime attention to 'economic growth'. This usually depersonalizes individuals and at times relegates them to the oblivion of anonymity. In spite of Ethiopia's statistical claims of double-digit economic growth, there are challenges in the implementation of the right of citizens to enhanced livelihoods. I argue that new approaches should critically examine the most effective means of enhancing the (physical, mental, spiritual and emotional) being of citizens and their (economic, social, political and environmental) living conditions. Development is not 'given' by a 'Big Brother', and is rather the making of citizens themselves through a strong work culture in the context of an appropriate institutional setting including policy environment. Nor should development be regarded as hasty campaign because it is an incremental steady march and attainment. The 1995 Ethiopian Constitution envisages the capacity enhancement of citizens so that they can bring about development and meet their needs. New approaches should thus give prime attention to nurturing and developing the state of being and livelihoods of citizens in the context of environmental sustainability and the preservation of positive cultural legacies. Such approaches and conceptions should transcend statistical figures and reports of 'accelerated growth' in construction, the number of universities, etc., and instead offer prime attention to the bigger picture of enhancing livelihoods (including poverty alleviation) and the state of being (i.e., moral character, quality education, social ties and work ethic) of citizens.