Search results for ""Author Logan Cochrane""

There have been significant social, economic and political changes in in Ethiopia in recent decades. Healthcare coverage has rapidly expanded but much progress is still needed; access to education has improved but there are questions of quality and employment; macro-economic growth has been amongst the highest in the world for over a decade but there are questions of rising inequality; infrastructure has expanded throughout the nation, often at the expense of some; the second largest safety net in Africa has received acclaim and criticism; foreign direct investment has been relatively strong, but the quality of employment opportunities is questionable; recent political transitions have changed a negative narrative more positive, but many questions about democracy and inclusion remain. Since the political changes of 2018, Ethiopia has been undergoing what may be its most rapid and drastic change in modern history. This edited volume presents diverse experiences, perspectives, geographies, and sectors in the social and political realms - specifically in the thematic areas of governance, health, gender and land. It highlights successes as well as challenges on a wide range of issues. The collection of research shows the complexity of the changes and challenges, and the diverse ways in which change is experienced.

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In 2014–15, the Ethiopian government, together with many academics and observers, was surprised by the outbreak of anti-government protests, as large-scale public contestation of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) had been largely absent in the regime’s history. The dominant narrative about the EPRDF regime was that it was a top-down government, using authoritarian methods to ensure the population abided by its visions and directives, and describing its role in paternalistic ways, such as being the protector and guardian of the people.Changing this narrative, Citizens, Civil Society, and Activism under the EPRDF Regime in Ethiopia considers how citizens and civil society expressed their interests and exerted their agency in an authoritarian setting. Focusing on the EPRDF regime over a period of three decades up to 2019, the book explores civic activism in Ethiopia, presenting diverse examples of how citizens have (re)shaped the country. Challenging state-centric readings of state-society relations under EPRDF governance, this collection provides a counternarrative that emphasizes the role and agency of citizens and civil society. The contributing authors draw on a heuristic analytical framework that examines different types of interactions between civil society and state actors (co-optation, co-operation, coexistence, and contestation) and captures the ways in which civil society actors make their voices heard.At a time when authoritarian forms of governance are increasingly prevalent across the world, this critically important collection offers insight into how citizens claim their agency and challenge state power in apparently top-down contexts.

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