In 2018, Ethiopia seemed to be on the way to becoming a model of tolerance and political pluralism in Africa. Fellow Africans and the whole world seemed to be cheering for Ethiopia. Then came stories, in a seemingly endless and quick succession, about political harassment, political detention, political assassination—and now, a bloody civil war, with all the attendant miseries.
At the same time, ironically, the indigenous concept of medemer—the Amharic word for a philosophy of compromise and reconciliation—was being propagated by its young and articulate prime minister, Abiy Ahmed. It is a concept closely linked to Japanese political traditions and one that could benefit Ethiopia—and many other countries—in moments of crisis.
