Memorandum
Date: February 28, 2006
To: The Ethiopian Mediation Team: Shemageles
From: Professor Sisay Asefa and Berhanu Mengistu
Re: Proposed Meeting
We are sending this memo to all of you contacted by Professors Sisay Asefa and Berhanu Mengistu, in response to your interest and willingness to serve as a mediating group to help facilitate in the resolution of the current conflict between the Ethiopian government and the opposition political parties. We thank you all for your willingness to serve as one of the concerned Ethiopian professionals committed to peace, development, stability, and democracy. None of the members are associated as members of any Ethiopian political party.
The aim of the group is to serve as “Shemageles” or elders as in the great tradition of Ethiopians and their communities who practiced peacemaking over generations in situations where there is conflict that may have adverse impact on all the parties concerned. We are writing today to propose the first organization meeting of the Mediation Group. We would like to suggest that we meet on Saturday, March 18, 2006, in the Washington DC area. Details of the venue will follow in the near future. Given the urgency of the situation, we would like to know as soon as possible if you will be able to attend the meeting on the proposed date. Members can arrive on Friday or Saturday morning; the first meeting is scheduled from 1– 5:00 PM with appropriate breaks. This meeting may continue into late evening or extend to an early meeting on Sunday morning to finalize last-minute details.
Purpose
The purpose of this meeting is to provide the opportunity for the mediation team to get to know one another in the process of discussing the key issues, challenges, and opportunities of the mediation process. The team will clarify its mission and discuss entry strategies and in the process develop consensus, trust, and commitment to the mission.
Agenda
At this meeting the group will discuss:
• The “entry point” or the modalities to approach the leadership of the parties in conflict an to elicit their willingness in accepting mediation services
• Discuss the issues of confidentiality and non-partisanship concerns
• Discuss the merit of keeping the initiative anonymous
• Prepare a short professional biography for transparency reasons for the committee members
• Create an ad-hoc committee or task force with appropriate officers which can disband after the end of its task
• Draft statement of commitment and develop plan of actions
• Discuss the feasibility of teleconference for subsequent meetings, if needed.
We very much welcome further input and suggestions from all perspective mediation members by e-mail or by phone. We thank you all for your willingness to serve on this important task.
Governing Ethical Principles
In general, the commonly accepted mediation rules of ethical conduct will be used as the standard for the team. Each member commits to keep the proposed group initiative to himself or herself both before and after the initiative begins. Moreover, regardless of the outcome of the mediation initiative, the group commits to remain anonymous. The absolute commitment to restrict this initiative only to the group members listed is crucial for the effectiveness of the group. The group is also likely to be more effective and credible if it also remains anonymous regardless of the final outcome of the initiative. Our view is that no member of this group wants any publicity whether the mediation effort succeeds or fails, although we strongly wish it succeeded for the sake of peace, stability, and progress of Ethiopia. In the rare case that the initiative becomes public due to reasons beyond the control of the team members, the attempt to resole the current situation will nonetheless remains a noble one. In the unlikely case that a member decides to withdraw from the group, that individual commits to refrain from disclosing the initiative to other parties or the public. As a common point of reference, please find the attached outline of the basic structure of the mediation process.
Names and Affiliation of Mediation Team
1. Professor S.A., Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, M
2. Dr. I. A., MD, Gross Pointe, MI
3. Dr. H. E., MD, Los Angeles, CA
4. Mr. K.H., NGO & Community Leader, Addis Ababa
5. Professor A. M., Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
6. Professor B. M., Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
7. Professor A. M., Howard University, Washington DC
8. Mrs. M. S., Development Economist, Addis Ababa
9. Mr. M. T., Businessman, Addis Ababa
10. Dr. B. T., Clinical Psychologist, Oshtemo, MI
11. Professor M. W., East Carolina State University, SC
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