ASSESSING NGO’S PERCEPTION REGARDING THE ETHIOPIAN CHARITIES AND SOCIETY PROCLAMATION IMPACT TO WORK ON PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF KEBRI BEYAH DISTRICT, SOMALI REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

Ethiopia is striving towards achieving its developmental goals and sustainable peace building. These roles could not be achieved only by the government efforts but all developmental actors should work in collaboration. Such kinds of collaborations are more manageable and helpful when their growth concedes and harmonized with government systems and frameworks. In developing countries context development actors like civil society organizations has emerged as an important catalyst of change in the development and peace building. With this in mind, the Government of Ethiopia has come up with the Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) to support and facilitate the role of Charities and Societies in Ethiopia. CSP has many critical dealings based on its impact and contribution on overall countries development and on peacebuilding interventions. Based on these the research deal with NGO’s presumption to get CSP potential impact on peace and development interventions by taking the case of Kebri Beyah district, Somali region. Under qualitative research methodology, semi-structured interviews were carried out with the selected four Charities and Societies. In addition, structured interviews of key informants were carried out with target beneficiaries and with the concerned government bodies. Information obtained from these sources was then analyzed based on descriptive analysis. As the findings show, the proclamation has brought about new perception and demands on the way these peace and development Charities and Societies operate in terms of financial, existential, sustainability or structural change. The research prevailed that NGOs are impacted by the proclamation like the proclamation did not promote knowledge development and conducting pre- intervention assessments have impact by discouraged to work on peace issues. Based on their perception potential challenges were identified from administration and technical challenges which influence on such issues. And also the research point out the proper ways of intervention which have to take as a strategy by NGOs for their effectiveness and to maintain smooth relationships with government.