The third of this year’s Lilley Fellows shared her research and findings with his Upper School peers and teachers on Monday, Dec. 9, during a presentation in the Class of 1944 Chapel.
Gelila Getachew '25 spent months exploring ethnic federalism and its impact on Ethiopia.
Her interest in the topic stemmed from childhood. "Growing up, I was always aware of the ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia," she said. "I often heard of what seemed like the craziest of stories from my dad’s childhood during the Derg military dictatorship in the 80s... stories of the military government’s oppression, stories of the consequences of speaking your mind against communism, and stories of utter fear." So, after learning more about Ethiopia’s transition after the Derg’s fall for a research paper in AP World History, Gelila said she began to question how "a system meant to bring peace ended up plaguing the nation."
Gelila explained that since Ethiopia was in political turmoil in the aftermath of the Derg’s collapse, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) introduced the system of ethnic federalism in an attempt to address the political chaos and restore order. "Ethnic federalism is a system in which a country is divided into ethnically-based regions with significant autonomy," she said. "The goal was to stabilize the country, promote self-determination for Ethiopia’s diverse peoples, and foster inclusivity. But the system only deepened divisions as organizing government around ethnic identity fueled competition and conflict."
Although Ethiopia has gradually moved away from the system of ethnic federalism for the past 30 years, this ongoing crisis piqued Gelila's interest in studying how the country’s political structure might have contributed to the evolution of such violence.
"During my fellowship, I focused on evaluating ethnic federalism as a form of constitutional design and its role in fueling ethnic nationalism and conflict," she said. "I sought to understand how the system was implemented in the country and in what ways it intensified divisions. To explore this, I conducted in-depth research into the origins and development of Ethiopia’s federal structure."
During the research process, she received "invaluable guidance" from Professor Donald L. Horowitz, the James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus at Duke University, and Professor Brendan O’Leary, the Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, both of who directed Gelila to key scholarly works that were "essential" to her analysis of how ethnic federalism unfolded in Ethiopia.
She also went about extensive reading to gain critical insights into the historical and political context of Ethiopia’s federal system. "I examined the factors that led to the adoption of ethnic federalism...and analyzed the Ethiopian Constitution to assess the principles of the federal system and how they were embedded in the legal framework," she said. "I focused on the distribution of powers between ethnic and regional groups, evaluating areas of ambiguity and the overall effectiveness of the system."
What she found was that the fragmentation and division of the country into ethnic-based regions made ethnic identity "a primary determinant of political loyalty, politicizing ethnicity in a way that fosters conflict. As a result, it has limited the development of a cohesive national Ethiopian identity, with citizens increasingly identifying more with their ethnic group rather than the broader state." She saw the impact of this growing division when she volunteered with the Amhara Association of America (AAA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the political and humanitarian interests of the Amhara ethnic group. In her volunteer role, Gelila contributed to their advocacy efforts by editing reports on human rights violations and also created visually engaging content for social media platforms to help highlight the scale of the crisis.
"Volunteering with AAA not only allowed me to amplify the voices of the Amhara people but also provided valuable firsthand experience working within a non-profit organization," she explained. Building on the skills I gained, I am now in the process of finalizing my non-profit organization, TEGBAR (an Amharic word that embodies the endeavor of fighting for a cause and dedicating oneself to taking action in service). TEGBAR aims to support families affected by ethnic conflict and assist displaced individuals by providing essential resources. Our mission is to raise the public’s awareness, foster understanding, and gather support for those impacted by the ongoing conflict while offering hope to those in need."
Her overall findings were that the "growing prioritization of ethnic loyalty over national unity presents a serious threat to Ethiopia’s cohesion, and if left unaddressed, it may not be the ethnic federal system itself that leads to the country’s fragmentation, but rather the unchecked growth of ethnic divisions which could ultimately tear the nation apart."
"It is this concern that has driven me to dedicate myself to raising awareness on this issue, so the future of the country can be one of unity and peace," Gelila concluded.
Mr. Damon Kuzemka, Hon. was Gelila's fellowship advisor.
The last of the 2024 Lilley Fellows will present his capstone project in January.
Established in 2018 by Mr. and Mrs. William Lilley III ’55, the Lilley Fellowship Fund awards research fellowships to students who exemplify academic curiosity, intellectual rigor, and scholarly passion. The Fellowship program is overseen by Director of Libraries Lorie Harding, and is modeled after Yale University's Scholars of the House program that ran from 1945-1995.