The Role Of Ethiopian Diasporas On National Image Building

Ethiopians began to move in huge numbers overseas after the 1970 s.According to Ethiopian government sources,there are more than 3 million Ethiopians living worldwide,from the United States to Australia,Europe to South Africa,and the Middle East to New Zealand.The vast majority of them live in the United States,the Middle East,Europe,Israel,Sudan,Kenya,South Africa,and Djibouti,in that order.In the United States of America alone,a little more than Five hundred thousand Ethiopians permanently resides.Like its counterparts around the world,the Ethiopian diaspora in the United States is very involved in the affairs of their homeland.Their civic clubs,religious institutions,political gatherings,sport festivals,demonstrations,and formed companies and lobbings,in addition to their political,economic,and humanitarian involvements,broadly promote their history,culture,and realities in their homeland.Ethiopia’s government has paid close attention to its 2002 foreign policy,as well as various diaspora-focused proclamations,the 2012 Diaspora Policy,and the establishment of various institutions to improve Ethiopian diaspora economic,political,social,and diplomatic contributions to the country’s overall development,as well as to further protect their rights in their host country.This study attempts to access the role of Ethiopian diaspora,specifically in the United States,in improving Ethiopian image among politicians,international media,and international organizations in their host country by answering the following research questions: What is the Ethiopian Diaspora’s expected role in image building in the United States,and how effective is it? What do you suggest to improve their role on nation image-building?Based on these research questions,the researcher attempted to assess the overall reality of Ethiopians and Ethiopian origins living abroad,the Ethiopian Government’s various efforts to engage its citizens abroad,their role in public diplomacy and image building,and examine factors that prevent Ethiopians living in the United States from fully supporting the government’s effort to improve Ethiopia’s overall current image and its proper positioning on the international stage.In terms of technique,the researcher used a mixed exploratory research design to answer the broad research questions,which included both qualitative and quantitative research tactics.Mixed-methods research provides a full grasp of the research topics,which is one of the grounds for using it.More crucially,qualitative approaches provide for in-depth information from key informants on the institutional barriers and expected opportunities for Ethiopians in the United States to effectively participate in their mother country’s national image development endeavor.Primary and secondary sources were used to compile data for the issue’s berife analysis.Members of the Ethiopian Diaspora Agency,Ethiopia Diaspora Association,based in Addis Ababa,and members of a diaspora living in the United States of America were interviewed as key informants.Secondary data on public policy,nation image building,diaspora role in overall development of a country of origin,and Ethiopians in the United States and their contributions was gathered from books,previous research documents,journal articles,press briefings,media reports such as newspapers,online news,website blogs,and other relevant documents on public policy,nation image building,diaspora role in overall development of a country of origin,and Ethiopians in the United States and their contributions.Interviews(key informant interviews),questionnaires,and document analysis were utilized to collect relevant and diverse types of data and to answer the study objectives.The total analysis included qualitative data as well as descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation.This study is divided into five chapters in terms of organization.Chapter one contains the introduction part of the study with a background of the study,research question,main argument(the answer to the research question),methodology,significance of the study,literature review,and structure of the thesis respectively.The findings of this study are hoped to contribute to a better understanding of image building,Diasporas’ role in the overall development of Ethiopia,specifically on public diplomacy,engaging Ethiopian and Ethiopian Origin Diasporas in the United States in improving the country’s image,exploring constraints and opportunities on Diasporas engagement in Ethiopia,and finding ways to improve bilateral relations between their host and origin countries.The Ethiopian Diaspora Overview and Current Status,as well as the National Government’s engagement tactics and areas of involvement in Ethiopian Nation Building Efforts,are covered in the second chapter.This chapter describes the history of Ethiopians’ worldwide migration during various political periods,their settlement in the United States,particularly in the last fifteen years,and their overall current situation.Also,try to explain various government institutional and legislative efforts to better harness their potential and address Ethiopian diaspora economic(remittances,diaspora investment,purchasing bonds),social,political,and knowledge and expertise transfare roles for the betterment of their homeland.The third chapter attempted to describe the many dimensions of picture formation,which can serve a dual purpose if done correctly.It has the potential to increase a country’s worldwide influence as well as generate internal political support.The latter function is considered more important today since states want to integrate with global markets,participate in global politics,and improve their reputation on the global arena.Changes in mutual ties and strategic actions can be influenced by how a country is regarded and portrayed by other countries.And it also explains Ethiopia’s current image,which is shaped by historical famine,civil war,and political instability,despite its natural and historical tourist attractions,uncolonized patriotism history,rich natural resources,role in the founding of League Nations,United Nations,and African Union,religious tolerance and diversity among its people,and current economic achievements.This chapter also explains and evaluates the national government’s and the general public’s efforts to restore Ethiopia’s image to its former glory.Furthermore,Chapter 4 discusses how Ethiopians in the United States have aided in the development of their country’s image by organizing various events and festivals,demonstrations,lobbying American politicians,and establishing businesses,all of which have a significant impact on the two countries’ political and economic relations.Their outnumbering and economic clout prompted the Washington DC city council to rename one of the city’s streets "Little Ethiopia." On the other hand,the chapter illuminates the Ethiopian Diaspora’s fragmented nature through religious and ethnic lines that refuse to stand on one strong national agenda,their role in igniting ethnic and religious conflicts,and their efforts to misrepresent and misinform the American public and politicians in contrast to the reality on the ground.Chapter 5 also attempted to wrap up the study and make recommendations.Government institutional challenges,the fragmentation of the Ethiopian diaspora along a thin line of ethnicity,religion,and political affiliation,and their inability to form a single strong association,as well as a lack of coordination among stakeholders,are among the obstacles.On the other hand,the study’s findings identified opportunities such as changes in Ethiopian government attitudes toward the diaspora,development on involving them in various national agendas without regard to political or other boundaries by Ethiopian Embassies and General Consulates,the rewelcoming atmosphere,and various initiatives such as the Diaspora Trust Fund,Diaspora Day,and Prime Minister Dr.Abiy Ahmed’s One Million Home Coming Challenge to better encourage them to enhance their constructive roles in the overall national building efforts especially on national Image building.According to the findings of the study,Ethiopian diaspora involvement in national image creation is a reflection of the country’s internal politics,and as a result,the Ethiopian diaspora’s posture and support for the government and its national calls swings frequently.As a result,national reform measures,such as increasing capacity for government entities involved in diaspora involvement,fully implementing diaspora policy and various proclamations,and learning from past mistakes,should bear fruit fast.Finally,the researcher claims that this study reveals that much more work has to be done to better their political,economic,and image-building duties in their country’s affairs,based on the empirical discussions.