Role of NGOs in promoting Human Rights in Ethiopia : A Case Study on Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO)

Research paper from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Africa, grade: BA degree, , language: English, abstract: Although a relative better political environment had been created with the coming of EPRDF, many NGOs have not yet shifted their policy objective towards advocacy. Majority of local NGOs are still either relief or development oriented regarding their policy objectives. They are fear of taking up policy advocacy, rule of law, human rights, criticism and opposition to state policies and practices. This is partly explained by the fact that many NGOs restored to opportunism or subservience to the government. That is, they make political calculations deemed necessary to ensure survival. In other words, most NGOs pretend not to engage in sensitive issues that may antagonize with the government. In simple terms, they rather conform to center of power and prefer to maintain personal and institutional interests (Kassahun, 2002:124). However, after 1991 a few local NGOs emerged and centered their objective on promoting the respect for the rule of law, protecting and monitoring human rights and enhancing civil awareness through various strategies. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), Society for the Advancement of Human Rights Education (EAHRE) are some the examples ,which entertain such objectives. Nevertheless, the relation of these human right NGOs and the government (EPRDF) is characterized by great friction and antagonism. Government sometimes intervened in their activities to extent of closing their offices (Sisay, 2001:29). In light of this background, the study is going to investigate this problem of advocacy NGOs by taking EHRCO as case and will also try to asses other impediments of its effective operation.