ED-‘SELAM’ - Reinforcing Academic Cooperation in Peace Education between Ethiopian and Flemish Higher Education Institutions

GO2024ITP256A105 01/09/2024 - 31/08/2027 For almost three decades, Flemish and Ethiopian higher education institutions (HEIs) have built close partnerships supported by VLIR-UOS; Ethiopia even being the main recipient of VLIR-UOS funding. This has benefited Ethiopian and Flemish HEIs staff, researchers, and students. However, since 2015, Ethiopia has faced a conflict-driven crisis that caused significant harm to individuals, groups, and society at large. Following a partial cessation of hostilities in Tigray, the rectors of the Flemish universities suggested VLIR-UOS to launch a project in collaboration with Ethiopian universities with the aim to contribute to transitional justice processes and sustainable peace. Accordingly, representatives of the 6 Flemish HEIs and five main Ethiopian partner universities (Addis Ababa University, Mekelle University, Arba Minch University, Bahir Dar University and Jimma University) met with the main relevant stakeholders (universities, relevant ministries, public institutions and civil society organizations) in Addis-Ababa to map their needs and prepared a context-specific and demand-driven project (SELAM or peace in Amharic). SELAM aims to enhance structural academic collaboration between the partner HEIs to strengthen individual and organizational capacities to support peace, resolve conflicts, and foster a culture of dialogue and respect for human rights in Ethiopia. Its focus is twofold: (1) to create a common platform for Ethiopian and Flemish HEIs and their partners to collaborate, strengthen research capacity, network and provide input for policy-makers on peace education; (2) establish a forum where the project partners will co-create a blended, tailor-made, tested and certified teaching/training toolbox on peace education for HEIs as well as other relevant stakeholders such as civil society organizations, governmental bodies/institutions, and community leaders in Ethiopia. As such SELAM contributes to the SDG 4, 5, 10, 16 and 17.