Yeshtila Wondemeneh | Hawassa University (original) (raw)

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Papers by Yeshtila Wondemeneh

Development Studies (Noragric), NMBU) for their invaluable scientific guidance and inspiration. M... more Development Studies (Noragric), NMBU) for their invaluable scientific guidance and inspiration. My sincere gratitude goes to Hawassa University for granting me study leave and facilitating all the logistical support during the fieldwork for this study. I would like to thank Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) for providing all the required financial support, and the Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), for the opportunity to pursue my studies. I also thank the scientific and administrative staff of Noragric. In particular, I am most grateful to Professors Trygve Berg, Stig Hansen and Kjell Esser for their warm friendship and care. I am indebted to Liv Ellingsen for her enormous assistance in my demands for literature sources. I appreciate all the support I received from administrative staff, namely Josie Teurlings, Joanna Boddens-Hosang, and Anders Dysvik. In particular, my sincere gratitude goes to Josie Teurlings for her special support throughout my study. I am thankful to my PhD colleagues Amos Ngwira, Mohamed Gaas, Getcahew Sime, Abiyot Anbacha, Raymond Achu Samndong, and Hudush Tesfa for discussions and encouragement during my study. I am most grateful to my research assistants in the Jimma, Gamo and Debre Berhan areas. Finally yet importantly, I am very grateful to my wife, Tigist Endale, who took all the responsibility of raising our children during my long absence. She has always been behind my success. I thank my sons Yofithae and Yafet and my daughter Girumensh for sacrificing time and attention they deserve from their father.

Language Matters, 2019

In 2018 there were demands for the creation of new regional states in ethiopia by ethno-linguisti... more In 2018 there were demands for the creation of new regional states in ethiopia by ethno-linguistic groups seeking greater self-determination. two examples of this were the Sidama and Wolaita, with some members of the latter advocating for the creation of an "Omotic Peoples" regional state. The idea of Omotic unification is not new to southern Ethiopia. When the amalgamated language of Wogagoda was introduced in the 1990s, the peoples of the region rallied in opposition against government. this article explores the intersection of language, politics and power during that period, which resulted in the withdrawal of a language policy and the creation of new, disintegrated administrative structures. Drawing upon historical experiences, this article reflects on the role of ethno-linguistic identities and their implications for contemporary decision making about languages of instruction and administrative boundaries. the results provide insight into situational contexts that may...

Economies, 2018

There are common narratives about economic growth in Ethiopia. We analyze four common narratives,... more There are common narratives about economic growth in Ethiopia. We analyze four common narratives, namely, that (1) the economy is transforming from agriculture to industry, (2) that national economic growth has been rapid and sustained, (3) that Ethiopia's economy is largely agricultural, and (4) that there is a looming debt crisis, largely due to lending from China. In many instances, the justification for these narratives is based upon single years or specific data points. We examine these narratives over the long term, to assess if they are supported by available macroeconomic data. In doing so, we encountered significant issues with data quality and consistency. This article presents the available datasets from 1999 to 2017 and concludes that the commonly made claims about the Ethiopian economy are sometimes accurate, sometimes incomplete, and other times inaccurate. We call for greater attention to primary data, and primary datasets, as opposed to relying upon secondary sum...

Language Matters

After 1991, Ethiopia has introduced an ethnic federal governance system constituting nine regiona... more After 1991, Ethiopia has introduced an ethnic federal governance system constituting nine regional states and two autonomous city administrations, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The restructuring of the state seemingly led to the decen-tralisation of power to the regions and Woreda (district authority) levels local governance structure in 1995 and 2002 respectively. The purpose of this article is to examine the practices of decentralised local governance in Ethiopia in general and the local governance performance at the level of peasant association (Kebele) in particular. The article also analyses the link between the local governance and poverty based on three indicators: decentralisation and self-rule (DSR), local capacity for planning (LCP), and effectiveness of local governance system (ELGS). Data was collected from eight selected Kebeles of three different regional states through household survey, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions. The study shows that while the power and control of the central government is well established, the Kebeles lack the capacity and resources to deliver development. The LCP at Kebele level is weak because of organisational incapacity and institutional constraints related to DSR. The ELGS is also poor since Kebeles do not have any fiscal rights and administrative power for the reasons associated with DSR and LCP. The government has been implementing poverty reduction strategies using productive safety net programmes and farmer training centres. These, however, have not had the desired outcome due to organisational and institutional incapacitation of Kebele administrations.

This article analyses state-society relations in Ethiopia with particular emphasis on the post-19... more This article analyses state-society relations in Ethiopia with particular emphasis on the post-1991 period. The objective of the study is to identify and analyse the fundamental factors of state-society relations at the national level: property rights, political representation, and the urban-rural elite cleavage. The article views state-society relations at the local level with reference to perception and practice, taking into account symbols, social control, ability to make decisions and control over the means of violence. The study was conducted in eight purposively selected localities in three administrative regions in Ethiopia. The empirical data was collected at national and local levels using key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a household survey. The analysis shows that state-society relations in Ethiopia are driven by three major factors: property rights, political representations and the urban-rural divide.

For more than four decades, researchers have analysed the poverty dynamics in Ethiopia from an ec... more For more than four decades, researchers have analysed the poverty dynamics in Ethiopia from an economic point of view. This study adopted a political economy approach to analyse the poverty dynamics in the post-1991 period. It aims to provide insight into the root causes and dynamics of poverty from a political economy perspective. The empirical data were collected from eight rural localities in Debere Brehan, the Gamo highlands and Jimma. Research methods included interviews, surveys and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the powerlessness of peasants vis-à-vis the state and the failure of agrarian transformation are aggravating the extent of rural poverty.

Data in Brief, 2017

This article presents average agricultural yield data per hectare for key cereal, legume and root... more This article presents average agricultural yield data per hectare for key cereal, legume and root crops from 2001 until 2017. Data was obtained from the annual Agricultural Sample Surveys of the Central Statistics Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia. We present data at national, regional (SNNPRS) and zonal (Wolaita) levels. The data shows that average yields for all crops, at all levels, show increasing trends during the time period. Data for the main cereal crops is consistent and aligns with literature relatively well, however we raise questions about the root crop data in an effort to encourage greater critical reflection of components of data from the CSA.

Language Matters, 2019

Economies, 2018

Language Matters

Data in Brief, 2017