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Nation and state building have been central during state formations or consolidations in all parts of the world. Third world countries have pursued both projects in a way to destruct diversity and create culturally homogenous polities experiencing inherent problems like denial of people-hood, overlapping citizenship and nationality, and cultural homogeneity. As a remedy, federalism, democracy and multiculturalism are institutional, policy, and politico-psychological innovations. The Ethiopian experience shows plausible centralist-unitary with failed/confused nation-building in pre 1991 witnessing rough state-society relations while the post 1991 has promised a lot along ethno-territorial federal approach. But still, Ethiopia is in its evolutionary stage whereby observable dual state-building approaches: responsive from 1991-2001 and unresponsive since 2001. This shows the retreat to unresponsive state and nation building approaches where national issues are given priority over passing regional self-rule.In light of this, mega-projects like GERD have contributions either to encourage or discourage healthy state and nation building approaches. Accordingly GERD has both contributions.
About the author
Moonenus Hundarraa Galataa had BA in Political Science and International Relations and MA in Center for Federal Studies from Addis Ababa University. Since 2012, has been widely engaged in community-based researches with Ethiopian and foreign scholars. He has worked with ILPI, UNICEF and Forum of Federations.
