Intergenerational Transfer of National Values Critical to National Unity – Peace Minister

Addis Ababa, December 18, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Minister of Peace, Mohamed Endris, stated that national values that reinforce unity and social cohesion must be preserved, strengthened, and passed on to future generations.

The Minister made the emphasis during a National Elders’ Dialogue, held under the theme “Our Social Assets for Sustainable Peace and National Unity,” took place today in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara Regional State.

The event brought together elders from all regional states, along with senior federal and regional officials and other stakeholders. The dialogue aimed to strengthen the role of social assets, cultural values, and traditional institutions in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and the promotion of national unity.

It was also noted the Dialogue serves as a platform to revitalize social assets and values inherited from Ethiopia’s ancestors, while giving elders, who symbolically represent all segments of society, a forum to advise on strengthening and restoring neglected cultural and social values.

Addressing the event, the Minister said that Ethiopia possesses long-standing cultural values that foster solidarity and provide mechanisms for resolving disputes peacefully.

He emphasized that these values need to be safeguarded, further developed, and transmitted across generations, noting that elders and religious leaders play a decisive role in this process.

He further highlighted that the development and progress witnessed today are the result of coordinated efforts by the government, citizens, and elders.

The Minister underscored that a country’s development trajectory is shaped by how values are transferred from one generation to the next, stressing the need to place greater emphasis on strengthening and advancing Ethiopia’s cultural heritage.

He added that the Ministry of Peace is providing the necessary support to initiatives aimed at developing, organizing, and institutionalizing traditional conflict resolution practices.

He further stated that the Ethiopian government has been consistently working, both in the past and at present, to address conflicts through dialogue and consultation, reiterating that the government continues to extend its hand for peace.

According to the Minister, the contribution of elders and religious leaders is indispensable in building lasting peace, and he noted that the objective of the National Elders’ Dialogue is to enhance the role of community-based mediation values in sustaining peace nationwide.

Amhara Regional State Council Speaker Fantu Tesfaye, for her part, stated that the people of the Amhara region possess a deeply rooted tradition of coexistence and respect for fellow Ethiopians.

She said the regional government is exerting strong efforts to strengthen mediation systems, highlighting the critical role elders play in peacefully resolving conflicts in the region.

The Speaker emphasized that mediation is a noble social value and that maintaining peace requires joint action by elders, communities, and institutions.

She noted that although the people of the region not only desire peace but also uphold strong traditions of peaceful problem-solving, they have been made the focal point of conflict due to the convergence of internal and external forces.

Ms. Fantu added that the government has extended a peace initiative to end the conflict through peaceful means and that members of armed groups operating in the region have been increasingly accepting the peace option as a result of ongoing efforts.

The Speaker further indicated that elders have played a significant role in the positive changes witnessed in the region thus far and affirmed that the regional government will continue to provide the necessary support to strengthen mediation mechanisms.

She also urged elders to apply their mediation values constructively to leave a lasting positive impact on the community.