Ethiopia: Waiting for Peace

Before most people think about Ethiopia’s economy, elections, or development, Ethiopians think about something simpler: peace.

Introduction

Ethiopia is often discussed through headlines about conflict, famine, or economic development. But those headlines rarely capture how ordinary people experience the country from the inside.

For Samuel, an Ethiopian student, daily life is shaped by forces that are difficult to separate from one another: religion, war, inflation, ethnicity, and a constant uncertainty about what comes next.

Throughout our conversation, one theme appeared again and again:

Many outsiders see Ethiopia as a country struggling to become richer.

Samuel sees something different.

According to him, most Ethiopians are not obsessed with becoming wealthy or transforming the country into an economic powerhouse.

What people want, he argues, is far more basic: peace, stability, and the ability to live ordinary lives.

More Than a Crisis

Q: What is one thing people outside Ethiopia misunderstand?

Samuel:

People often think Ethiopia is defined by poverty or conflict.

But what they miss is how resilient people are.

We’ve gone through wars, political crises, and economic problems, yet people continue living their lives.

Most Ethiopians aren’t focused on becoming rich. People mostly want peace, stability, and enough to support their families.

That desire shapes how many people see the country’s future.

Faith and Identity

Religion emerged repeatedly throughout our conversation.

Nearly half of Ethiopians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world.

For Samuel, religion is more than a personal belief. It is a foundation of national identity.

Q: How important is religion in Ethiopian society?

Samuel:

It’s difficult to separate Ethiopian history from Ethiopian Christianity.

Because our church developed largely independent from Western Christianity, it preserved traditions and practices that are very old.

Religion gives many people a strong sense of identity and continuity.

Even today, it influences how people think about community, responsibility, wealth, and public life.

Q: Has the relationship between church and state always been close?

Samuel:

Historically, yes.

The church wasn’t necessarily governing the country directly, but it had enormous influence.

For centuries, political legitimacy and religious legitimacy were connected.

That relationship helped shape Ethiopian state formation and national identity.

Development at What Cost?

One of Samuel’s strongest criticisms focused on modernization.

In Addis Ababa, major construction projects, parks, and new developments have transformed parts of the city.

But he questions who benefits.

Q: How do people feel about modernization projects?

Samuel:

Modernization isn’t automatically bad. The question is whether the benefits justify the costs.

When people lose their homes, communities are displaced, and traditions disappear, you have to ask what development is actually for.

Many projects look impressive, but ordinary people often don’t feel like they’re the intended beneficiaries.

It can feel like progress is happening around people rather than for them.

Living With Inflation

Politics becomes personal when it affects daily life.

For Samuel, one of the most visible examples is the cost of living.

Q: What does inflation look like in everyday life?

Samuel:

You see it immediately.

One day bread costs one amount. The next day it’s significantly more expensive.

Imported goods become harder to afford. Transportation becomes more expensive.

Basic necessities become less predictable.

People feel it every single day.

Q: Is the cost of living high?

Samuel:

Very high.

In some cases, prices are surprisingly close to what people pay in much wealthier countries.

The difference is that incomes are dramatically lower.

That’s what makes it so difficult.

A Country Shaped by Conflict

No topic occupied more of the conversation than war.

Samuel spent significant time explaining how recent conflicts continue to shape political life and public trust.

Q: How does conflict affect everyday life?

Samuel:

The problem isn’t just the fighting itself.

It’s that conflict affects everything else.

It affects prices.

It affects education.

It affects investment.

It affects how much people trust institutions.

When conflict becomes normal, progress becomes difficult because everything is built on uncertainty.

Q: Do young people believe things will improve?

Samuel:

Many people are frustrated.

Some have lost confidence in politics entirely.

But there’s still hope that things can eventually change.

Most people want stability more than anything else.

Trust in Institutions

One of the most striking parts of the interview was Samuel’s skepticism toward public institutions.

Q: How much trust exists in government institutions?

Samuel:

Very little.

Many people feel disconnected from political decision-making.

There is a perception that corruption, favoritism, and ethnic divisions affect how opportunities are distributed.

Because of that, trust is extremely difficult to build.

Q: What about the courts?

Samuel:

A lot of people don’t believe the system treats everyone equally.

Whether that’s perception or reality, it has a major effect on public confidence.

Education and Opportunity

Education reveals another side of inequality.

Q: What challenges does the education system face?

Samuel:

Resources are stretched incredibly thin.

There are schools with hundreds of students and very limited capacity. Many students also have responsibilities outside school.

They have to help support their families while trying to study. That makes educational success much harder.

Q: Is opportunity distributed equally?

Samuel:

Not really.

Wealth, location, and social background can have a huge impact on what opportunities are available.

There are talented people everywhere.

The problem is that not everyone has access to the same resources.

The Gap Between Rich and Poor

Q: Is economic inequality visible?

Samuel:

Very visible. You can see extraordinary wealth and extreme poverty existing side by side.

Some people live lifestyles comparable to the richest people anywhere.

Others struggle to meet basic needs.

That contrast is difficult to ignore.

Closing

Ethiopia is often portrayed through statistics, conflicts, or development projects. Samuel’s perspective points somewhere else.

Toward the daily realities that shape how people experience those larger forces.

Religion remains a source of identity.

Conflict continues to influence political life.

Economic pressures affect everyday decisions.

And many people feel disconnected from institutions that are supposed to represent them.

Yet throughout the conversation, one idea remained constant.

For Samuel, Ethiopia’s future is not defined by skyscrapers, GDP growth, or political slogans.

It is defined by whether the country can achieve something far simpler:

peace.