Unit One: Building A Democratic System

Civic and Ethical Education notes for Grade 12
Unit one: building a democratic system

 Democracy is a form of government (administration) where the real/supreme political
power is in the hands of the people and exercise directly by themselves or indirectly by
their representatives under a free and fair election.
According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy is:
 "The government of the people"-implies the government that in power emanated from the
members of the society or citizens of that country.
 "The government for the people"- indicates the elected officials/representatives must
serve for the benefits of the electorate/people.
 "The government by the people"- means that government officials came to power by the
free will or consent of the people. So, the source of power is in the hands of the people of
that country or society.
 Democratization: refers to the actions of making something democratic. It implies the
transition of a country from dictatorship or authoritarian rule to liberal democracy.
 Democratic system: is a system of government in which peoples are governed by a
person whom they elect as their leaders. It is a system of government where the
sovereignty of the people is respected and the rights and freedoms of citizens are
promoted and protected by law.
Procedural and substantive views of democracy:
 Procedural view of democracy: - democracy can be viewed as a procedure, since it is a
decision making process that involves universal participation, political equality, majority
rule, responsiveness, and meeting to discuss issues, voting in election, running for public
offices.
The issues that the procedural approach to democracy seeks to address:-
Who should participate in decision making?
 Universal participation.
How much should each participants vote count?
 Political equality: provides for one vote per person, with all votes counted equally.
How many votes are needed to reach a decision?
 Majority rule: the decision of a group must reflect the preference of more than half of
those participating; a simple majority.
 B. Substantive view of democracy: - emphasizes on the substance of the policies, laws,
rules and regulations not on the procedures followed in making those policies, laws and
rules. According to this way of approaching democracy, government of a democratic
society should at least guarantee human and democratic rights.
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Lesson One: The necessity of democratic system:
A democratic system creates a condition for political, economic and socio- cultural equality. It
upholds rule of law, human rights and freedoms. A democratic system affords constitutionalism.
Constitutionalism is based on the notion of a supreme law which governs the jurisdiction and
powers of the state institutions and determines the limits modes of their exercises.
It is a political doctrine that indicates state ideology to uphold rule of law in an environment of
democratic governance; that means the strict observance of the constitution by the government.
Thus, constitutionalism needs two basic things.
First and foremost, there should be a democratic constitution and the second is this democratic
constitution must be implemented.
Ways of citizens’ participation in democracy:
1. Direct democracy: means the participation of people through direct involvement on the
issues. It is also called pure democracy.
Direct democracy is possible when the sizes of participants are small and can be easily managed.
2. Indirect democracy: refers to the participation of the people through their elected
representatives. In indirect democracy, the elected officials formulate and enact laws on the
behalf of the people who elected them.
Representative democracy is exercised when the participants size are large and cannot easily
managed by their direct involvement.
Ways of running a democratic system:
1. Parliamentary democracy: In this system, members of parliament are elected by the people
in their geographical area (constituency).
In the parliamentary system the political parties or a coalition of political parties that gets
majority seats in the national Assembly (HPR) establishes and leads the government.
 The prime minister (chief executive) is elected indirectly by HPR.

 The power of the prime minister is depend on the confidence of parliament.
So, election of prime minister is not fixed term of office.
 There is fusion of power between legislative and executive organs of government.
 There is no veto bill between legislative and executive branches because there is strong
party discipline.
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 Discipline: means the likelihood of voting according to party policy. Therefore, there is
weak check and balances between organs of government in parliamentary system.
 The president is the head of the state has a nominal/ceremonial power.
 The prime minister acts as the real head of the government.
 The ministers are accountable to the legislature or parliament and they stay in power as
long as they live up to the expectation of the parliament.
 The prime minister is the chief of armed forces.
 The prime minister nominates Ambassadors, Ministers and Judges of the Supreme Court
and makes external treaties.
2. Presidential democracy: the president is head/cheif of the executive branch and the
representatives head the legislative branches.
 The president and the legislatures are elected directly by the people in separate ways.
 The president is elected for a fixed term of office.
 The parliament approves Judges; approves budgets set by president and makes laws.
 The real and nominal/ceremonial power is in the hands of the president.
 In presidential system, the legislative and executive branches have the power to veto
bills.
 The president is not accountable to the legislature; and the executive is also independent
of the legislature with respect to the duration of president’s tenure and the political
policies he adopts.
 In presidential system, there is less discipline. It means the likelihood of voting according
to conscience.
 There is strong checks and balances between organs of government because there is clear
separation of power.
 The cabinet members are elected by the president.
 Members of the executive cannot become members of the legislature and vice versa.
 The president is the chief of the armed forces.
 The president nominates Ambassadors, Ministers and Judges of the Supreme Court and
makes external treaties.
3. The Hybrid democratic system: The president, who is given much power, is head of the
state.
 The people elect the president directly.

 The president nominates the prime minister.
 The prime minister is elected by the president but not accountable to him rather to the
parliament.
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 The Prime Minister recommends members of cabinet to the president for approval.
 The legislature is also a key political institution with the power to make laws and control
the government.
 The president has the power to dissolve the parliament on the basis of his discretion at
any time.
 The prime minister is head of government and works under close supervision of the
president and elect from the winning party. E.g. France and Australia.
Lesson Two: Authority and Power:
 Authority: refers to the legal power vested in a public agency and its members to
execute the functions for which it was organized.
 Power: is the force or the ability to compel others to do what the power holder desires.
Depending on how the government applies power and authority in its working, it could
be legitimate or illegitimate.
Legitimate power and authority of government:
 The government functions within the limits given to it by the people.

 It receives its mandate to govern from the people.
 Such a government functions within the confines of the constitutio n.
 The power of the government arises from a democratic constitution is the free expression
of the will of the people.
 Legitimate authority and power of government rest on the foundation of democracy and
have moral authority over the people.
 Legitimate government respects the rights and freedoms of citizens.
 It functions in a transparent manner and with a high sense of responsibility and
accountability.
 The practice of transparency gives citizens the opportunity to know how their
government is doing in its job. Accountability is instrumental to empower people to
check and control their officials.
Thus, transparency and accountability are tools to check whether the practice of government
officials is in line with, or conforms to the limits of the power and authority given them.
Illegitimate power and authority of government:
 Governments which are undemocratic practices their power to rule, but this power has
not been authorized by the people.
 It is not legitimate rule and lacks moral authority.
 These governments can have constitutions but not constitutional rule.
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 The people are subjects to the government and are denied fundamental democratic rights
and freedoms.
 It is repressive and undemocratic. There is no rule of law but rule of men.
Lesson Three: Constitutional rights versus constitutional obligations:
A constitution is the fundamental law of the country that defines social and state organizations,
the principles of the electoral system, the structure of the government bodies and the basic rights
and duties of citizens.
 Constitutional rights includes:-

 The right to own property.
 The right to express opinions.
 The right to become educated.
 The right to work for wages.
 The right to marry and raise a family.
 The right to fair trial.
 The right to be secured and protected.
 The right to health care, etc.
 Constitutional obligations: are duties citizens have to respect for their own wellbeing and
that of society. Some constitutional obligations includes:-
 Maintaining and protecting property.
 Upholding the rights of others. Working honestly and paying taxes.
 Preserving the environment. Become educated. Participating in political process, etc.
Generally, a democratic system is not possible without a democratic constitution which is an

expression of the will of the people. A democratic constitution paves the way for
Constitutionalism. Constitutionalism is an ideology, which advocates that every thing in a state
and every action of the government should be in accordance with the Constitution.
It restricts the rights and duties of government and other organs of the state and its citizens.
Lesson Four: State power distribution in Ethiopia
The difference between unitary and federal system of government:-
 Unitary system of government: In Unitary states, authority and power are focused
exclusively on the central government. All major policies and principles of administration
originate from the center. In Unitary state, local governments exist only as mere agents of the
central authority. The span of their authority, the duration of tenure of office and even their very
legal existence are determined directly through continuous legislation by the central government.
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By:Mulken Alelign
You have to note that unitary structure does not necessarily imply a high degree of centralization.
In Britain, for example, local governments have a large degree of local autonomy, and the central
government interferes only to a limited extent. Where there is a homogenous society, it is
believed to that a unitary democratic system of government fits.
 Federal system of government: is the distribution of power between central and regional
constituencies/states. When a society is composed of culturally heterogeneous groups,
due to the desire to address the cultural differences and promote their development, a
federal system of government may be preferred. The objectives of federal administration
are to bring people and regions closer together to promote development and create a
political community which is unitary in spirit.
Criteria (basis) for federations organized:
A. Territorial/geographical features: federal system of government such as rivers, mountain

chains, etc. A country with a culturally homogeneous population can have territorial based
federation. E.g. Germany.
B. Ethno-cultural background: a country with culturally heterogeneous population can have

ethnic based federation. E.g. Ethiopia. In the FDRE constitution the federal system of
government devolves power to the regions to avoid a monopoly at the center.
Devolution of power: means transfer or delegation of power from central government to a

regional or local administration. In the federal system of government of Ethiopia there, are two
types of division of power. These are vertical and horizontal divisions of power.
A. The vertical division of power: means the division of power between central and regional
governments. In this division, there are also three ways of divisions of power.
1. Exclusive power (enumerated or defined power) article 51 of the FDRE constitution.
That means power given for the federal government. E.g. Foreign affairs, organizing and
managing the national defense forces; managing, printing and circulation of money;
administrating foreign trade and foreign currency; protect and defend the federal constitution and
the power given for the regional states in article 52 of the FDRE constitution.
 E.g. Managing education, health and administering police forces within their own
respective territories.
 To enact and execute the state constitution and other laws
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
 To formulate and execute economic, social and development policies, strategies and plans of the
state
 To administers land and other natural resources in accordance with federal law, etc.
2. Concurrent powers (article 95 & 98) of the FDRE constitution: implies the activities that are
done with the cooperation of federal and regional governments. This is also called shared or
frame work powers. E.g. Collection of taxes and revenues.
3. Reserved/ residual powers (article 52 of the FDRE constitution): This means the part that is
left after a main part has gone or taken away. Moreover, residual powers are those powers that
are not yet decided upon or not yet distributed.
E.g. In the FDRE constitution article 52(1) states that all powers not given expressly to the
federal government alone, or concurrently to the federal government and the states are reserved
to the states.
B. The horizontal divisions of power: means the division of power between legislative,
executive and judiciary organs of government both at the center and regional states.
 I.e. Legislative organ enacts/makes the law.

 Executive organ implements/enforces the law.
 Judiciary organ interprets the law.
Lesson Five: Ethiopia and Foreign Relations:
Foreign relations mean external relations between countries, involving at least two sovereign or
independent states in political, social, economic, cultural, sporting, trade and security areas. .
Countries create foreign relation policies depend upon its domestic policies/national interest.
National interest is an important concept in the formation of a foreign policy of any country.
The actors in foreign relations are; states, international organizations (UNs), regional
organizations (AU, EU), nongovernmental organizations (WB, IMF), and individual experts
(diplomats, etc. There are rules that guide and give shape to international relations. These rules
are expressed through agreements, conventions and protocols. Foreign relations of a country are
carried out through foreign policy and diplomacy.
 Foreign policy is a policy regulating a particular country's relations with other countries
and Peoples in the international arena. It is a plan of what to do in relation with others in
the global political system. Foreign policy includes processes, principles, strategies,
methods and objectives of foreign relations.
 When change of government occurs in a country, its foreign policy may change.
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By: Muluken Alelign
 Diplomacy: is the instrument to execute foreign policy. It refers to the practiced art of
official representation abroad of sovereign states by persons and organisations specialized
in such conduct. 'Diplomacy' is "the management of international relations by
negotiation; the method by which these relations are adjusted and managed by
ambassadors and envoys; the business or art of diplomats.
Generally, diplomacy refers to a communication process between international actors that seek
to resolve conflict short of war (intervene to outbreak of full skill war) through dialogue and
negotiation that is central to the working of world politics.
Functions of diplomats/diplomatic machinery:
1. Interest representation: represents the sending state interests in the receiving state.
2. Public relation: as the legal and symbolic representative of his/her country a diplomat is
engaged in continuous efforts to create and propagate good will in favor of his/her own state and
its policies.
3. Interest protection: protects the interest of sending state within the limits permitted by
international law.
4. Negotiation: with the government of receiving state.
5. Information gathering: gathering of information from the host state, ascertaining and
analyzing for policies and policy adjustment and political reporting to the sending state or to the
home government.
6. Promoting and cultivating friendly relations: diplomats nurture a gesture of good

interaction in the fields of politics, economics, military, culture, science and technology, and
others. This creates feelings of respect and cordiality and smoothes the general course of actions
in their interaction.
7. Consular services: they support and protect home citizens abroad.
The foundations(basis) of the Ethiopian foreign policy: In 2002, Ethiopia adopts "inside-out"
strategy in the relations with other countries. This policy is based on the following strategies:-
 Development and the building of a democratic system.

 National honor or pride and prestige.
 Globalization.
Principles of the Ethiopian foreign relations:
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
Article 86 of the FDRE constitution lays down the principles of external relations comprising 6
points.
A. To promote policies of foreign relation based on the protection of national interests for the
sovereignty of the country.
B. To promote mutual respect for national sovereignty and equality of states and non-
interference in the internal affairs of other states.
C. To ensure that the foreign relation policies of the country are based on mutual interest and
equality of states.
D. To observe international agreements, ensure respect for Ethiopia's sovereignty, and not
contrary to the interest of its people.
E. To forge and promote ever growing economic union and fraternal relations of peoples with
Ethiopia's neighbours and other African countries.
F. To seek and support peaceful solution to international disputes.
The Relationship between Natural resources and foreign policies/international relations:
Natural resources and foreign policy are related to promote mutual benefits in the resources in
the geographical locations of the countries.
E.g. the relation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt in the Blue Nile river. The Nile Basin
Initiative was created in 1999 among the Nile states to share socio- economic benefits and to
promote regional peace and security. The Nile Basin Initiative proposed to help the Nile Basin
states to work together to use this natural resource wisely and fairly by:-
 Shared data and information.

 Promote dialogue and problem solving.
 Create investment programs.
 Preserve natural environment.
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SUMMARY
 Today, many more countries in the world are exercising democracy.
 A democratic system creates the condition for political, economic, and cultural equality.
 A democratic system upholds constitutionalism.
 Under a Presidential Democracy, checks and balances are said to be implemented more
effectively than in a Parliamentary Democracy.
 Enacting laws is easier under Parliamentary Democracy.
 Authority and power are political concepts which are related.
 Power can be defined as the force or ability to compel others to do what the power holder
desires.
 Legitimate power arises from the consent of the people.
 Authority refers to that power vested in a public agency and its members to execute its
functions.
 Transparency and accountability are tools to check whether the practice of government
officials is in line with, or conforms to, the limits of the power and authority given to
them.
 Depending on its exercise of rule, the power and authority of government could be
legitimate or illegitimate.
 A constitution is the fundamental law of a country.
 Constitutional obligations are duties citizens have to respect for their own wellbeing and
that of society.
 Constitutionalism does not allow unconstitutional practices and extra-constitutional
authorities.
 In democratic societies, the rights and obligations that citizens have are kept in balance.
 A democratic system is not possible without a democratic constitution.
 A democratic constitution clearly states the rights and obligations that citizens and their
government have.
 The 1995 Constitution of the country declared Ethiopia a federal democratic republic.
 The Regional States have certain constitutional rights in which the federal government
does not intervene.
 The federal system of government devolves power to the regions to avoid monopoly of
power at the center.
 The federal system of government has elements of checks and balances of power between
the federal and regional states.
 Foreign relations are the external relations of a country.
 The actors in foreign relations are states, international and regional organizations and
other non-governmental organizations.
 Foreign policy refers to a policy regulating a particular country’s relations with other
states and peoples in the international arena.
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 Foreign policy reflects the domestic policy of a country.
 Diplomacy is the instrument to execute foreign policy.
 Ethiopia’s foreign policy promotes cordial relationships with countries for its own quick
development as well as mutual benefits.
GLOSSARY
Authority: The legal power vested in a public agency and its members to execute the functions to
which it was organized.
Democratic system: A political system functioning on the basis of the consent of the people.
Constitutional democracy: A governance which is based on democratic rights and obligations.
Direct democracy: An exercise of democracy where people vote to elect representatives

directly.
International relations: The relations existing between sovereign nations.
Power: The force or the ability to compel others to do the will of the power holder.
Representative democracy: An exercise of democracy where people elect their representatives
for local councils or parliament.
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UNIT TWO: RULE OF LAW:
Lesson One: Constitution and other laws:
 Rule of law means the law is supreme and everyone is subject to the law. The law places
restrictions on those who govern and on those who are governed.
The ammendment procedure of the FDRE constitution:
A. When the HPR and HF, in a joint session, approve a proposed ammendment by a two- thirds
majority vote; and
B. When two -thirds of the councils of the member states of the federation approve the proposed
ammendment by majority votes.
The difference between constitution and other laws:
 The constitution is made or drawing up by a special body called constituent assembly.

But, other ordinary laws are usually made by the parliament.
 Constitution is the supreme law of the land, but all laws must conform to the constitution
and they are subordinate to it.
 The constitution is general, while other laws are specific.
 Amendments to the constitution happen infrequently or rigid, but ordinary laws may be
flexible and change according to the situations, etc.
Hierarchy of laws:
Constitution_______ Ordinary laws ______ Rules and regulations.
Lesson Two: Rule of law and management of conflict:-
The purpose of rule of law is to protect basic individual rights by requiring the government to act
in accordance with pre-announced, clear and general rules that are enforced by impartial courts
in accordance with fair procedures.
Conflict is caused when two or more parties perceive that their interests are incompatible, and
want to achieve their aims through actions that damage the interest of the other.
Instruments of regulating conflict:
 National constitution and laws.

 Family or clan structure.
 Court system.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
 Procedural justice: deals the right to equality in the process that guarantees all persons
equal Procedural opportunities within the law. It refers fairness.
Goals of procedural justice:
1. Gather all necessary information for making wise decisions.
2. Use information in a fair and just way.
3. Protect the right to privacy, human dignity and freedoms.
4. Promote efficiency in conflict resolution.
 Efficiency: refers the ability to do something or produce something without wasting

materials, time and energy.
Alternative means of conflict management:
A. Negotiation: - is the most common settlement of disputes and it involves direct discussion
between parties to the dispute with the objective of reaching an agreement. No outside party is
involved in the process. E.g. Diplomacy in the international relations.
B. Mediation: is a method of non-binding dispute resolution involving a neutral third party who
try to help the disputing parties reach a mutually agreeable solution. A mediator is necessary
when the disputing parties are under a 'deadlock'.
C. Arbitration: is a means of applying legal principles to a controversy within limits upon by

the disputing parties. During the process of arbitration, a neutral third party(arbitrator) is brought
into the dispute. The arbitrator's job is to listen carefully to the arguments of the conflicting
parties. After all the evidence and reasons are presented, the arbitrator makes a decision.
The arbitrator's decision is final and the conflicting parties have to follow and abide by the
decision. Considering the arbitrator's decision is final, the arguing parties have the right to
choose their arbitrator.
D. Litigation: is the process of carrying out a suit before the court. It is a proceeding by
party/parties against another in a court of law through formal process.
The causes/reasons of conflict are:-
 Resources: territory, water, energy source, food and money and how they should be
distributed. . Power: how control and participation in political decision making are
allocated.
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 Identity: concerning the cultural, social and political communities to which people feel
tied
 Status: whether people believe they are treated with respect and dignity and whether
their traditions and social positions are respected.
 Values and beliefs: particularly those embodied in systems of government, religion or
ideology.
The difference between laws and rules:
 Laws: are primary legislations or proclamations enacted by the highest legislative organ
of the country (HPR).
 Rules: are secondary legislations enacted by organs lower than parliament; such as
council of ministers.
Criteria for evaluating rules and laws:
Rules and laws must be:-
Fair: They must be impartial, just and equitable and free of bias or prejudice.
Easy to understand: stated in a clear and understandable manner, with the absence of cross
reference or jargon.
Well - designed: They must be designed to achieve the political, economic, and socio- cultural
development and need to fit with the changing circumstances.
Clear: Rules and laws should be clear as to what is expected by the people, so that they are able
to conformtheir conduct accordingly.
Not violating other values: They should not discriminate between cultural groups or not
interfere in the promotion of cultural values.
Possible to follow: Rules and laws need to have the quality by which persons find them possible
to live up to their expectations. When they are irrelevant, ambiguous, obstructing cultural
development, it is difficult to respect and they could be source of disagreement and instability in
the society.
Judicial protection of the rights of individuals:-
 Due process of law: means that legal preceeding are conducted according to established
rules and principles for the protection and enforcement of private rights.
 Due: means just, proper, regular and reasonable.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
The basic elements of the principles of due process of law in the FDRE constitution:
Habeaus corpus (article 19(4)): implies an arrested person must be brought before the court of
law within 48 hours of their arrest. The primary purpose of Habeaus corpus is to get an
individual released from unlawful imprisonment, rather than determining whether he is guilty or
innocent.
Presumption of innocence (article 20(3)): it is the court, not the police, which must decide the
guilt or innocence of a person. Until the court decides that the individual is guilty, he must be
regarded as innocent.
Impartial tribunal: refers to the court being non-partisan in its dealing with a case. At every
stage of a trial, judges are obliged to treat parties equally when applying laws.
Fair notice (article 19(1&2)): deals with the summons which must be written in a language that
the defendant can understand. It should also contain the time and the place where the defendant
must present himself/herself.
Speedy and public trial (article 19(4) & 20(1)) respectively: - Speedy trial is one that is carried
out according to fixed rules, and which is free from unnecessary delays. The trial must be public.
 Trial means a formal judicial examination of evidence and determination of legal claims
in an adversary proceeding. Public trial means a trial that any one may attend or observe.
 Sometimes the trial is closed if the case is related to national security, public
morality/safety and to protect the privacy of the accused person.
Right to counsel: is the right to be represented or defend by legal counsel. The counsel can be
provided by the defendant or at state expense.
Right against self-incrimination (article 19(2)): the defendant has no burden to prove his
innocence. Therefore, the defendant has the right to remain silent.
Protection against double jeopardy (article 23): refers to a persons' constitutional right of not
to be tried for the same crime that he is acquitted or convicted. The intention is to help the
accused to be free from double punishment or multiple punishments for the same offence.
 "Jeopardy”: means "danger". So, double jeopardy means twice the danger.
 Acquitted: - means formally declare not guilty of criminal charge.
 Convicted: - means declare to be guilty of a criminal offence by the verdict of a jury or
the decision of a judge in a court.
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Right to appeal (article 20(6)): the accused or the prosecutor, after a decision has been made by
the court, is entitled to recourse by way of appeal or review to a competent high court.
Lesson Three: Rule of law and government:
Rule of law limits the authority of government and its officials and states; "no man is above the
law". When the government is limited, the power is restricted constitutionally and the absence of
arbitrary power. Limited government exercises constitutionalism, which implies the strict
observance of the constitution from both the government and the people. E.g. Federalism is a
form of government where rule of law is believed to be respected. Based on a territorial and
functional division of power, federalism is designed to harmonize unity with diversity.
Federalism is necessary for Ethiopia because:-
 Ethiopia is a large country geographically.

 Ethiopia has a very large population.
 This large population has multi-diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious affairs.
So, federalism is important for the independent and sovereignty of these diverse groups and
to harmonize their diversity in unity. But, when the government is unlimited, leaders are
above the law. There are no free participations of citizens in decision making process. There
could be violations of human and democratic rights of citizens, etc.
Lesson Four: Rule of law and the fighting against corruption:-
 Corruption is the misuse/improper use of power for the unjust benefits of oneself by the
expense of others.
The main causes of corruption:
 Absence of rule of law.

 Lack of exemplary ethical leadership.
 Greediness and selfish behaviors of individuals.
 Lack of accountability and transparency of the government and lack of good
governance, etc.
 Controlling mechanisms of corruption needs to be more closely linked with good
governance and strong civil societies.
Approaches of fighting against corruption:
A. Preventive approach: focus on the prevention of corruption before it is done. I.e. Ethical
regulations; committed citizens; disclosure; registeration of property; creating awareness about
the impacts of corruption to the public through mass media and direct meeting,etc.
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B. Currative approach: is implemented after corruption is done to correct the wrongful actions.
E.g. Receiving compliants; investigating corrupt cases; bringing the corrupt officials and
individuals before justice and punish them, etc. Generally, the solution to avoid or reduce
corruption lies with the active participation of citizens.
SUMMARY
 Modern democratic governments are established and organized by a constitution.
 Constitutions are primarily about political authority and power — the distribution,
exercise and limitation of authority and power among the organs of a state.
 A constitution, as a direct reflection of the will of the nation, is a supreme law whereas
ordinary laws are legislations from the Parliament or peoples’ representatives.
 A hierarchy of laws is a chain of subordination of laws; the constitution is the supreme
law. All other laws are inferior to it.
 Procedural Justice refers to the right to equality in the processes that guarantee all persons
equal procedural opportunities within the law.
 The minimum procedural justice is that parties to the conflict whose rights are affected
have the right to be heard.
 Negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation are the alternative means of peaceful
settlement of disputes.
 Laws must be fair, easy to understand, well designed, clear, not violating other values and
possible to follow.
 Due process of law means that legal proceedings must be conducted according to
established rules and principles for the protection and enforcement of private rights.
 The rule of law states, “No man is above the law.”
 Federalism is a dual form of government based on a territorial and functional division of
powers designed to harmonize unity with diversity.
 Federalism is a system of government which embodies a division of power between
central and regional authorities.
 The relationship of the limitation of power between the central governme nt and regional
states is well regulated by an instrument known as a federal constitution.
 Corrupt behaviour is an evil act against the nation, citizens, and government.
 Absence of rule of the law and lack of exemplary ethical leadership are causes of
corruption.
 Controlling corruption in Ethiopia needs to be closely linked to good governance and
strong civil societies.
 A preventive approach is based on respect of laws of the land, such as the constitution
and other laws and rules.
 A curative approach includes receiving complaints, investigating corruption cases, and
bringing the corrupt officials before justice.
GLOSSARY
Arbitration: A method of dispute resolution involving one or more neutral third parties who are
usually agreed to by the disputing parties and whose decision is binding.
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Double jeopardy: A right of a defendant not to be charged and convicted twice with the same
offence.
Due process of law: Legal proceedings according to established rules and principles for the
protection and enforcement of private rights.
Fair notice: A summon which must be written in a language that the defendant can understand
including the time and the place where the defendant must present him/herself.
Habeas corpus: A remedy that is available to a person who is arrested and not brought before a
court of law within the prescribed time.
Hierarchy of laws: A chain of subordinate laws with the constitution as the supreme law.
Impartial tribunal: A court which is non-partisan.
Litigation: A process of carrying on a suit.
Mediation: A non-binding dispute resolution involving a neutral third party who tries to help the
disputing parties reach a mutually agreeable solution.
Negotiation: Direct discussion between or among the parties to settle the dispute with the
objective of reaching an agreement.
Presumption of innocence: An entitlement not to be considered guilty before the decision of a
court is given.
Procedural justice: Equality that guarantees all persons have equal procedural opportunities.
Public trial: A court proceeding that is open to the public unless the case is related to national
security, public safety or privacy of the accused.
Right of appeal: The right to be heard, after a decision has been made, by a superior court.
Self-incrimination: A confession or admission against oneself.
Speedy trial: A quick public trial.
Suit: A litigation pending before the court.
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Unit Three: Equality:
Lesson One: The history of the Ethiopian peoples struggle against oppression:
1. Gojjam peasants’ rebellion (1968): was one of the strongest resistances against the feudal
system. The major causes of the rebellion:-
 The government attempt to increase the amount of taxes.

 Forced contributions to erect the statue of the emperor.
 Maladministration. Because of these problems, the people reflect their oppositions by
rejecting tax assessors and sending a petition to the emperor. When the government failed
to respond, the peasants rebelled.
 However, the government sent the army and police force and suppressed the rebellion.
2. The Bale peasants’ rebellion (1963- 70):
The causes of this rebellion/uprising were:-
 Tax increases (laid huge land and cattle taxes on local people).
 Forced settlement of Christians in Muslim regions.
3. The First Woyane movement (1941):-
The causes of the movement includes:-
 Administration inefficiency.
 Corruption.
 Greediness of the army stationed in Raya and Azebo.
 Feudalist conflict of interests. But, the government army and the British force using
aircrafts crushed the revolts.
4. The outbreak of the Ethiopian revolution (1974):- it was the result of combined efforts of
various peasants’ uprisings and others, such as students, teachers, soldiers, civil servants, etc.
The major causes of the revolution:-
 Discrimination of peasants by feudalists.

 The famine of Wollo; the students protested as a result of the famine in the wollo
province because of administration mismanagement and corruption.
 Dissatisfaction of armed forces (armed forces protesting the lack of food, water and pay).
 Arab- Israel war. This war caused an energy crisis and the Ethiopian taxi drivers went to
strike.
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 The education sector review in 1972-74; the hidden study of the education sector paves
the way for teachers’ rebellion against the regime.
The achievements of the Ethiopian revolution:-
 The end of the emperial regime.

 Derg controlled the political power.
 Ethiopian students played the major role to the end of the emperial regime.
5. The struggle overthrown the Derg (1975-91): The main causes were:-
 Failure of expectation from the Derg government or lack of democratic system.

 The famine of Tigray and Wollo in 1984 and 1985.
 Forced settlement.
 Inefficient and corrupt local administration.
 Large presence of banditry, etc.
Lesson two: Conflict of interests:
Conflict of interest is a disagreement on rights or interests between individuals and groups.
 Individual rights: are rights held by a person as an individual. E.g. the right to life, the
right to be presumed innocence, the right to decide one's living place, etc.
 Group rights: are rights held by individuals who are members of a particular group. E.g.
the right of nation, Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia to self-determination. The right
to self-demonstration includes the right of every NNPE:-
 Express, develop and promote its culture.
 To preserve its history and;
 The right to self-governance.
Lesson Three: Equality and the notion of Affirmative action:
Affirmative means conventional acceptance. Action means an activity. So, affirmative action
implies conventional accepted action. Affirmative action refers to policies designed to
compensate/remedy the effects of past discrimination against women, disabled, racial groups,
religious and ethnic minorities. It is important to redress the past injustice and discrimination.
Affirmative action gives opportunities for discriminated groups to take participation in any
activity with other groups and gives a chance to show their talents and abilities.
The objectives of affirmative action:
 Increase employment opportunities for discriminated groups.
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 Ensure that employees are not discriminated against race, sex, religion, ethnicity, etc.
 Provide extra advantages and opportunities to enroll minorities in colleges and
universities.
 Provide financial assistance to students from minority groups.
Arguments of affirmative action:
1. Arguments for or support affirmative action:-
A. Remedial nature: many people agree that affirmative action is important to remedy the past
discrimination
B. Equality and justice: it upholds that affirmative action is vitally important not only to
guarantee equality but also to combat the perpetuation of traditional attitude so as to ensure equal
opportunities for people against discrimination.
2. Arguments against affirmative action:
A. Reverse discrimination argument: - it considers that affirmative action is unjust and goes
against the principle of equality. Therefore, they argue that affirmative action is reverse
discrimination.
B. Counter-productive argument: - This argument claims that concerning race or gender

preferences stigmatizes beneficiaries and ultimately undermines their Self-governance.
Moreover, affirmative action often compel employers to potentially overlook highly qualified
applicants in favor of only marginally qualified applicants who meets affirmative action
standards in work place.
Lesson Four: Unity in diversity:
Unity in diversity: refers the mutual existence of different cultural, religious, ethnic and
linguistic groups and live together with respect, dignity and harmony for common political,
economic and socio-cultural development of the country.
Ethnocentrism: is the tendency that one’s own culture, language and religion is superior, good
and right to that of others and considering the culture of others inferior. An ethnocentric
individual is unable or unwilling to look at others cultures in their own terms.
Cultural relativism: refers to understanding people's way of living from the framework of their
culture. It is a belief that any particular set of customs, values and norms are relative to a
particular culture and that they can only be understood and evaluated within that particular
cultural context.
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The advantages of cultural relativism:-
 It helps us to be less arrogant and more open minded.

 It helps us to understand and appreciate others.
 It minimizes misunderstanding and conflicts, etc.
SUMMARY
 The history of the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia is marked by a struggle
against oppression.
 Good examples are the peasants’ rebellions that took place in different parts of Ethiopia.
 The Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples removed the Derg from power which
gave rise to the beginning of the democratic process in the country.
 Group rights are rights held by individuals who are the members of a particular group.
 Individual rights are rights held by a person as an individual.
 A good example of group rights is the right of a nation or a people to self-determination.
 The FDRE Constitution provides for every Nation, Nationality and People in Ethiopia the
right to self-determination, including the right to secession.
 Affirmative actions are aimed at compensating past injustice and discrimination.
 Affirmative action is sometimes understood as reverse discrimination.
 The FDRE Constitution recognizes that women suffered from injustice and
discrimination in the past and entitles them to remedial and affirmative actions in order to
compensate past mistakes.
 Ethiopia is the country of cultural diversity.
 Despite our diversity we need to create a common political and economic space and work
together in the fight against poverty and backwardness.
 The tendency to consider one’s culture to be good, right and even superior to that of other
people is called ethnocentrism.
 Strong ethnocentrism may lead to misunderstanding and conflict.
 Cultural relativism refers to understanding people’s culture from their own perspective.
 Cultural relativism helps us to be less arrogant and more open minded in relation to other
societies and cultures, and minimizes misunderstandings and conflicts.
GLOSSARY
Cultural relativism: The principle that people should judge the behaviour of others using the
standards of their culture analyzed in its own terms.
Ethnocentrism: A belief in, or assumption of, the superiority of the social or cultural group
that a person belongs to.
Group rights: Rights held by individuals who are the members of a group.
Individual rights: Rights held by a person as an individual.
Maladministration: Incompetent or dishonest management or administration, especially in

public affairs.
Petition: An appeal or formal request.
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Self-determination: The right of people to determine its own form of government without
interference from outside.
UNIT FOUR: JUSTICE:
Lesson One: Equity of benefits and burdens:
It means that people share the benefits and burdens equally. Equity of benefits and burdens
create a sense of belonging to a country and people livs harmoneously.
What is the difference between equity and equality?
 Equality means the state of being equal. It means that people share the same rights and
opportunities.
 Equity is slightly different. It means the quality of being fair or impartial. Therefore, equity is a
word often used in connection with the judicial system, which must be objective, impartial and
fair in its interpretation of the law.
Equity of benefits and burdens means that those who work hard and contributes more should benefit
more. In the absence of equal distribution of benefits and burdens, those who shoulder the biggest burden
and do not get the biggest benefits could be hurt. In such cases, they may resist and may resort to violent
means to restore what is fair.
E.g. Progressive taxation in Ethiopia:
 Progressive taxation: means that those people who earn more income should be taxed higher
than those who earn less income. Generally, benefits are believed to be good for individuals or
groups. But, burdens are responsibilities or requirements to be undertaken in order to get
benefits.
Lesson Two: Justice and Judiciary:
Judiciary is a branch of government made up of the system of courts that interpret and apply the law.
The Three categories of justice:
A. Distributive justice ensures that benefits are distributed fairly and equally throughout the population.
B. Corrective justice deals with correcting unjust acts. It works to restore balance or equilibrium to a
situation in which unfairness has prevailed.
C. Procedural justice deals with fairness and equality in the process of serving justice. It means that
everyone has the right to undergo the same process to achieve justice.
The roles of justice and judiciary in a democracy:
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 Deciding on controversies and punishing infringements of law.

 Affirms rule of law and breaks violence.
 Defending the constitution.
 Upholding international norms and values. In order for the judiciary to formally defend those
international norms and values they must pass through domestication.
Domestication: is a process where the country officially recognizes certain international principles as
important and includes them in its own laws. This is done by signing international conventions and
approving these in the parliament to make them the law of the land/country. E.g. In Ethiopia the
responsibility for signing international conventions and agreements is given to the executive branch of
government. This agreement has to be approved by HPR.
 This approval is called ratification; and it must be printed in the official newspaper called Negarit
gazeta to publicise it.
Lesson Three: Crime and Justice:
 Crime is the wrongful use of power or wrongful aggression against someone. Aggression is
often caused when there is inequality of power between individuals.
The instrument through which Corrective justice is dispensed is called criminal law (penal law).
 Criminal law determines which acts or omissions to act are wrong and determines the
corresponding punishment. It is the law of crimes and their punishment.
The five objectives of criminal law should be similar to the following:
A. Retribution: states that the criminal ought to suffer in some way.
B. Deterrence: is aimed at discouraging the offender from repeating the offence.
C. Incapacitation: means removing dangerous criminals from society to protect the public.
D. Rehabilitation: means helping the offender to become a valuable member of society, and
E. Restitution: means compensating the victims of crime.
Types of crimes:
1. Genocide: it comes from the Greek word 'genus' meaning clan, family or people; and 'occido' means
total extinction/extrimination. Therefore, genocide is the act or attempt to extriminate/make extinct a clan,
family or people. It results in killing people not because they did something bad, but because of they
belong to a certain race or follow a certain religion.
2. Drug trafficking: means using, distributing or circulating narcotic drugs from one country to another.
It is a criminal offence which affects social, economic and health of individuals and the country.
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3. Terrorism: is the deliberate act of endangering the lives of the people or property. It is denying the
freedom of a person or groups. Terrorism is done to force/Coerce either the government or the people to
do or stop doing something.
Instead of convincing the people and the government to take a certain action, terrorists resort to violence
to achieve a goal.
4. Deliberate transmission of disease: it is the expansion of incurable diseases to another person. It is

considered as a crime of homicide which is the deliberate murder of an individual.
5. Corruption: hinders the development efforts of a country by reducing investment.
 It causes frictions between the public and the government because of lose of confidence by the
government officials.
 Corruption undermines rule of law and affects the prevalence of good governance in a country.
Therefore, it has political, economic and social impacts in every country.
Lesson Four: Justice in taxation:
Some tax payers fail their duties to pay tax by different means. These include:-
A. Tax evasion/fraud: is illegal avoidance of taxes. It is where people don't reveal their total income or
not pay the appropriate tax. In most cases people engage in tax evasion when they feel their tax rates is
too high.
B. Controband: is illegal international trading of goods to avoid trade taxes which denies the government
revenue/income.
C. Tax avoidance : is a legal way of avoiding the rate of tax pay. It is the act of changing a business
venture or investment to one that pays less tax.
SUMMARY
 Benefits are believed to be good for an individual or a group.
 Burdens are requirements or responsibilities to be undertaken in order to get benefits.
 Both benefits and burdens should be distributed fairly.
 The judiciary has many roles in preserving justice.
 The judiciary plays a vital role in defending the Constitution and sustaining democracy.
 The judiciary plays a vital role in upholding international norms and values.
 Crime is the wrongful use of power or aggression against others.
 Genocide is one of the worst crimes and it means the extinction/extermination of a
corporate group for being what they are.
 Drug trafficking is the crime of using, distributing or circulating narcotic drugs.
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 Terrorism is the deliberate act of endangering the lives of people or property, or denying
freedom of a person or group of persons for the purpose of forcing or coercing.
 Corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain.
 Tax evasion or fraud is where people avoid paying the appropriate amount of tax.
 Tax avoidance is the act of changing a business venture or investment to one that pays
less tax.
 Contraband is the illegal international trading of goods to avoid trade taxes.
 The importance of taxation to the national economy emanates from the duty of the
government to give services and encourage development activities.
GLOSSARY
Corruption: The abuse of public office for private gain.
Crime: The misuse of power or wrongful aggression against someone.
Domestication: A process where the country officially recognizes certain international

principles as important and includes them in its own laws.
Drug trafficking: Using, distributing or circulating narcotic drugs.
Genocide: The act or attempt to exterminate/make extinct a clan, family or people.
Judiciary: The institution where the law is interpreted.
Ratification: The approval of the signing of international conventions by the House of Peoples’
Representatives.
Tax avoidance: The act of changing a business venture or investment to one that pays less tax.
Tax evasion: The unwillingness of people to pay their fair share of tax.
Terrorism: A deliberate act of endangering the lives of people or property, or freedom of a

person/group to coerce the government/people to do, or stop doing, something.
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UNIT FIVE: PATRIOTISM:
The three kinds of patriotism:
1. Traditional patriotism: - is explained by the affection/sacrifice of citizens to their motherland or

fatherland. It is the devotion and commitment of citizens to defend their territorial integrity, to be proved
of their countries history, culture and its standing to the world affairs.
2. Nationalism: is based on seeking to make some people superior to another.
3. Constitutional patriotism: is the storing commitment or alignment of citizens with democracy and
human rights.
Lesson One: The quality of a patriot:
A. The struggle for the respect of human and democratic rights . E.g. Martin Luther King Junior and
Rosa Parks are the prominent civil rights activists in USA. Rosa Parks was a patriot because she fought
for the civil rights of herself and for people like her and she stood up against undemocratic laws and
sacrificed her-self for the greater good.
B. Ethical behaviors or behaving ethically.
Ethics: is a branch of moral philosophy dealing with what is the proper course of actions of man.
It describes what a society believes to be right or wrong, bad or good(appropriate or
inappropriate) conduct within a professional or occupational setting. So, Ethics study about the
societal principles of right and wrong.
Morality: is an individual character expected to be seen in which the individual belongs. It is

societal principles of right and wrong and good and bad(evil). So, morality refers to the custom
or regular practices of a social group or a person. So, morality pertains to the specific codes and
principles that human beings do really use to guide their actions by employing those codes as a
yardstick or standards of measure to evaluate their actions as right or wrong.
Generally, morality is important to:-
 Ensure good and fair relationship with others.

 Helps people to act in good way. Helps an individual to determine whether his/her
actions are right or wrong.
Some widely accepted ethical behaviors involve:
Civility: means treating people with polite, reasonable and with respect. It is accepting
differences and listening to what others have to say.
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Fairness: is treating other people the way you would like to be treated. It involved being open-minded
and accepting of other peoples’ ideas and beliefs.
Truthfulness: is when you keep your promises and you do not betray a confidence without sufficient
reason. Truthful people are honest, reliable and loyal.
Courage: is being brave and having the confidence to stand up for you know is right, and stand against
what you know is wrong. Courageous people are not afraid to express their beliefs just because some
people might not agree with them.
Lesson Two: Ethiopian history in an international perspective:
Ethiopia is a symbol of independence in Africa because of its successful defense of colonial

power at the victory of Adwa (in 1896). Ethiopia was one of the earliest members of the League
of Nations in 1923 to maintain global peace and cooperation. In addition, Ethiopia was one of the
few African countries which were members of UN since 1945.
Ethiopia contributed to global peace and stability by sending its peace keeping forces to the
United Nation missions in Korea (1951-53), Congo which is present-day Zaire(1960-63), Rwanda
(1994-95), Burundi (2003), Liberia (2003-2011), Darfur (2008-2013 and still carrying out its
mission in a brotherly manner) and Somalia (2014) to maintain peace and help the local people.
Ethiopia also contributed more to the foundation of the OAU (1963) and Addis Ababa is the hub
of African diplomacy and the center of the AU because Ethiopia was the symbol of
independence and anti-colonial struggle in Africa. Ethiopia also plays an important role in other
sub regional organizations such as; IGAD &NEPAD.
 IGAD: found in Eastern Africa in 1986. It was previously called IGADD. Its member
states; Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. Eritrea became seventh
member in 1993 and succeeds from the members in 2002. The head office of IGAD is in
Djibouti.
 NEPAD (new partnership for Africa's development): it was founded to address the
current problems of Africa including poverty, underdevelopment and marginalization of
the African continent.
The aims of NEPAD: -
 To eradicate poverty;
 To facilitate sustainable development of African countries.
 To help Africa benefits more from the world economy, and
 To accelerate women's empowerment.
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Lesson Three: The duties of a patriot citizen: These include:-
 Promoting the public interests at local and national levels.

 Defending national security by fighting against the enemy of their country.
 Keeping state secrets and fighting against terrorism and other crimes.
 Work hard to promote productivity and fighting against poverty.
 Paying taxes; respecting national flag and national anthem and also respect the rights of
others.
 Participating in voluntary activities to help the needy and to solve community problems.
 Develop skills to understand, evaluate and support government policies and Strategies.
 Put forward rational/reasonable criticism which is based on evidence and practical
experience to have better policies and Strategies and to promote development in the
country.
Lesson Four: Concern for the well-being of the international community:
The maintenance of national security is impossible without global security. National security
can't be achieved in the absence of international security because national, regional and global
securities are closely related. E.g. the security of Ethiopia cannot be fully maintained without the
prevalence of security in the horn of African and Middle East. The absence of security in
Ethiopia would also affect the security of the horn regions and the rest of the world. As a
global/an international community, we have to work together to maintain international security
in order to maintain our national security.
Therefore, a global citizen contribute to the wellbeing of a global community through fighting
against terrorism, genocide, deliberate transmission of disease; such as HIV/AIDS, illegal trades
such as drug trafficking, corruption in order to maintain national and global security and peace.
 The Holocaust: was the aim of Adolf Hitler to eliminate the Jewish people in the world
through harsh measurement.
 Genocide in Rwanda: In Rwanda the Hutu and the Tutsi were the two main "ethnic
groups". 90% of the Rwanda population was Hutu though the Tutsi minority controlled
political power until the country became independent from Belgium in 1962. The major
causes of Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Rwanda was after its independence, the Hutu controlled
political power but they were not ready to share political power with the Tutsi by killing
the Tutsi ethnic groups.
SUMMARY
 Human rights and democratic rights were not fully respected, even in countries which
have a long history of democratic culture.
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 Human and democratic rights have evolved as a result of a continuous and bitter struggle.
 The current constitution and democratic process in Ethiopia is a result of the struggle of
Ethiopian peoples for equality and democracy.
 Ethics is the philosophical study of human behaviour. It studies moral standards and how
they affect human behaviour.
 Morality is a system that tells you how to act whereas ethics is the study of that system.
 Being respectful, honest, truthful and fair are widely accepted ethical behaviours.
 Ethiopia is a country of ancient history and a symbol of independence which defended
itself against colonial attempts.
 Ethiopia played an important role internationally. It was a member of the League of
Nations and the UN when most other African countries were still under colonial rule.
 Ethiopia contributed to global peace and stability by sending peacekeeping forces to
South Korea, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi etc.
 Ethiopia is one of the African countries which contributed greatly to the foundation of
OAU.
 Currently Ethiopia also plays an important role in other regional organizations such as
IGAD and NEPAD.
 Citizens have diversified duties and responsibilities including defending national security
and fighting against crimes such as drug smuggling.
 Citizens have a responsibility to respect their flag and other symbols which embody the
aspiration of the people.
 Citizens have a responsibility to support the government in its good work: for example,
when it formulates good policies and strategies.
 It is also the duty of patriotic citizens to criticize governmental policies and strategies
when they find them not in keeping with the national interests.
 National security should be maintained in order to achieve continuous development.
 National security is closely related to regional and global security.
 It is important to defend the security of our country as citizens of Ethiopia, and
international security as global citizens.
 We need to fight against terrorism, genocide and drug trafficking to maintain national and
global security.
GLOSSARY
Holocaust: The systematic extermination of millions of European Jews.
Racial discrimination: Unfair treatment of a person or group, usually based on prejudice about
race.
Rational criticism: Reasonable and sensible opinion or judgment of what is wrong with
something.
Segregation: The practice of keeping ethnic, racial or religious groups separate, especially
through enforcing the use of separate schools, transportation, housing or other facilities.
Virtue: The quality of being morally good or righteous.
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UNIT SIX: RESPONSIBILITY:
Responsibility means a duty of looking after someone or something and taking the blame if things go
wrong. It is the act of imposing on a person something he/she should do.
Sources of responsibility include:-
1. Appointment: is the designation of a person as non- deflected public officials for a job or duty.
A person has the right to accept or refuse appointments. If a person agrees, it means consenting to fulfill
all the responsibilities that came with the appointment.
2. Promises: means the manifestation of an intention to act or to refrain from acting in a specific manner.
When you make a promise to your tried, you have the responsibility to keep it.
3. Assignment: means the transfer of rights or property. In certain conditions, a person may assign or
impose certain responsibilities on others.
4. Occupation: means an activity or pursuit in which a person is engaged, especially add person's usual or
principal work or business. For example, a teacher is responsible to teach his/her students; and a doctor is
responsible for giving medical treatment to his/ her patients.
5. Custom: is a practice that by its common adoption and long unvarying habit has come to have the force
of law. It includes the existence of different traditions, norms, values (code of conduct) and habitual
practices that have been followed by a group of people or society for a long time.
6. Moral principles: are generally accepted guidelines or standards for right and wrong behaviors.
Examples of moral principles include the responsibility to be honest, to tell the truth, to treat others with
respect, to avoid cheating, to show concern for the well-being of one's own community and society,etc.
7. Law: according to the FDRE constitution in article 9 (2), "all citizens, organs of state, political
organizations as well as their officials have the duty to ensure observance of the constitution & obey it.
8. Citizenship: is the status of being citizens. It is the quality of a person's conduct as a member of a
community. This responsibilities include; taking care of ourselves and supporting our families, preserving
public properties, obeying the law, respecting the rights of others, being informed and attentive to the
needs of our society and others.
Lesson One: Shouldering and Executing Responsibility:
In society, every person has some responsibilities to shoulder to make life better.
 For example, you have the responsibility to respect the rights of others.
 You have to work hard to improve your own condition.
 Treating people as equal and with respect towards others.
 Respect the norms, values and laws of the society and the country.
 When you act responsibility, there are many benefits.
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 A person who fulfills responsibilities will be able to utilize his/her own fundamental rights.
 Fulfilling responsibilities leads to developing a sense of personal independence, self
accomplishment and belief and confidence in oneself.
 Those citizens who are well aware of their responsibilities can use their rights and execute their
obligations properly. However, a person who fails to execute his/her own responsibilities will be
unable to use their rights.
Lesson Two: Costs of Fulfilling Responsibility on Individuals :
Social life is the outcome of the interactions of individuals. In the process of such interaction, there are
benefits that individuals enjoy and burdens that they shoulder. E.g. citizens can obtain benefits when
running business or getting job opportunities, but they also have the responsibility of paying taxes
commensurate/proportional with their income.
 When fulfilling public burdens/responsibilities, some individuals’ interests will have to be

sacrificed. You should sacrifice your private interests for the collective good which in many
ways is greater than what is good for the individual or person. The sacrifice you make to preserve
the sovereignty of your country is a responsibility necessary for others to live in peace. So,
fulfilling responsibilities is the basis of social life.
Lesson Three: Fulfilling Promises to Promote Understanding in the International Arena:
Due to the effect of globalization, the world we live in is increasingly became smaller. No one countrycan
afford to ignore globalization. However, you need the knowledge and the skills to live in and benefit from
this new global reality. Today, there are more countries having nuclear weapons than was the case forty
years ago. It is to be noted that any war involving nuclear weapons could bring an end to the existence of
the human race. Given such reality, human beings have to be united to the common cause for peace and
prosperity.
 Concerning this, many states are contributing peace keeping forces for the UN to stop civil war
and invasions in some parts of the world. Ethiopia has contributed its forces to the UN peace
keeping mission to different countries in Africa and Asia, as part of its commitment to collective
security.
There are issues that have international magnitude that affect humanity in general. For example, tackling
global environmental crisis that requires global intervention based on knowledge.
 Issues like poverty; HIV/AIDS, etc. are common concerns to everyone in the world.
 Dealing with terrorism is a global problem that calls for governments to work together.
Lesson Four: Cooperation among Nations for Mutual Benefits:
There are multiple factors that lead to countries to cooperate and work together for the common good.
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Civic and Ethical E
ducation notes for Grade 12
 States form closer relationships to achieve common objectives. Cooperation could be established
during war time or in times of peace. The relationship between countries is not only one of
cooperation, but also for competition. Countries compete to advance national interests which
could be in trade and commerce. For instance, the Japanese build great vehicles and this has
given them the chance to dominate the international car market.
Competition has to be supported by cooperation to ease the potential tension that could arise.
 Countries also cooperate for the equitable use of natural resources. Cross Boundary Rivers create
the conditions for countries to have a special relationship. E.g.1. the Euphrates and Tigris rivers
govern relations between Turkey, Syria and Iraq. E.g.2. the Blue Nile River sets a special relation
between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopia contributes over 80% of the total volume of water
to the Nile. During the colonial period, Britain had made an arrangement between Sudan and
Egypt for the use of the Nile River but the agreement unfairly excludes Ethiopia. The agreements
remain unchanged to date. However, it is now time for a new agreement between Ethiopia,
Sudan and Egypt. Such an agreement is necessary for mutual benefits and regional stability.
 Countries also cooperate to protect and preserve their natural and historical heritages for the
benefits of humanity. When countries work together, they can create the synergy to mitigate the
ecological crisis. On this regard, Egypt and Sudan can jointly work on afforestation and water
management programs to be undertaken in Ethiopia. Such program will benefit all the three
countries. Therefore, Egypt and Sudan could jointly work on afforestation and water
management programs in Ethiopia to effectively utilize the Nile water. This will allow Sudan and
Egypt to acquire more water to expand their agriculture and minimize siltation of their dams.
This program also has some benefits in Ethiopia. I.e. The soil will be protected from further
erosion and thus, allow the country to retain more rain water for better agriculture.
Lesson Five: The Severity of HIV/AIDS as a Global Pandemic:
HIV/AIDS is a disease that affects human beings irrespective of age, sex, religion, race, colour,
occupation and other status. HIV/AIDS patients are more likely to die of infections like tuberculosis,
malaria, typhoid and hepatitis. These diseases affects millions in poor countries and many developed
ones. It is a global problem that requires global intervention to stop it.
 Improving the living conditions of people in poor countries is one way of combating HIV/AIDS
at an international level.
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SUMMARY
o The well-being of society is the basis for the well-being of its members and vice versa.
o Citizens who are well aware of their responsibilities know their rights and obligations.
o Responsible citizens help themselves and their country.
o To be hard working is one of the responsibilities that citizens have to demonstrate.
o Fulfilling responsibilities develops the sense of personal independence, self-
accomplishment and belief in oneself.
o Social life is the outcome of the interactions of individuals.
o When fulfilling public burdens (responsibilities) some individual interests will have to be
sacrificed.
o You should sacrifice your private interests for the collective good, which, in many ways
is greater than what is good for you as a person.
o The sacrifice you make to preserve the sovereignty of your country, is a responsibility
necessary for others to live in peace.
o Fulfilling responsibilities is the basis of social life.
o Due to effect of globalization, the world we live in is increasingly becoming smaller.
o Any war involving nuclear weapons could bring an end to the human race.
o Human beings have to be united to the common cause for peace and prosperity.
o Ethiopia has contributed peacekeeping forces to countries in Africa and Asia, as part of
its commitment to collective security.
o Today, there are more countries having nuclear weapons than was the case forty years
ago.
o There are issues that have international magnitude affecting humanity in general.
o Countries form closer relationships when they have common objectives to achieve.
o Countries also co-operate to protect and preserve natural and historical heritages for the
benefit of humanity.
o Egypt and Sudan could jointly work on afforestation and water management programs in
Ethiopia to effectively utilize the Nile waters.
o HIV/AIDS conspires with infections like tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid and hepatitis to
kill its victims.
o HIV/AIDS is a global problem that requires global intervention.
o Improving the living conditions of people in poor countries is one way of combating
HIV/AIDS at the international level.
GLOSSARY
Community spirit: The sense of sharing the feelings and aspirations of a community in which
one lives.
Global citizen: A member of the international community who shares responsibilities with
others.
HIV/AIDS pandemic: The spread of HIV/AIDS across cultures, race, sex, age, occupation and
geographical regions.
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By: Muluken Alelign
UNIT SEVEN: INDUSTRIOUSNESS:
 The term Industriousness is derived from the word "industry" which means the quality of work
hard regularly with a great devotion.
Lesson One: Work as Human Necessity:
Why is work a necessary from an individual perspective? Because:-
 Work is life sustaining and an instrument of personal enrichment.

 It satisfies survival and safety needs and builds self esteem.
 Work is an instrument for national development and a key factor for economic development.
The ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, coined the phrase 'to be is to do'. What he meant is that one's
existence is derived from his actions. The fact that we do things, for example, work is an evidence of our
existence. When we are engaged in work:-
 We get income or material benefit (material enrichment).

 The other benefit we get in work is knowledge. This could be either experience or skills.
 The other most important reward we get from work is job satisfaction.
Job satisfaction keeps people enthusiastic or motivated in their work.
 Social interaction is also another reward or fruits we can gain from work.
Thus, the two major benefits we gain from work are material enrichment and job satisfaction.
 Interest in work, better pay, growth and social interaction are the four most important factors for
developing job satisfaction.
A. When people work according to their interest, the result of their performance will be high.
B. Payment being one of the criteria for developing job satisfaction, better pay brings about productivity
and efficiency.
C. When workers are given the opportunity to grow into a higher status, they would be motivated in
doing well their job. This would result in a high performance.
D. Social interaction also helps workers develop their interest in the work. It would help them to have a
favourable environment for work and efficiency and this in turn creates enthusiasm.
Generally, self development is the basis of social development. When all individuals in a particular
society do their work effectively all the people in that particular society benefit from the result of the
work. The individual gets material enrichment and job satisfaction.
In turn, this result in better performance. All citizens would get better services. In other words,
individual persons are the competent that make up the society. Thus , they have every effect on the
development of society or nation.
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Lesson Two: Factors Determining the World of Work:
1. Ethical standards: are values that are important in building a smooth working environment. When
people work together there are certain social standards to respect. Ethical standard is very important in
cheating a harmonious work environment. For example, not smoking in work place, getting to the office
on time, avoiding corruption and respecting each other.
 Some professions have their own ethical standards that must be followed strictly for the proper
functioning of their job. For example, in Ethiopia the teachers ethical conduct requires that
Ethiopian teachers among other to:-
 Be lead by an educational plan and support what they teach through teaching aids.
 Refrain from transmitting their- own views such as political, religion, etc directly or indirectly.
 Avoiding corporal punishment.
 Protect their profession from corruption and wastage and the like.
Moreover, in the field of medicine, there are professions related to ethical standards. These ethical
standards are beloved to have stated in the 4th century in the time of Hippocrates. When a medical student
graduates he/she takes an oath, promising to fulfill certain ethical standards.
In Ethiopia, the medical ethical standards include:
 Keeping patients from harm.

 Giving loyalty and support to fellow physicians.
 Refusing assistance to people who want to kill themselves.
 Not to discriminate on the basis of wealth, age, sex, religion or race.
2. Traditional sex role preference and its impacts on socialization (sexism).
Sexism is a discrimination based on sex and limits the opportunities of both women and men to choose
the life style that best suit their abilities and interests. Traditionally, people assigned different roles to men
and women and this assignment resuled in limiting women only to certain type of jobs like being
Secretary, a Nurse and so on. Now a days in a developed world, women participate in all activities and
contribute to the development of their country.
3. Wise use of leisure: Leisure is important but you should choose the right environment to spend that
free time. In order to do work effectively and sustainable, leisure is important. It is only when you get
enough rest and leisure time that you can do your work well.
 Leisure helps people to get refreshed, to feel comfortable and be ready for the next work with
refreshed sprit energy will show better performance and efficiency. Therefore, it is important to
spend leisure time in a healthy and refreshing way.
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By: Muluken Alelign
Lesson Three: Work in an International perspective:
Civilization refers to a society or community build on culture and knowledge. To further civilize a nation
or state requires updating culture and knowledge through education.
When we think about civilization, we think of the way of life of the developed nations. The reasons why
they have reached variety of consumption level are because they managed to invent and innovate new
things that make life easier and more comfortable. For example, the inventions of electricity, television,
telephone, radio and cooking stove that have improved people's lives. On the basis of knowledge and
through hard work we can further develop our civilization. Those countries which are developed have
realized that work is important and invest time to come up with new and better ways of doing things. E.g.
the invention of Telephone by Alexander Graham Bell.
The impacts of globalization for civilization and development:
Globalization affects the country both positively and negatively.
The advantages of globalization for development includes:-
 Transfer of knowledge and technology.

 Sharing of economic ideas between countries.
 Encouraging investment in the developing countries.
 Access to cheaper products and more goods to choose from.
 Increases inflow of goods and services and enables to get foreign exchange by involving
in the global trade.
 Promotes closer relationship with other countries, etc.
The disadvantages of globalization for development:-
 Increases dependency on cheaper goods and services from other countries.

 Discourages local industries or local products from international and national market
competition.
 Promotes the exploitation of developing nations by the rich nations.
 Leads to clash of civilization (cultural exploitation by Western nations).
 Increases unemployment through migration.
 Increasing corruption and other kinds of international crimes, etc.
Therefore, it is essential to balance the exposure to globalization to the extent that we exchange
technology and ideas but also protect our own producers so that we can be self sufficient, at least
in the basic needs.
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Promoting Foreign Direct Investment through Globalization:
In the effort to align the country's development policies with those of globalization, the Ethiopian
government has devised a policy to attract foreign direct investment. This policy helps the
country to strengthen its relationship with other countries and is a significant step in opening up
the economy to the rest of the world.
To that effect, the following measures have been taken to promote foreign direct investment in
Ethiopia.
 Giving foreign direct investors a tax holiday ( reducing or eliminating tax temporarily).
 Remitting part of their profit to their country.
 Leasing land and other resources.
 Providing information on the possible and profitable ventures.
SUMMARY
Job satisfaction requires material gain and an interest in the work as well as harmonious
interaction with co-workers.
Society is made up of a group of individuals and it is the cumulative efforts of these
individuals that regulate the health of society as a whole.
A choice that benefits both you and society is better than one which only benefits you and
harms society.
Ethical standards are important to build a smooth and harmonious working environment.
Some professions have specific ethical standards.
Sexism is discrimination based on sex.
Leisure is important for a person to refresh and socialize.
It is important to spend leisure time in a healthy and refreshing way.
To further civilize a nation or state requires updating culture and knowledge through
education.
The positive impacts of globalization include access to cheaper products, transfer of
knowledge and technology, the advancement of global information and communication
technologies.
The negative impacts of globalization include dependency on other countries as cheaper
imports drive out the local industries.
GLOSSARY
Career growth: The advancement made in a profession.
Civilization: The increased quality of people’s lives as a result of discoveries.
Ethical standards: Directives that need to be followed for the proper functioning of a system.
Sexism: Discrimination based on sex.
Tax holiday: A period of grace given to investors.
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UNIT EIGHT: SELF-RELIANCE
Lesson One: Self-reliance:
Self-reliance refers the ability to make decision freely and the ability to support and take care of
you. It is a remarkable level of dependency on one's own power, resources, competence, skill and
decisions to satisfy our basic needs. Self- reliant people have self confidence and make good
decisions about their lives as well as the lives of others.
The importance of moral sensitivity in decision making:
Decision making requires examining the advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of decisions
that you make. One skill involved in making good moral decisions is sensitivity to moral issues.
 Moral sensitivity: refers care and consideration of issues related to right and wrong
decisions or actions. We can make good decisions when we consider moral values such
as honesty, integrity, loyalty, etc.
Some points those are helpful to make morally good decisions.
A. Sensetivity to a range of considerations: considering what should be taken into account is

the most important step. This includes:-
 An awareness of the various parties who will be affected by the decision taken;
 Sensetivity to the range of values or principles which might be applied to the issues.
B. Discussion to build consensus: people around you may agree with your decision; or at least
they may understand your decisions; or they may show the different moral dimensions on the
issues.
The advantages of discussing moral issues with others:
 Short term gain: involving other in our moral decision making means that other people
can provide insight or experience that is different from ours.
 Long term gain: we can improve the quality of our moral decision making by listening
to the reasons provided by others and seeing their point of view. We can often learn
much from wise and experienced persons who make good moral decisions with some
consistency.
Lesson Two: Dependency:
Dependency refers to an attitudinal or behavioral manifestation of reliance on others for the

fulfillment of one's needs. It is a direct opposite of self-reliance. Dependency is also means a
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strong belief that one’s problem has entirely resulted from external forces. So, dependency is the
habit of usual need of support from others.
The impacts of dependency:
Impacts of dependency on the individual include:
 People who live depending on others suffer from psychological problems.

 They lack confidence and suffer from feelings of inferiority.
 They fail to argue in support of their own position and cannot make free decisions.
 They refrain from forwarding their ideas because they fear that other people would
ridicule them and reject their ideas.
 Dependent people who live on the support of others also develop the habit of long term
economic dependency.
The impacts of dependency at the national level:
 A country that has a large number of dependents cannot achieve rapid economic progress
because its dependent citizens consume the surplus produced by its working citizens.
 The development of such a country would be retarded since it cannot convert some of its
products into the capital that is necessary to promote its development.
Dependency in the international context:
Dependency also affects the relationship between poor and rich countries in the international
context. Many scholars and development theorists argue that poor countries remain poor because
their relationship with the rich and developed countriesis characterized by exploitation and
dependency.
 Poor countries are getting poorer and poorer and rich countries are getting richer because
of the following factors:-
1. Profit extraction and dependency of poor countries:-
 Countries that have not been able to industrialized at a fast pace (development) have not
been able to prosper. Even though, most countries are no longer oppressed, more
advanced countries control the market and extract profits from poorer countries for
themselves.
 Poor countries have lost the race and cannot benefit from trading in the international
market.
2. Debt and dependency of poor countries:-
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Debt is one of the major factors that makes poor countries poorer. Countries become more
dependent when they have more debt. This situation allows the rich countries that provides debt
to dictate (determine) their interests on the recipient country. This debt is an obstacle for the
development of the country in debt.
3. International market and dependency of poor countries:-
According to theorists, poverty and underdevelopment in developing countries are the result of
dependency of poor countries on the rich ones of the western world.
 They argue that the world market favours to the rich industrialized countries which
import raw materials cheaply from poor countries and export industrial goods at high
prices. Though the poor countries' economies have been integrated in the international
market, they cannot compete in the world market equally with the rich countries.
 Poor countries have very limited bargaining power on the decision of prices of goods
and they have only option to accept the prices that decided by rich countries.
 Poor countries play very weak roles in influencing international politics because of their
weak bargaining power.
 Poor countries are not completely free to formulate their policies independently because
the powerful states may withdraw their support when the policies made by the poor
countries do not suit their interests.
 Autarky: means total self-reliance to the degree where a country does not need or
welcome any contact, influence or relationship with other countries. E.g. Albania on the
Mediterranean Coast followed such a policy in the last half of the 21st century.
Lesson Three: Self-reliance and Morally sound decision making capacity:
Self-reliance people make good decisions because:-
 They evaluate the pros and cons of their decision.

 Before making a decision, they organize the resources they have. These resources can be
money, time, skill and energy.
 They plan, organize, implement and evaluate what has to be done.
 Self –reliant people know what decision making is the process of sufficiently reducing
uncertainty and doubts about alternatives to allow a reasonable choice to be made from.
 They are always ready to take the consequences of their fault.
In the decision making process, they try to reach into a consensus with others if their decision
affects others. Self reliant people make not only right decisions but also make morally sound
decisions. They refrain from making decisions which are against the norms and the values which
they are living in.
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By: Mulu
Morally Sound Decisions:
There are number ofways of making a decision with ethical considerations. These are:-
A. Ethical Relativism: this approach assumes that 'ethical values and beliefs are relative to the
various individuals and societies that hold them'. There is no objective right or wrong and the
issues are often matters on which people hold subjective opinions. Therefore, people take
account of the norms and views of their society when deciding what is right and wrong.
B. Utilitarianis m: this approach/theory also considers the consequences of a particular decision.

This is sometimes called the greatest happiness principle as the outcome of any decision is
expected to provide the most pleasure for the greatest number of recipients. According to
Utilitarian moral theory, consider neither the nature of the acts or practices nor the motive for
which people what they do. Rather, utilitarianism we ought to decide which action or practice is
best by considering the likely or actual consequences of each alternatives.
C. The rights approach or Kant's moral theory: this approach is a non consequential theory in
that is not the end result of an action determines the decision, but whether the action itself is
perceived to be right. For Kant both the act and the motive should be morally relevant to make
morally sound decisions.
SUMMARY
 One skill involved in making good moral decisions is sensitivity to moral issues.
 Moral sensitivity refers to care and consideration of issues related to right and wrong
decisions or actions.
 Many decisions, which have moral importance, should be based on moral values.
 Discussing moral issues with others can help to explore the different moral dimensions.
 Dependency has psychological, economic and social impacts. It negatively affects the
lives of individuals and families and retards the development of countries.
 There are relations of dependency between poor and rich countries in the global context.
 Poor countries have a weak influence on world politics and economy.
 Self-reliance and the ability to make morally good decisions are interrelated.
 Self-reliance and assertiveness are good qualities that help people make morally sound
decisions.
 Philosophers have identified different approaches to deal with moral issues. They include
ethical relativity, the utilitarian approach and the rights/Kant’s moral theory approach.
GLOSSARY
Adulterate: The addition of a cheaper substance to food to increase its quantity.
Consensus: A general or widespread agreement.
Dependency theorists: Scholars who develop the theory of economic development that assumes
that the poverty of poor countries is a result of their exploitation by wealthy countries.
Moral sensitivity: The care, understanding or consideration of moral issues related to right and
wrong.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
UNIT NINE: SAVING:
Saving refers to using money and other resources wisely. It is a habit of setting aside something
out of one's own present earning inorder to be able to use the same at some future time. So, the
purpose of saving are for emergency cases, social obligations, future consumption, investment,
educating children, for time of sickness, disability and retirement,etc.
Lesson One: Methods of Saving:
Human wants are unlimited but natural resources are limited/scarce. Therefore, to balance these
two contradiction proper utilization of resources is very important to use these scarce resources
for a longer period and for more people. In order to utilize resources wisely, we should plan
depending on what we want or need and what resources we have. There are number of things
that are relevant to consider before planning your consumption and saving.
 The first and the most one is your level of income since this amount helps to decide how
much you can actually save or consume.
 The second is that; consumption has to be made on the basis of need. We should not
consume just because we have the money or spend impulsively as we need to identify
those things that are necessities.
For countries, saving is determined by their Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Countries with a
greater GDP can consume and save more. This means the more goods and services we produce,
the more we are likely to consume and save. Therefore, the level of saving of countries is
depending on the level of national income.
 One of the ways that a country can properly utilize resources is through using resources
that are locally available (using domestic products).
Lesson Two: Regulating the National Economy on Realistic International Principles:
In the world there are/were opposing principles that are/were supported by the two blocs: the
capitalist West and the socialist East regarding to how the economy should be managed.
A. The socialist East: believed that the command economic structure was appropriate. They
believe that the economy should be planned and public enterprise rather than private enterprise
and the government should command the economic process/system. Production of goods and
distribution of services are determined or decided by the government.
B. The capitalist West: believed that the market economic structure is/was better.
The economic principles of the free market economy permit that:-
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
 Freedom of decision to economic agents like producers and consumers;

 Lower government involvement in the market; and
 Letting market forces determine the extent of transaction and prices.
Supporting these basic concepts of market economy, there are other international principles.
These are:
1. Global welfare: is a broad concept that considers the well-being of individuals all over the
world. Eliminating hunger and disease and increasing literacy rates are among the global goals to
increase welfare and enhance the ability of life of people around the world.
2. Distributive justice: it deals with fairness in the distribution of socio- economic benefits. It
means maintaining equality in the economic status of the people.
3. Comparative advantage: this principle taken from the market economy principle that
countries should produce those products which bear a minimum cost and should not produce
those products that cost more. E.g. countries that produce agriculture products at less cost should
continue to produce mainly agricultural products and use profits from exports to import
industrial products.
4. Sustainable development: is much related to global welfare. Inorder to ensure the well-being
of individuals, it is important for them to develop both economically and socially. This includes
increasing people's income through production and developing other socio-economic factors like
education, health, governance institutions,etc which ensure sustainable development. In general,
knowing the dominating global economic principles is important for any country to make its own
economic decisions.
Lesson Three: Types of Economy:
 An economic policy is studied from different perspectives which help to analyse the
different faces of the economy. The two major perspectives through which we study the
economy are the micro and macro economy.
Micro economics: study about the behaviors of consumers and producers. It deals with the
determination of prices and summarizes the inter relationship between these economic agents.
Consumers make their purchasing decisions, taking into consideration their utility and their
purchasing capacity. Producers on the other hand, want to minimize their profits and choose a
level of protection that achieves this income. Micro economics also includes the analysis of the
welfare of a particular group of people.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
 Without knowing how individual agents make their decisions, it would be impossible to
devise policies that would affect the entire population or country.
Macro- economics: study about the overall economy of the country and study a comprehensive
and cumulative picture of what goes on in the economy.
 Macro-economics is said to be a bird's eye view of the economy. Because it is the

analysis of the national economy looking at the overall prices, growth, production and
consumption, investment and saving, unemployment, exports and imports and the like.
The growth performance of a country is analysised through macro economics studies.
This is because growth could only be analysed through the summary of the total domestic
production measured by GDP. The percentage of the GDP is what we call growth.
The other very important issue in economics is the study of prices. The most common
measurement of the price level is the Consumer Price Index (CPI). It is the weighted index of
prices of goods and services consumed in the economy. The percentage increase of this index is
called Inflation. The analysis of the inflation determines what kind of policy will be needed to
stabilize it.
Lesson Four: Money and Capital:
Money and Capital are very much inter-related concepts.
 Money: is the coin and paper currency used as circulating and medium of exchange in
the economy and other transactions.
 Capital: is the accumulated goods, possessions and assets, used for the production of
profits and wealth. Capital includes the tools of production, the money invested or
available for investment, and other real and money value of total and materials for further
production.
The roles of local, national and international monetary organizations in development:
Increasing the sources of funding is an important goal in the development efforts of different
countries. So, the local, national and international organisations are expected to pay significant
roles in providing funds.
A. Local monetary organizations : such as credit unions, are primarily concerned with the
mobilization of capital in the local area and cater to the needs of the local communities and
business. They give out loans to the local consumers and business and are usually opened for
profit.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
B. National monetary institutions: are larger and give a much bigger financial service by
providing substantial amounts of loans to the public. These instructions include the national
Bank, the commercial bank and other private banks which guide the supply of money depending
on the growth and production demands of the economy.
C. International monetary organizations : are little bit different from the local and national
monetary organizations because of their policies in providing funding. International monetary
organizations devise their policies based on the shared principles of member countries. These
policies are dominated by the beliefs of some rich countries who are the major financiers of these
institutions. The two major international monetary institutions are IMF and WB.
1. The International Monetary Fund (IMF): came into existence in March 1946. IMF is an
international organisation affiliated with the United Nations so as to secure international money
cooperation and stabilize exchange rates. The aims of IMF are:-
 Promote international monetary cooperation.

 Promote exchange rate stability.
 Facilitate balanced growth of international trade.
 Help members when they face balance of payments difficulties.
 Assist in poverty reduction.
 Facilitating growth in employment opportunities, etc.
Therefore, the IMF upholds the international principles which promote the freeing of markets
and the reduction of government involvement.
2. The World Bank (WB): was also established in 1946. It is the organisation affiliated with the
United Nations and is designed to finance productive projects that further the economic
development of member nations. The bank lends only for the cost of imported material
equipment and services obtained from abroad and disbursements and usually made directly to the
suppliers.
The level of involvement of international monetary organizations in world politics :
The world's socio-economic, political and cultural issues are highly influenced by globalization.
The policies and procedures through which international monetary institutions work are
dominated by the funding members of countries. These are usually the developed countries. This
is because of high economic development achieved through high rate of saving and capital
accumulation. On the other hand, developing countries mainly African countries are the most
economically poor countries in the World.
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By: Gedefaw Wondie
 Due to these reasons, the economy of African countries is highly dependent on aids and
loans expected from developed nations. This high foreign economic dependency makes
them play insignificant role in world politics and become victims of globalization.
Therefore, strong economic power has a great role in world politics. E.g. USA.
SUMMARY
 It is important to develop the habit of saving part of your income as well as natural
resources.
 GDP represents the total value of production of goods and services.
 When people use the goods and services produced in their locality they will save
resources.
 We should buy more locally produced products to strengthen our economy.
 Ethiopia should follow international principles of comparative advantage, global welfare,
distributive justice and sustainable development.
 Microeconomics study the individual agents in the economy, like the household and
producers.
 Macroeconomics look at the economy as whole and study issues like, growth, inflation,
unemployment and trade.
 Local national and international monetary organizations are instrumental in providing
funds for development activities.
 Through international monetary organizations, the rich countries sway the ideologies and
decisions of the developing world.
GLOSSARY
Comparative advantage: A concept related to countries producing and trading in commodities
conducive to their national conditions.
Desertification: The transformation of a land into a desert because of climatic change.
Distributive justice: A branch of justice that deals with fairness in the distribution of resources.
Global welfare: The state of the quality of people’s lives across the world.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): The total value of goods and services produced in a country
during a period.
Macroeconomics: A branch of economics that deals with the workings of the overall economy.
Microeconomics: The branch of economics that studies the behaviour of individual economic
agents in an economy.
Ozone: The gas layer that protects earth from ultra-violet radiation.
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UNIT TEN: ACTIVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION:
Lesson One: Effective Leadership for Active Participation:
The success of an organization depends on its leader his/her attributes, approaches, and problem
solving techniques. Leadership simply means giving direction and the quality of a good leader
comprises the the personality and style of treatment which influences the behavior of others.
 Leadership is the process of influencing others to work towards the achievement of the
intended objectives. There are three important features of leadership:- Influencing,
voluntary effort and goal achievement.
A good leader creates vision and inspires others to achieve goals through stretching their
capacities. A leader influences members of the community so that they perform together
willingly for the achievement of their goals. In a democracy, effective leadership is very
important to enhance good governance, transparency, openness and accountability which are
cornerstones for active Community Participation. A democratic environment requires a good
leader who inspires and develops followers to achieve the stated objectives. He/she assumes the
responsibility of looking after the wellbeing of the community.
Some personal qualities that are required from a leader to promote public participation include
being:-
1. A planner: some body who has the ability to set appropriate course of action through well-
prepared plans. Every thing has to be planned in advance.
2. Versatile: a leader has to be adaptable, flexible, resourceful, multi-talented and an all-round

personality. A leader can work in situations totally different from routine functions.
A leader has to be intelligence, ambition, assertiveness, politeness and psychologically

stimulated.
3. A motivator: s leader has to be examplary in doing something. It is a quality of a leader to

inspire others to be willing, feel enthusiastic about, interested and committed to the objective of
the task. It is the ability to give somebody a reason or incentive to do something. The leaders
own performance guides and motivates the members; for example, being promote themselves
when asking members to come on time.
4. Engaging: a leader must have the quality to influence others morally and socially by good
communication. A good leader has personal qualities of being charismatic, attractive, appealing
and influential.
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5. Realistic: a leader will realize what is achievavailable or possible, based on known facts. This
is evidenced by setting realistic goals and being practical. Generally, active Community
Participation requires effective leaders who have personal integrity, self confidence, analytical
ability, knowledge, creativity, charisma, flexibility and direction.
Lesson Two: Civic- participation:
Civic-participations are forms of participation aimed at cooperation and promotion of welfare

and common goods. Civil implies things which are out side politics, military and religion. Thus,
civic participation implies the involvement in social and welfare activities aimed at resolving
certain social problems such as helping the poor with no livelihood, supporting kids without
parents, building up roads, bridges, etc. Participation in social affairs requires commitment about
public ends. Civic participation also requires virtues such as public spritedness, Civility, obeying
the law, civic mindedness, tolerance of diversity, etc.
The role of associations and groups in civic participation:
Associations or civil societies are organizations formed by the collection of voluntary individual
members or established by civil minded people for the promotion of public good and welfare of
the people. Civil societies are organizations established for non political purposes, mainly for the
purpose of alleviating societal problems, poverty and as a pressure groups influencing policy
makers.
 Civil societies are not static rather they are dynamic and ever changing to meet the needs
of society, their members, cooperate objectives and environmental changes.
Organizations need to formulate their objectives and structures. Such as:-
 Suitable plans or courses of action are prepared;

 Appropriate structures and arrangements are decided upon;
 The actions for individuals and groups of people are identified to achieve those
objectives. Therefore, active participation of the members in their civic organization
enables the attainment of individual and collective goals.
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The Characteristics of Member of Associations:
 They usually define themselves as members.

 They share common goals.
 They engage in different activities.
Citizens' participation in policy making and evaluating public policies has many advantages. It
is very important for a democratic government to know how the citizens feel and react to various
issues. This enables the government to shape policy that suits society so that its policies will be
more sustainable and productive. Consequently, as members of society, citizens will benefit from
the good policies that enhance development of their society. If citizens participate actively in the
process of policy making and evaluation, consensus could be reached on developing a sense of
ownership and responsibility.
The roles of media in policy making process:
Media can be used to check the accountability of government officials and also one of the major
means used in shaping the perceptions and impressions of people. I.e. it is often observed that in
times of conflict, media play a major role in either escalating or de-escalating the war. In a
democratic system, where public responsibility and public participation is high, media are
expected to be instruments by which citizens make their participation active.
 In the process policy making, media can be used as a means of communication between
the people and the government. I.e. media take messages from the government to the
people and from People to the government as channels of communication. Hence,
citizens should be enabled to use the media freely. Freedom of press does not mean that
any body can write what he/she pleases. Writing speech should be based on the truth and
unbiased. Generally, freedom of the press implies that the press should get access to
government information in order to communicate its activities to the people.
SUMMARY
 The success of an organization depends on the leader’s attributes, approaches, and
problem-solving techniques.
 A good leader creates vision and inspires others to achieve the goals through stretching
their capabilities.
 In a democracy, effective leadership is very important to enhance good governance,
transparency, openness and accountability.
 Active community participation requires effective leaders who have personal integrity,
self-confidence, analytical ability, knowledge, creativity, charisma, flexibility and
principles.
 Civic participation in policy making is very important.
 Groups are stronger than individuals when it comes to airing their concerns.
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 Organizations and associations promote civic participation.

 Media are important tools to help forward the opinions of the public and serve as
watchdogs on the activities of the government.
GLOSSARY
Charismatic: A quality to attract followers.
Press freedom: The right to express oneself through speech and the written word.
Quality leadership: The ability to take people towards the organization’s goals.
Versatile: Having an all-round personality and being multifaceted.
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UNIT ELEVEN: THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM:
Lesson One: Knowledge:
Knowledge is a state of being informed of something, being conscious and being able to
something consciously. It is a totality of ideas, concepts, thoughts, and skill acquired from
different sources. Knowledge is the condition of possessing within mental grasp one or more
truths, facts, principles or other objects of perception through institution, study, research and
experience.
 The two main theories about the basis of knowledge are: Rationalism and Empiricism.
A. RATIONALISM:
 Reason is the source of knowledge and test of truth. Ultimately, universal truths are
rational.
 Ideas are obtained through the process of abstract reasoning.
 Knowledge (truth) would not be verified by sense experience but by logical consistency.
 Before sense experience mind has innate ideas, knowledge, or capacities for knowledge.
 Knowledge is a priori (before sense experience) so knowledge is intuitive.
 Knowledge is analytic (tautological statements, which are true by definition.
 Knowledge (truth) is maintained deductively.
 Representatives of this theory include Plato, Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Chomsky, etc.
B. EMPIRICISM:
 Sense experience is the source of knowledge and test of truth. All what we know is
ultimately dependent on sense data.
 Ideas are abstractions formed from what is experienced.
 Any genuine knowledge (claim of truth) is testable by experience.
 Mind before sense experience is tabula rasa (blank sheet) or empty white paper.
 Knowledge is a posteriori (after sense experience) so knowledge is verifiable (testable).
 Knowledge is synthetic(descriptive statements that assert something about real world).
 Knowledge (truth) is established inductively.
 Representatives of this theory include Aristotle, Berkeley, Locke, Hume, Aquinas, etc.
The utilities of knowledge:-
 Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the hands of man.

 It influences the way man lives and interacts with nature.
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 Knowledge is also important to create new things (used for innovation). E.g. Mobile
Phone technology has reduced barriers of communication. This facilitated effectiveness
and productivity on a global scale.
 Knowledge has the power to effectively alter your social status.
Individuals need to respect people with knowledge and follow in their foot steeps to help change
and transform our country. E.g. Professor Aklilu Lemma was one of the renowned scientists of
Ethiopia. He discovered the medicine to cure Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis). Through observation
and scientific investigation he identified the traditional & natural detergent called Endod to kill
the Snails that cause Bilharzia. Moreover, Metier Artist Afework Tekle was Ethiopia's most well
known Artist whose work is recognized across the world. He works in a variety of media: paint,
pen, stained glass, etc and his approaches to his subject include Symbolism and Abstract.
Generally, knowledge serves/enables us to make wise decision free from biases, helps to solve
existing problems, makes us self confident, productive, happy and helpful to others, helps us to
use properly what we have in our hands, etc.
Lesson Two: Information as a source of knowledge:
The purpose of information helps us to develop our knowledge. One of the ways to gather
information is through research. In carrying out research you identify different sources of
information. These can be books, Journals, or other written materials. Data (information) can be
collected through different instruments. These can be questionnaires, observation, interviews,
Internet and so on. After gathering your information, you need to interpret it. Research can be
studied either by quantitative method or by qualitative methods.
1. Quantitative data: consists of numbers. The gathering data is analyzed and interpreted by
numbers and the data can be measured.
 Scientific methods of collecting and analyzing data involve through testing before a
theory or hypothesis is accepted as a fact.
2. Qualitative data: consists of words and observations. In qualitative research, the data is
analyzed or interpreted through words not in numbers. It deals with description. Generally,
 Information: are facts or figures obtained from reliable, accurate, constructive and
feasible (cost-effective) and up to date (recent) sources.
 Knowledge: is a state of informed about something and understanding information.
 Wisdom: is using knowledge effectively for a purpose. It is the productive and
constructive outcome of the wise whose deeds are with great care and responsibility.
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Lesson Three: Developing Reading Habits:-
The habit of reading is linked to the pursuit of wisdom. Developing a reading habit expands the
frontiers of knowledge. A widely read is also an informed public which can make informed
judgments. You have to read with a purpose. Without a purpose, reading is meaningless. When
you read for knowledge, you should try to summarize and review to make the purpose of reading
more fruitful. Therefore, we can generalize the purpose of reading into two categories. These are
for information and for enjoyment/pleasure.
Truth:
There are different philosophical approaches with regard to the meaning of truth. These include:-
1. Relative theory of truth: it means there is no absolute truth or fixed truth. What is believed to
be true for a given society may not be true for another. Equally what is true for a society today, it
may not remain true tomorrow or thereafter.
2. Pragmatic theory of truth: where truth is measured by its usefulness or utility. What is true
is that which is useful for a person, group or even a country.
E.g. the Amharic proverb that 'Washito kematalat Washito mastarek'.
3. Correspondence theory of truth: proposed a theory based on intuitive (innate, instinctive)

recognition that true statements correspond to the facts that is agree with reality.
E.g. The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. E.g.2. The colour of Milk is white.
4. Scientific theory of truth: this theory of truth is different from the above theories of truth,
because scientific facts are not relative or measured by its utility to individuals or groups.
They depend purely on objective facts, which remain the same for everyone, all the time.
SUMMARY
 Knowledge influences the way man lives and interacts with nature.
 Through knowledge, society continues to change.
 Knowledge enables us to make breakthroughs in all aspects of life including science and
medicine.
 Knowledge is a general understanding of nature and ideas.
 The evaluation of information and knowledge requires observation and experimentation.
 Wisdom means one’s ability to use knowledge effectively for a given purpose.
 The types of methods used to collect data depend on the nature of the research one
intends to carry out.
 The data collected and analyzed for a specific purpose help to make generalizations and
recommendations.
 The habit of reading is linked to the pursuit of wisdom.
 Developing reading habits expands the frontiers of knowledge.
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 When you read you should summarize and review to make the purpose of reading
fruitful.
 The relativity of truth is a theory stating that truth is dependent on time and space.
 The pragmatic theory of truth measures truth in terms of its utility.
 Scientific truths depend purely on objective facts which remain the same for everyone.
 Correspondence theory of truth proposed a theory based on intuitive (innate, instinctive)
recognition that true statements correspond to the facts that is agree with reality.
GLOSSARY
Hypothesis: A theory or idea that is the basis of research.
Qualitative data: Information based on personal reflections of a sample group.
Quantitative data: Information based on facts and figures.
Social utility: Something that is good for society.
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UNIT 12: MORAL EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE:
Lesson 1: Ethics, Morality and Religion:-
1.1. Religion and Ethical Values
The connection and familiarity between religion and ethical values has been around for a long
period of time. This is due to the fact that both concepts have a virtual resemblance. In other
words, religious beliefs are closely related to our values and to the ethical principles we uphold.
In real life, ethical values are mostly allied with religion.
Religion and ethical values are both concerns of human morality, conduct and behavior. Both
presuppose that human freedom, choice and responsibility are subject to action. Both religion
and ethical values serve a common purpose in a society. An ethical society believes that all
persons, regardless of their personal beliefs, heritage, circumstances, or religious affiliation, are
fully and equally entitled to ethical treatment. The contrasting points between ethical and
religious values are that ethical values involve doing things that are right by society's standards
and are in accordance with reason and the law. Ethical values also determine what people value
and how they express this in their lives.
Ethical values serve as standards of right and wrong for people, guiding their decisions and
actions. Religious values, on the other hand, are ethical principles based on religious texts and
traditions. Ethical values are materialist social disciplines, while religion is an idealist system of
faith (spiritual) according to a supreme being.
1.2 Ethics, Morality and Religion: What is the connection between ethics, morality and
religion? Ethics, morality and religion are part of every human life and society. Ethics and
morality do not belong solely to people with religious orientations. The power of ethical
principle is part of every human life. But morality arises from a variety of diverse sources, from
religious to secular. The link between ethics, morality and religion seems obvious. Ethics,
morality and religion are intertwined. Religion shapes our views of what is ethical or unethical.
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Through the values they embody, religions often build the basis for what is considered right and
wrong.
 Ethics, morality and religion direct decision-making and regulate how people should
behave in a given culture. Everyone has a slightly different personal ethical code,
derived from spiritual and historical sources and from individual experience. People rely
on ethical values and religion to guide them through both routine and unusual situations.
 Ethics, morality and religion help keep people away from acting in ways that harm
others.
 They encourage people to make beneficial, respectful and fair decisions.
 They also encourage equality and common good.
Basically, ethics and morality are not reserved only for the spiritually dedicated, although such
people may possess unique insights. Religion plays a large role in guiding moral behavior of
people. Ethics and morality sometimes need religion to be enforced. Religion also needs ethics
and morality to become relevant.
Lesson 2: Religious Pluralism, Humanity and Democracy:-
2.1. Religious Life and Secular Life
What does secularism mean?

 Secularism is the principle of separation of government institutions, and the persons
mandated to represent the State, from religious institutions and religious dignitaries.
Secularism is a principle that involves two basic propositions. The first is the strict separation of
the state from religious institutions. The second is that people of different religions and beliefs
are equal before the law. The following are features of secularism:
Separation of religion from state: The separation of religion and state is the foundation of
secularism. It ensures that religions do not interfere in affairs of state, and makes sure that the
state does not interfere in religious affairs.
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Secularism protects both believers and non-believers: Secularism seeks to ensure and protect
freedom of religious belief and practice for all citizens. Secularism is not about curtailing
religious freedoms; it is about ensuring that the freedoms of thought and conscience apply
equally to all believers and non-believers alike.
Religious Freedom: Secularism seeks to defend the absolute freedom of religious and other
belief, and protect the right to manifest religious belief insofar as it does not impose
disproportionately on the rights and freedoms of others. Secularism ensures that the right of
individuals to freedom of religion is always balanced by the right to be free from religion.
Secularism is about democracy and fairness: In a secular democracy all citizens are equal
before the law. No religious or political affiliation gives advantages or disadvantages and
religious believers are citizens with the same rights and obligations as anyone else. Secularism
also upholds equality of laws that protect women and minorities. This equality of laws ensures
that non-believers have the same rights as those who identify with a religious belief.
Equal access to public services: We all share hospitals, schools, the police and the services of
local authorities. It is essential that these public services are secular at the point of use so that no-
one is disadvantaged or denied of access on grounds of religious belief.
2.2 Freedom of Faith and Religion

The right to freedom of faith and religion has come to attention with the increase in religious
violence and intolerance.
Freedom of faith and religion applies to both individuals and organizations.
 For individuals (internally), freedom of religion refers to the freedom to have religious
faith of one’s own choice. Externally, it refers to the freedom to conduct deeds, rituals, or
preaching activities based on chosen religious faith.
 For an organization, freedom of faith and religion refers to the freedom to carry out its
religious activities in a broad sense.
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 Freedom of faith and religion is weakened when one religion is given rights or privileges
and these rights and privileges are denied to others.
2.3 Religious Pluralism, Tolerance and Respecting the Right of other Religious Groups
What do we mean by appreciating diversity?
 Appreciating diversity means trying to find the best in all people, just as we want them to
find the best in us. Respect for moral and religious conscience has been one of the
distinguishing virtues of democratic societies.
Tolerance that does not respect moral and religious conscience is not tolerance at all and there
can be no authentic diversity unless we honor the integrity of personal conscience.
 Religious pluralism is concerned; all religions need to seek a peaceful co-existence and
mutual tolerance between the people of different religions and cultures. The existence of
religious pluralism thus depends on the existence of freedom of religion and tolerance
between and among the varying religious groups.
Lesson 3: Religious Tolerance, Peace and Development:
3.1 Religious Tolerance and Mutual Respect in a Multi-religious Society:-
Today, tolerance is nourished as a universal value. In its comprehensive sense, tolerance means
respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of cultures, forms of expression and
ways of being human in the world. Exploring our own religious traditions and convictions, each
of us finds that tolerance is also a spiritual responsibility rooted in the divine origin of all life, the
dignity of every human person, love for the neighbour and the commandment to do well towards
others as we would like them to be done on us.
Tolerance is a core value of pluralistic societies that enables to establish a humane interaction
between and an integration of a great variety of cultures and opinions.
Tolerance and respect are two vital values that should be borne in mind in a multi-religious
society. It has been said that respect brings about respect. If we respect other religious groups to
give us that measure of respect in regard to our religious observances, we in turn, should not
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hesitate to show respect to others when they observe their own religious practices. Such an
attitude will definitely contribute to a smooth and cordial relationship in a multi-religious society
such as in Ethiopia.
Tolerance is also the key to peaceful co-existence. Peaceful people are tolerant people. They
recognize deep in their hearts the uniqueness and diversity each person possesses, and that these
differences can be complementary rather than conflict-ridden.
Lesson 4: Ethiopia’s Experience of Religious Pluralism
4.1. Ethiopia’s Religious Heritages for its Peaceful Coexistence

Heritage is a property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance, valued things such as historic
buildings that have been passed down from previous generations, and relating to things of
historic or cultural value that are worthy of preservation. The emphasis on inheritance and
conservation is important here, as is the focus on ‘property’, ‘things’ or ‘buildings’. So heritage
is something that can be passed from one generation to the next, something that can be conserved
or inherited, and something that has historic or cultural value.
Religion has marked the world history and especially that of Ethiopia. It has been a part of life among the
Ethiopian people since ancient times; it has taken root and flourished as the time passed by. As a result,
rich diverse religious heritages came into existence in different parts of Ethiopia, which is home to
numerous nations, nationalities and people. Among the outstanding religious heritages which are valuable
and hold special place in the history of Ethiopia are AL Negashi Mosque and Rock Hewan Churches of
Lalibela. Al Nejashi Mosque which is Africa’s first mosque located in the Tigray regional state. The
mosque was built in the 7th century AD and is one of the sacred places of Islamic worship. Negash has
been a place of great historical and religious significance in a sense that it is a symbol of peaceful
coexistence between the Muslim and Christian religions in the country. The other Ethiopia's most
astonishing religious heritage is Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela. This World-Heritage listed church was
built in the 12th and 13th centuries by King Lalibela. Religious ritual is central to the life of Lalibela, with
regular processions, extensive fasts, crowds of singing and dancing priests. All religious heritages
affirm our identity as a people because it creates religious significance and historical value. All
religions and their heritages reflect and shape values, beliefs, and aspirations, thereby defining
our national identity. It is important to preserve and protect all religious heritages, because they
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keep our integrity as a people. Preserving and protecting our religious heritages is significant as
they are the manifestation of the freedom of belief and of expression.
Lesson 5: Opportunities and Challenges to Peaceful Religious coexistence in Ethiopia and the World
5.1 Investment: Economists define investment as the production of goods that will be used to
produce other goods. Investment is one of the most important variables in economics. It plays an
important role in achieving development in general and high economic growth rates in particular.
Investment in all sectors of the economy can enhance income and employment opportunities.
Development in all aspects and sectors is essential in order to reduce poverty and to improve
people's living standards in Ethiopia. However, any country, including Ethiopia, needs to have
appropriate macroeconomic policies; have abundant high-quality labor forces; have established
legal systems for expanding investment; and the development of roads, airports, and
communications facilities along with systems for managing these infrastructures.
The link between economic development and peaceful coexistence of different religions .
Peace and security is an essential ingredient in maintaining economic development, social order
and political stability. Absence of peace and security are the biggest hindrance for expanding
investments. Peace and security are necessary conditions to attract and expand investments.
Furthermore, peaceful coexistence of different religious groups and nations, nationalities, and
peoples of Ethiopia needs to be maintained to attract and expand investments. In general, a good
investment climate is of paramount importance for actively to enjoy the benefits from expansion
of investment in the country
5.2 Opportunities: Expansion of Investment and Development regardless of Religious Belief
Ethiopia has been creating conducive investment climate to attract and expand investments.
There has been progress in the development of infrastructure and established legal systems to
induce investment in the country. Some investments by their nature are labor intensive. These
labor forces are found in the community who are believers of different religions and non-
believers as well. Expansion of investment and development would thus benefit these people by
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creating employment opportunities and increases in incomes, especially of skilled and semi-
skilled workers in the country. In order to improve material life one has to work in different
sectors of the economy. She/he has to get recruited in public or private institutions and earn some
money to survive or for that matter run her/his own business.
3.3. Challenges: Expansion of Religious Fundamentalism
What are the major challenges to the economic development and the existence of peaceful
religious tolerance?
Religious fundamentalism is one of the bottlenecks in building democracy and enhancing

development in any country, including Ethiopia. Religious fundamentalism is an ideology of
political commitment to a religious community. It uses one religious community against other
communities and perceives other religious communities as its enemies. It is opposed to
secularism and even humanism. Religious fundamentalism reinforces people in exploiting both
religion and politics. But, adherence to a religion or attachment to a religious community is not
fundamentalism.
Who are fundamentalists?
Fundamentalists are a particular group of people gathered together in the name of religion,
ethnicity, social group, etc. and they share the same economic and political interests which they
seek to pursue and defend together. Such a group may fight for autonomy or independence or
seek domination over other groups. They are a group with a strong identity looks on other
groups, not only as different, but also as harmful to their interests.
Focus: We should empower people with the power of knowledge.
The End!!!
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Unit One: Building A Democratic System

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Unit One: Building A Democratic System

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Civic and Ethical Education notes for Grade 12

Unit one: building a democratic system

According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy is:

Lesson One: The necessity of democratic system:

Ways of citizens’ participation in democracy:

Ways of running a democratic system:

 The prime minister (chief executive) is elected indirectly by HPR.

 The people elect the president directly.

Lesson Two: Authority and Power:

Legitimate power and authority of government:

 The government functions within the limits given to it by the people.

Illegitimate power and authority of government:

Lesson Three: Constitutional rights versus constitutional obligations:

 Constitutional rights includes:-

Generally, a democratic system is not possible without a democratic constitution which is an

Lesson Four: State power distribution in Ethiopia

The difference between unitary and federal system of government:-

Criteria (basis) for federations organized:

A. Territorial/geographical features: federal system of government such as rivers, mountain

B. Ethno-cultural background: a country with culturally heterogeneous population can have

Devolution of power: means transfer or delegation of power from central government to a

1. Exclusive power (enumerated or defined power) article 51 of the FDRE constitution.

 I.e. Legislative organ enacts/makes the law.

Lesson Five: Ethiopia and Foreign Relations:

Functions of diplomats/diplomatic machinery:

4. Negotiation: with the government of receiving state.

6. Promoting and cultivating friendly relations: diplomats nurture a gesture of good

7. Consular services: they support and protect home citizens abroad.

 Development and the building of a democratic system.

Principles of the Ethiopian foreign relations:

F. To seek and support peaceful solution to international disputes.

The Relationship between Natural resources and foreign policies/international relations:

 Shared data and information.

Constitutional democracy: A governance which is based on democratic rights and obligations.

Direct democracy: An exercise of democracy where people vote to elect representatives

UNIT TWO: RULE OF LAW:

Lesson One: Constitution and other laws:

The ammendment procedure of the FDRE constitution:

The difference between constitution and other laws:

 The constitution is made or drawing up by a special body called constituent assembly.

Constitution_______ Ordinary laws ______ Rules and regulations.

Lesson Two: Rule of law and management of conflict:-

Instruments of regulating conflict:

 National constitution and laws.

Goals of procedural justice:

1. Gather all necessary information for making wise decisions.

2. Use information in a fair and just way.

3. Protect the right to privacy, human dignity and freedoms.

4. Promote efficiency in conflict resolution.

 Efficiency: refers the ability to do something or produce something without wasting

Alternative means of conflict management:

C. Arbitration: is a means of applying legal principles to a controversy within limits upon by

The causes/reasons of conflict are:-

The difference between laws and rules:

Criteria for evaluating rules and laws:

Rules and laws must be:-

Judicial protection of the rights of individuals:-

Lesson Three: Rule of law and government:

 Ethiopia is a large country geographically.

Lesson Four: Rule of law and the fighting against corruption:-

The main causes of corruption:

 Absence of rule of law.

Approaches of fighting against corruption:

Constitution_ Ordinary laws Rules and regulations.