Merera Gudina Jefi

Affiliation

Addis Ababa University

Date of Conference

8-15-2014

Files

Biography

Dr. Merera Gudina Jefi is associate professor of political science and international relations at Addis Ababa University, where he previously served as chair of the department of political science and as a member of the academic commission of the College of Social Sciences. He is a former member of the Ethiopian Parliament (2005–2010) and is currently leading two opposition groups, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) and the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (MEDREK). He is the author of two books on political developments in Ethiopia—Ethiopia: From Autocracy to ‘Revolutionary Democracy’: 1960s–2011 (2011) and Ethiopia: Competing Ethnic Nationalisms and the Quest for Democracy: 1960–2000 (2003)—as well as several articles in academic journals, including the African Journal of Political Science, the Journal of East African Studies, and the Horn of Africa Journal. Further, Dr. Jefi has been interviewed on CNN, BBC, and Al-Jazeera for his perspectives on political trends in Ethiopia. During his fellowship, Dr. Jefi is exploring opposition politics, political polarization, and the role of the Ethiopian diaspora in facilitating democratization toward Good Governance in Ethiopia. He is currently Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellow from Mar 2014 - Aug 2014 in Washington DC.