Suchergebnisse

Abstract
The nineteenth century in Ethiopia saw the shaping of a modern state and a modern nation. Addis Ababa, the country's capital, served as the crucible for and signifier of this formative process, a critical space in and through which a modern state/nation was imagined, constituted, reinforced, and reflected. Ethiopia's emerging urbanism, centered in the capital, was thus inextricably linked with its most important political "project" of the century—modernization and nation building. This quintessential city was the site of Ethiopia's modernist "project" that included innovations in the spheres of politics, economy, education, and culture, which were in turn adopted, and in some cases adapted, in the rest of the country.
Nevertheless, the reinventing of Ethiopia as a modern state in the spaces of its capital, Addis Ababa, was a process that was pioneering but also exclusionary and contradictory. The fundamental fault lines of the project included the failure to reinvent the capital (or cities in general), and by extension the nation, as democratic, pluralistic, and inclusive spaces. The capital and the towns that eventually evolved after a century or so of urbanization were urban centers in tension, shaped more by the practices of ordinary residents than by the designs of architects and politicians.

This multidisciplinary volume analyses key themes and topics related to the cultural encounters between Italy and its former colonies in the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia). The multi-faceted relations between the Horn of Africa and Italy were initiated during the colonial period but have also been shaped more recently through migration. In eleven chapters by experts in comparative literature, cultural studies, history, migration studies, political philosophy and postcolonial theory, the volume highlights how the legacy of colonialism permeates Italian society as well as influencing the construction of national identities in the Horn of Africa. The analysis of this transnational encounter opens up new possibilities for comparative research and critical synergies in Italian studies, African studies and beyond

"A comprehensive historical, geographic, and thematic analysis of the multidimensional and dynamic migration experience of Ethiopians within and beyond Africa. Ethiopia is one of the largest African sources of transnational migrants, with an estimated two to three million Ethiopians living outside of the home country. This edited collection provides a critical examination of the temporal, spatial, and thematic dimensions of Ethiopian migration, mapping out its scale, scope, and destinations. The thirteen essays here (plus an introduction and conclusion by the volume's editors) offer a discussion of the state of knowledge and current debates on the diaspora and suggest alternative frameworks for interrogating and understanding the Ethiopian migration and diasporic experiences. Key time periods and literatures are identified to study Ethiopian transnational migration, moving from a survey of patterns in pre-twentieth century Ethiopia and on to changing trajectories in the imperial period and under succeeding postrevolutionary regimes. Geographically, the contour of the Ethiopian diaspora is outlined, identifying key destinations and patterns of return. In particular, the volume seeks to correct the traditional tendency to conflate the Ethiopian diaspora with North America and Europe by including areas that have long been marginalized, such as inter-Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The objective is not to construct a simple cartography of migration but a critical analysis of national and global issues, policies, trends, and processes that shape the roots and routes of the migration dynamic. Thematically, this book aims to challenge the existing boundaries of Ethiopian migration and diaspora studies and raise important concerns about representation, ghettoization, and perpetuation of inequalities. Edited by Shimelis Bonsa Gulema, Hewan Girma, and Mulugeta F. Dinbabo. Contributors: Alpha Abebe; Amsale Alemu; Tekalign Ayalew; Kassaye Berhanu-MacDonald; Elizabeth Chacko; Marina de Regt; Mulugeta F. Dinbabo; Peter H. Gebre; Hewan Girma; Mary Goitom; Shimelis Bonsa Gulema; Tesfaye Semela; Nassise Solomon; and Fitsum R. Tedla."