JISRA Ethiopia Planning and Consultation Workshop @ ADAMA

Ethiopia Interfaith Forum for Development Dialogue and Action (EIFDDA) and Faith to Action Network has signed JISRA project agreement
Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) is presented as an interfaith consortium. In Ethiopia, the JISRA project is implemented by local CSOs together with two international consortium partners –Tearfund and Faith to Action Network. The JISRA partnership in Ethiopia includes mainstream religions: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Islamic organizations, Catholic, Protestant, Interreligious, and Faith-based local partners. These partners represent a variety of faith institutions, including knowledge institutions and to a limited extent also the Dutch Embassy as a stakeholder.

The ultimate goal JISRA is create peaceful and just society where all enjoy freedom of religion and belief. JISRA will be implemented in seven countries including Ethiopia, for building Resilient and inclusive communities in which religious actors are sustainable advocates of FoRB and interfaith peace.

The programme will also work very closely with the government in order to ensure that the relationships between the federal and regional states are supporting FoRB. The main partner within the government structures will be the Ministry of Peace. Within the in-country consortium, the network of NGOs which will implement the JISRA programme in Ethiopia. The JISRA programme will work in four geographical areas, covering eight administrative states; Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, Sidama, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Harari, and Somali. The geographic focus will also support the building of coalitions of change, supported by localized contextual analysis and research.

The four programme focus areas are the following:
1. Zone 1: Eastern Oromia such as east Hararghe, west Hararghe, and surrounding woredas from Harari and Somali regions and Dire Dawa city administration.
2. Zone 2: Locations within Oromia’s west Arsi zones such as Shashemene, Ziway, Arsi Negele, Dera and adjacent locations within SNNPR such as Sidama, Silte and Alaba zones.
3. Zone 3: Locations within the Amhara region covering places south of Lake Tana, west Gojam zone, Mota and its surrounding areas.
4. Zone 4: This covers the capital city, Addis Ababa City Government and its surrounding Finfine zuria Oromia special zone.