Report
Period: 3 Feburaly - 21 Feburaly 2004. Country: Ethiopia
  Purpose of the Visit
  To Organize an International Workshop, to Maintain the Field Station, and to Conduct On-Site Education in Ethiopia
  SHIGETA Masayoshi (ASAFAS: Division of African Area Studies)
  Record of Activities
  2/3 (Fri) - 2/4 (Sat)
    		• Kyoto – Addis Ababa.
      2/4 (Sat) - 2/5 (Sun)
    		• International workshop in Ethiopia.
      2/6 (Mon) - 2/19 (Sun)
    		• Study tour, engaged in maintenance of the Field Station, and conducted On-Site Education at Ethiopia Field Station.
      2/20 (Mon) - 2/21 (Tue)
    		• Addis Ababa – Kyoto.

     

      Outcome and Progress Report
     
     (1) International Workshop in Ethiopia (February 4-5, 2006)
               The Ethiopian Field Station in collaboration with the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University, organized an international workshop on the theme, “Positive Relationships between Culture and Development in East Africa”, in Addis Ababa and Arba Minch, Ethiopia. I opened the workshop with introductory remarks, giving an overview of the COE program and the achievements and future goals of the Ethiopian Field Station, to the participants. There were about twenty participants from different institutions including staff and graduate students form the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, the Dean of the College of Social Sciences and employees of Japan embassy, Japan Aid International Corporation, and local NGOs in Ethiopia. We had nine presentations and round table discussions.
               The aim of Ethiopia Field Station is "Creation of Multidimensional Symbiotic Society in Northeast Africa and the Role of Area Studies". Graduate students and research fellows who have been using EFS are involved in diverse research projects including indigenous technology, natural resource management and conservation, livelihood and social change. We organized this workshop in order to discuss, with the people who work for the rural development projects, about positive relationships between culture and development in Ethiopia and how the research output of the Ethiopian Field Station can positively contribute to the rural development efforts. In general we discussed on the importance of focusing on the positive cultures and local people’s praxis and how these could be systematically utilized in rural development endeavors in Ethiopia.
     (2) Maintenance of the Field Station
               The Field Station’s equipment, including Internet and computers, both in Addis Ababa field station and South Omo sub-station were monitored and upgraded in order to facilitate communications between Kyoto and the Ethiopia Field Station.
     (3) On-Site Education at Ethiopia Field Station (EFS)
               We conducted study tours in Southwestern Ethiopia from February 6- 19, 2006.Dr. Masayoshi Shigeta, Dr. Yasuyuki Morimoto (IPGRI Research fellow), Dr. Sun Xiaogang (COE Research fellow), Dr. Morie Kaneko (COE Research fellow), Mr. Toru Sagawa (an ASAFAS graduate student, year of enrollment: 2000), and Mr.Hiroaki Miyata (an ASAFAS graduate student, year of enrollment: 2005) actively participated in the study tour. We conducted extensive discussions on development and the positive cultures in Ethiopia.
     Mr. Hiroaki Miyata gave intermediate presentation in South Omo sub-station. Participants included Dr. Yasuyuki Morimoto, Dr. Sun Xiaogang, Dr. Morie Kaneko, and Mr. Toru Sagawa.
     As a part of the efforts to strengthen and sustain our relationship with our counterpart institutions, the financial support for the fieldworks of three graduate students of the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, College of social sciences, Addis Ababa University, was proposed.
     

     

      Problems and issues for future
     
               Continuous management and repair works of the South Omo sub-station are necessary.

     

     
    Photo 1: International workshop in Ethiopia.   Photo 2: Members of the study tour conducting research on positive culture in a highland of Southwestern Ethiopia. Participants included, Dr. Yasuyuki Morimoto, Dr. Sun Xiaogang, Dr. Morie Kaneko, Mr. Toru Sagawa, and Mr.Hiroaki Miyata.
         
       
    Photo3: Mr.Hiroaki Miyata gave intermediate presentation in South Omo sub-station. Participants included Dr. Masayoshi Shigeta, Dr. Yasuyuki Morimoto, Dr. Sun Xiaogang, Dr. Morie Kaneko, and Mr. Toru Sagawa.    
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