Applying the Resilience Concept to Analyzing Crisis Overcoming Opportunities: The case of the Amhara region, Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47850/RL.2026.7.3.77-91Keywords:
Adaptive governance, Amhara, Crisis management, Ethiopia, Ethnic federalism, Multistage model, ResilienceAbstract
This study proposes and applies an integrative, multi-level resilience framework to analyze the protracted crisis in the Amhara Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. Drawing on a synthesis of theories from various interdisciplinary fields, the framework suggests that resilience operates at three interrelated levels: recovery from individual trauma (personal resilience), institutional resilience, and socioeconomic dimensions at the regional level. Using a qualitative trend analysis method based on a comprehensive review scientific sources, the study traces how successive upheavals – from the Fascist Italian occupation and the Derg regime's “Red Terror” campaign to ethnic federalism and contemporary armed conflicts – have systematically eroded resilience in three stages, creating a vicious circle of vulnerability. The analysis demonstrates that imbalances at one level cascade to weaken the others, explaining the region's persistent instability. The study concludes that sustainable recovery is possible only through the implementation of a holistic, simultaneous intervention strategy aimed at creating synergistic opportunities at the personal, institutional and regional levels. Practical recommendations for policymakers and practitioners are offered.
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