Adama, Ethiopia - The UN Migration Agency, IOM awarded 12 Best Performing Community Conversation (CC) Facilitators and kebeles in Ethiopia this week.

In recent years IOM, in cooperation with the Government of Ethiopia, has been implementing CC activities at grassroots level in many parts of Ethiopia aimed at combatting and preventing irregular migration. The CC approach has contributed to IOM’s messaging on the positive aspects of regular migration and the dangers and associated consequences of irregular migration. Using this approach, IOM’s Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) program has strengthened the government and stakeholder efforts to prevent irregular migration. Recently a ceremony was held in Adama by IOM for giving awards to those best performing CC facilitators and Kebeles.

During the ceremony, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) officials and Regional administrators highlighted the effectiveness of the CC program while the CC facilitators highlighted their achievements. The major achievement of the Community Conversation program mentioned at the award ceremony was its effectiveness in reaching out to communities in a short period of time, even in remote and rural areas within Ethiopia. The program has also been branded as all-inclusive approach as it involves religious leaders, elderly and local administrative personnel figures and migrants.

In addition to bringing awareness of the risks and dangers of irregular migration and enabling migrants to take informed decision, several regional and local administrators stated that the program has empowered communities to assist law enforcement officials in to crack down on the network of human traffickers and smugglers.

“Such community based initiatives are effective in our effort of combatting to solve the challenges of irregular migration through encouraging shared responsibility at the grassroots level and this should continue to reach out to more districts,” said Ambassador Misganu Arga, State Minister for MOLSA during the ceremony. 

“IOM highly commends the effort by the Government of Ethiopia in combatting trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, as manifested in the whole-of-government approach and community mobilization effort which resulted in reaching out to reaching out to communities and increased prosecution measures on perpetrators. IOM supports the Government of Ethiopia’s effort in this regard and will continue making best efforts to implement CC activities in more districts and communities.” Said Mr. Jian ZHAO, Deputy Chief of Mission for IOM Ethiopia during the event. 

In addition to the 12 best performing CC facilitators, four Woredas, four Zones and the Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs for the Southern Nation and Nationalities People Region (SNNPR) were awarded computers and certificates of recognition for effective implementing the CC program.

The award ceremony was supported by a project funded by the Netherlands Government, part of a community conversation project.

For more information, please contact IOM SLO Senior Communications Assistant Alemayehu Seifeselassie +251.911.63.90.82 salemayehu@iom.int