Ethnic Tension Among Students and the Role of Leaders in Ethiopian Public Universities: Experiences and Reflections

Abstract

Ethnic tension in this paper is used to discuss about the disagreements, the hatred, the conflicts, the distrusts, the fears and tensions which are there among University students who are gathered together for education purpose from different ethnic groups/nations and nationalities during their academic life. The practices are undertaking in Ethiopian Public Universities. Having about a nine-year experience of staying within different universities as a student and mostly as a university Instructor, I have experienced different challenges and practices during this long time stay in Universities regarding these ethnic based tensions, hatred and conflicts. Generally, from personal experiences and observations these tensions are caused by historical, political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and institutional related problems.  Some among the many outputs of these tensions/conflicts are like loss of life, destruction of resources, disturbance of educational programmes and practices. It is believed that Human Resource managers have a lion share in stabilizing and preventing these devastating issues that deteriorates the generations’ national integrity, unity, love and affection. It is also assumed that it is up to the parents, teachers, managers and government who are supposed to develop good citizen, tolerance and mutual understanding, free and fair thinking and democratic culture among these students. Beside to this the Human resource managers are the frontier in educational institutions is solving these problems and producing standard manpower for companies and for the nation in addition to their business strategies.

Keywords: Ethnic Tension, Ethnic Conflict, Organizational Leaders, Experiences and reflections