Samuel Assefa
Encyclopedia
Samuel Assefa is the former ambassador of Ethiopia
to the United States
. He assumed that position from 11 May 2006 and ended it on 19 November 2009.
Samuel Assefa is the son of Assefa Lemma, the Ethiopian ambassador to Germany; Assefa Lemma held that position from 1961 to 1964 and again from 1970 to 1974. Samuel earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics from Swarthmore College
, and his doctorate in political science from Princeton University
, where he afterwards taught.
Prior to becoming ambassador to the United States
, Samuel Assefa served as vice president of Addis Ababa University
. He was also a founding member of "Ethiopia Past and Future", an ad hoc group composed of ambassadors from leading donor countries and members of Ethiopian civil society that seeks to promote dialogue in the aftermath of the 2005 Ethiopian elections
. Samuel Assefa has worked in the past with a variety of institutions dedicated to strengthening civil society
, including the InterAfrica Group, Center for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, African initiative for a Democratic World Order, the Heinrich Boll Foundation
, and the Bonn International Center for Conversion
. He was awarded the Goethe Medal
in 2005 for his work in this area.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He assumed that position from 11 May 2006 and ended it on 19 November 2009.
Samuel Assefa is the son of Assefa Lemma, the Ethiopian ambassador to Germany; Assefa Lemma held that position from 1961 to 1964 and again from 1970 to 1974. Samuel earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, and his doctorate in political science from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he afterwards taught.
Prior to becoming ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Samuel Assefa served as vice president of Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University is a university in Ethiopia. It was originally named "University College of Addis Ababa" at its founding, then renamed for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I in 1962, receiving its current name in 1975.Although the university has six of its seven campuses within...
. He was also a founding member of "Ethiopia Past and Future", an ad hoc group composed of ambassadors from leading donor countries and members of Ethiopian civil society that seeks to promote dialogue in the aftermath of the 2005 Ethiopian elections
Ethiopian general elections, 2005
Ethiopia held general elections on May 15, 2005, for seats in both its national and in four regional government councils. Under pressure from the international community, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi promised that this election would be proof that more democracy would come in this multi-ethnic...
. Samuel Assefa has worked in the past with a variety of institutions dedicated to strengthening civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
, including the InterAfrica Group, Center for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, African initiative for a Democratic World Order, the Heinrich Boll Foundation
Heinrich Böll Foundation
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was originally founded in 1987 and rebuilt in 1997...
, and the Bonn International Center for Conversion
Bonn International Center for Conversion
The Bonn International Center for Conversion , established in 1994, is a research institute located in Bonn, Germany. While the focus of BICC's work initially centered around the conversion of military facilities and equipment to civilian uses , the institute's research has expanded to other areas...
. He was awarded the Goethe Medal
Goethe Medal
The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe Institute honoring non-Germans for meritorious contributions in the spirit of the Institute. It is an official decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany....
in 2005 for his work in this area.