COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES A POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Abstract

As the FDRE constitution testifies that, if they meet the necessary conditions people have the right to self-determination or to be autonomous. In addition, the philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau argues that the worst and most difficult thing for human beings is to live under the will of others. As a result, the Gurage people have been fighting for their self-autonomous rule since 1987, but they have not received a positive response from either the federal or the regional government. The concerned bodies standing for the people and the intellectuals of Gurage are actively asking the question of self-determination based on the problems observed in the society. The main purpose of this study is to assess the legitimacy of the Gurage people's demand for self-determination in terms of scientific and philosophical support, and assert whether the quest is strengthened by Rousseau‟s idea of sovereignty and autonomy or not. The researcher used a qualitative research approach. To obtain research data, the researcher used both primary and secondary data collection method. The collected data is also properly and thoroughly analyzed. The tools used to collect data were interviews, FGD and document analysis. Regarding to the findings, although the Constitution of the Federal Republic states that nations, nationalities, and peoples have the right to selfdetermination, it has not been used for more than paper value. Based on the evaluation conducted in the study, it has been shown that the question of selfdetermination is a question that needs to be properly answered in order to protect and promote the Gurage people's language, culture and history at the world level, and it is a question that is accepted by the majority of the people of the community and outsiders. Finally, as the researcher confirmed, the Gurage people demand for self-determination is logical and constitutional, so the regional and federal government should respond accordingly.