Alexander is a doctoral student at the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo. He is currently working on his dissertation entitled 'Politics and Famine Prevention in Ethiopia: The Case of Afar Pastoralists.' The study  examines the politics of famine prevention in Ethiopia with particular emphasis on the pastoral mode of production. It focuses on the case of Afar pastoralists – a minority group in North-Eastern Ethiopia – by analyzing the extent to which their marginalization in relation to the evolving political system in Ethiopia makes them vulnerable to famine.

Research Interests | Education | Publications | Professional Affiliations | Work Experience

Research Interests

Politics of Famine

Human Rights and Development

Politics in the Horn of Africa

Education

PhD student in Political Science, University of Oslo, 2007 - 2010 

MA in Human Rights, University of Oslo, 2004

BA in Political Science and International Relations, Addis Ababa University, 2000

Recent Publications/ Academic Papers 

Publications

• Ethiopia: Politics, Policy Making and Rural Development, Alexander Attilio, Kassahun Berhanu and Yonas Ketsela (eds.). 2006 Addis Ababa: AAU Printing Press.

• 'Agricultural Technology and Rural Development: Large-Scale Vs Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in Post-1991 Ethiopia' in Kassahun Berhanu and Demissie Fantaye (eds.) Ethiopia Rural Development Policies: Trends, Changes and Continuities. 2006 Addis Ababa: AAU Printing Press.

• 'Major Geopolitical Explanations of Conflict in the Horn of Africa' in Nord-Sud Aktuell, Vol. XVII, N.4, 2003. Hamburg: DUI publications. 

Conference Papers

• 'Understanding Famine in Ethiopia: Poverty, Politics and Human Rights.' Paper presented at the XVIth International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, July 2007, Trondheim, Norway. 

• 'The Politics of Famine and the Right to Food in Ethiopia.' Conference paper on Good Governance and Development organized by the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) presented on December 4, 2004, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• Famine and Starvation in Ethiopia : Politics, Rights, Entitlements. Oslo : University of Oslo, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, 2004. - 117 p. - (Master Thesis ; No. 11/2004).

Professional Affiliations

Staff, Poverty and Development, Centre for Development and the Environment, (Since 2007)

Member, Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa , (Since 2001)

Associate Researcher, Institute of Development Research, Addis Ababa University, (2003-2006).

Work Experience

Lecturer: DPSIR, Addis Ababa University (10/2004-01/2007) 

Assistant Lecturer: DPSIR, Addis Ababa University (12/2001-08/2003)

Graduate Assistant: DPSIR, Addis Ababa University (11/2000-11/2001)