TY - JOUR
AU - Habtu, Alem
AB - Book Review Ethnic Diversity and Federalism: Constitution Making in South Africa and Ethiopia, by Yonatan Tesfaye Fessha. Farnham, Surrey, England and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2010, 310 pp., £70.00 hardback. Reviewed by Alem Habtu Queens College/CUNY In this excellent, judicious book, Fessha emphasizes ‘‘the capacity of federalism to respond to the challenges of ethnic diversity’’ (31). He explores how South African and Ethiopian constitution-making employed federalism to accommodate ethnic diversity, arguing that federalism can accommodate diversity and unity. He explores institutional designs (prevention—South Africa, remediation—Ethiopia), applying three principles: recognition; self-rule; shared rule (95). His premise is: ‘‘a multi-ethnic society must always ensure that the different groups are provided with the means for autonomy, political participation and representation’’ (150). He makes two major arguments: ‘‘the tendency to transform an ethnically plural state into a nation-state’’ gives rise to ethnic nationalism; and a multi-ethnic state cannot maintain neutrality vis-a ` -vis ethnic groups (9). In post-apartheid South Africa, ‘‘ethnicity is not the most politically relevant divide’’ (62). Although the Inkatha and Afrikaner-based parties threatened secession or war if ethnic identities were not recognized, the African National Congress (ANC) wanted ‘‘a state that is racially and ethnically neutral’’ (76). Afraid of ‘‘introducing apartheid 
TI - Ethnic Diversity and Federalism: Constitution Making in South Africa and Ethiopia, by Yonatan Tesfaye Fessha.
JF - Publius: The Journal of Federalism
DO - 10.1093/publius/pjr028
DA - 2012-10-23
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/ethnic-diversity-and-federalism-constitution-making-in-south-africa-rhi0nOYY1o
SP - e3
EP - e3
VL - 42
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -