Pioneering the use of the Ethiopian alphabet on the web, advancing free speech, and bridging information gaps for Ethiopians globally.
First, unique and independent web-based forum created in June 2000 allowing Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia to discuss over the Internet using the millenary Ethiopian alphabet (fidels).
Attempts to provide an independent perspective with timely, condensed, provocative and informative stories with high editorial standards to narrow the gap in media coverage.
Features the greatest selection of Ethiopian links in a variety of categories. A searchable collection organized by subject serving as a one-stop gateway for information.
First and unique service allowing email exchanges in Ethiopian languages, helping preserve and encourage digital communication in local scripts.
To promote the use of the internet for development, bolster democracy and human rights in Ethiopia, through e-applications using the Ethiopian alphabet as well as support to programs and actions that uphold responsible freedom of speech and expression online.
CyberEthiopia.com was founded by Kitaw Yayehyirad in 1996 as a pioneering experiment to publish texts using the Ethiopian Alphabet on Cyberspace in the early ages of the World Wide Web when only images and Latin characters could be posted online.
With over 100,000 unique daily visitors in 2006, CyberEthiopia grew to become an impactful community portal providing the first discussion forums using the Ethiopian Geez Alphabet on the Internet (Warka).
In the aftermath of the highly contested 2005 elections in Ethiopia, CyberEthiopia was among the first popular websites restricted from being accessed in Ethiopia by the then regime from May 2006 to June 2018 (12 years), making the nation the first and only in sub-Saharan Africa to actively engage in political Internet filtering. The apparent objective was to prevent the dissemination of information critical of the regime.
All restricted websites, including CyberEthiopia, were unblocked in June 2018 when a new Prime Minister (Dr. Abiy Ahmed) arrived in office, announcing waves of reforms preluding the democratization of the nation.
By summarizing stories from the private and state-owned press in Ethiopia as well as Internet news sources, our News Digest presents a condensed view of key events related to Ethiopia. We are driven by the principle that journalism speaks for the individual and stand vigilant in the protection of free speech and human rights in Ethiopia.
Additionally, automated programs crawl major news sites on the Internet to bring pointers/hyperlinks to news related to Ethiopia into our news archiving database—offering an un-filtered starting point for researchers and media professionals.
Ethiopia has the particularity of having its own script used for written communication since 100 BC. The endemic risk of being left behind and further marginalized in the digital age can only be eliminated with digital inclusion and full participation of Ethiopians in the Information Society. We advocate that Africans adopt and adapt emerging technologies to stimulate development while paying particular attention to the preservation and affirmation of their heritage, cultural, and linguistic legacies.
CyberEthiopia.com was registered as a non-profit association in Geneva, Switzerland under federal number CH-660-0788005-0 and is governed by its bylaws, subsidiary to articles 80 of the Swiss Civil Code.
The seat of the organization is in Geneva, Switzerland, with provision for a branch based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
CyberEthiopia's Board of Directors consists of individuals with different academic backgrounds, experiences, and professions including Media professionals, Information Technology specialists, Development Scholars, Marketing, and Social and Political Science experts.