Profile of Lem, the Environment & Development Society of Ethiopia’s (Lem Ethiopia’s) Leadership

H.E. Girma Wolde-Giorgis
President Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and
Patron, Initiator & Founding Member of Lem Ethiopia

Born in Addis Ababa in 1925, the young Girma started his schooling in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church schools and later joined the Teferi Mekonnen School. In 1944, he graduated from the Genet Officers College and joined the Ethiopian Air Force as lieu-tenant. He was later educated abroad and joined the Civil Aviation Authority as Director General.

HE served in various government capacities until elected to parliament in 1960, where he also served as a Speaker of the House. He left parliament and went into agricultural estates development business. He later returned to parliament after having campaigned on human development and environmental issues. He became President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia in 2001.

President Girma Wolde Giorgis started his career as a man of the people having served as a civil society leader. In the 1980s he was the chairman of the Addis Ababa Edirs (voluntary community organisation), and of the Ethiopian Red Cross Eritrean Branch and contributed to alleviating the impact of the 1984/85 famine in the Northern part of Ethiopia. He is founder and current Patron of the Environment and Development Society in Ethiopia (LEM). He is a renowned environmentalist. President Girma Wolde Giorgis is also the patron of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and chairs the National AIDS Council.

As Head of State, President Girma Wolde Girorgis has continued to champion humanitarian causes, environmental development, livelihood security; building consensus among grassroots societies in the remotes part of the nation, on critical issues of development and democratic citizenship.

Dr. Costantinos serves and continues to serve as a board chairman and member of major African NGO networks and research institutions. He has worked as a staff member, team member, and team leader on many international programs in many countries. His areas of work include participatory policy analysis, formulation, and management - local institutions, civil society development, and strategic planning and resource management as a senior adviser for institution such as the EU, UNDP, UNECA, UNICEF, WFP, FAO, African NGOs and Governments of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Nepal, India and South Africa on the Development agenda. He has been extensively involved in policy research work in governance, poverty, and sustainable livelihoods
He has until recently been serving as Senior Policy Advisor on Poverty and Sustainable Development for Africa for the UN in New York. In Africa, he has been instrumental in mobilising major national sustainable livelihoods, poverty, HIV/AIDS programme; with all component responses adequately addressed.. As key adviser to the UN's poverty and sustainable development, he was the principal focal point for human security, health, education, sustainable livelihoods, and support to governments and civil societies in developing national programs. In 2001, he co-ordinated the Abuja Summit on HIV/AIDS, TB, and ORID.

He is author of numerous papers published in professional journals, presented to workshops and symposia. With a Ph.D. in Resource Management, his specific skills are in strategic planning and programming, resource management, sustainable human development, civil society development and sustainable livelihoods including participatory policy analysis, formulation, and management and governance and conflict management.

Mengesha Workneh is one of the Initiators and founding members of Lem Ethiopia He has worked at different government and private organisations holding senior posts. Have rich experience of more than 40 years. He was/is a member of a number of national and international task forces, steering committees, etc. of different committees at different levels and vice president of East and Southern Africa Economic Community and Lem Ethiopia. He is Holder of three-degree i.e., LLB, MSc & BA in different areas.

Woldekidan Nerie Wondu- Founding Member

Weldekidan is also among the founding members of Lem Ethiopia. He has been working as an expert, co-ordinator and manager in government & non-government organisations for the last 38 years. Have good capacity in forestry and wild life management. Is a member of different professional societies He has MSc. in Forest Management, University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Diploma, Energy Resource Conservation, management and Planning, IDA, Ireland and a number of certificates in natural resources conservation & development.