I visited Ethiopia frequently and traveled extensively in all parts of the country during the Derg period. I observed firsthand the deleterious effects of the Derg\u27s attempt to turn the country into a communist people\u27s republic .[1] Since the fall of the Derg in May 1991, I have made fifteen visits to Ethiopia, usually for periods of several weeks, totaling well over a year of travel in the country in all. During these same years I have also spent time in sixteen other post-communist countries, ranging from Slovenia and Armenia to Mongolia, observing the political, economic and social problems of recovering from communism and restoring cultural heritage. I delivered a paper summarizing some of this experience in comparison with Ethiopia at the 14th International Ethiopian Studies Conference in Addis Ababa in November 2000.[2] The present discussion is based on observations from travel in Ethiopia, discussions at conferences, and familiarity with literature relevant to the subject of economic and social development
