a much needed break

and a reading recommendation

Nov 11, 2025

Weekend plans for the Ethiopian film and history lovers in Addis. Poster credit: Addis House of Culture

Hi there,

First and foremost, apologies for the radio silence over the past two Mondays. Thank you to everyone who checked in with me; all is as well as can be under these conditions (these conditions = fatigue).

I’m writing this edition to let you know that I will be taking a break for the next few weeks and will be back in December for some year-end round-ups and a survey to get some ideas on how to better serve you as we move into 2026.

Warm welcome to new subscribers! Unfortunately, you will have to wait a few more weeks until a new edition comes out, but there’s three years’ worth of archive news and analysis you can dig into, should you feel the need to get some context on what on god’s green earth is unfolding in Ethiopia.

If you want to take a look at what the past two years have looked like for people living in Ethiopia’s Amhara region (where the federal government is fighting the region’s informal militia), check out this 50-part update I’ve compiled.

Short of that, I’d suggest searching using any keywords, and if it’s human rights adjacent, you’re likely to find something I’ve written on it here.

In the meantime, I’ll be reading Elsabeth Samuel’s new book: Freedom of Expression and Social Movements in the Digital Era: A Case Study of the 2015 Oromo Protest in Ethiopia.

I’ll also be in Chiang Mai attending Splice Beta at the end of this month, so if you’re going, let me know - we can grab one of many delicious things the city has to offer!

My inbox remains open for any leads, questions, or ideas : )

My name is Maya Misikir, and I’m a freelance reporter based in Addis Abeba. I write Sifter, this newsletter where I send out the week’s top 5 human rights stories in Ethiopia.

Catch you soon.

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