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SOLDIER-CITIZEN TRAINING: THE BOY SCOUTS MOVEMENT IN LATE IMPERIAL ETHIOPIA [Abstract ID: 0701-02]
Although Boy Scouting was established in Ethiopia as early as 1919, it was after the end of the Italian occupation that the movement gained momentum as an important part of youth training. The experience of military defeat as well as the post-war youth migration into the urban areas, which was conceived of as a security problem, fuelled ideas about taming and disciplining young men by channelling their energy towards building a modern nation. The organization of the Boy Scouts under the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts as well as its coupling with Sports and Physical Education hints at the fact that Boy Scouting and, later, Girl Guiding were considered an integral part of education. In contrast to the Young Mens’ Christian Association (YMCA), which played an active role in citizenship training, too, Scouting aimed at the production of a specific kind of citizen – the soldier-citizen. The contribution specifically looks into discursive and bodily practices around preparedness and defence as part of an anticipated Ethiopian citizen.