ActionAid Ethiopia has initiated the GCAP mobilization at the national level under the motto, "Enough with poverty". A range of civil society actors including national coalitions like women, youth, students' and teachers' associations as well as community-based organizations such as the associations of the physically disabled and poor peoples have been involved to push the campaign ahead. The events were intended to create public pressure towards achieving MDGs and ensuring government and donor accountability to poor and vulnerable people in Ethiopia. The events started with a radio consultation programme on Radio Fana.  The radio consultation programme was intended to solicit public views, concerns and recommendations. This continued for four consecutive weeks beginning 6 March 2005.

Public gatherings were also planned to take place in parallel with the G8 meeting in June and during the MDG summit in September. However, to the disappointment of the facilitation group and all concerned, the biggest of the events, which was a public rally scheduled for 24 April 2005, was cancelled and postponed indefinitely by the Addis Ababa City Administration.

The facilitation group representing 20 CSOs including umbrella organizations like CRDA and members of their constituencies had made good preparations for the event which they considered a big opportunity to bring forth voices and concerns of poor people in the capital to the attention of the contesting parties in the May election, according to the Chairperson of the facilitation group and PRAD Manager of ActionAid Ethiopia, Daniel Bekele.

The Manager said that most of the CSOs involved made considerable investments for preparing posters, T-shirts, leaflets and a lot of other campaign materials for the occasion while the preparation also involved various time-consuming gatherings.

Even more disappointing was the refusal by the media to announce the cancellation of the public rally which the facilitation group issued to keep the over 10,000 invitees from taking to the streets on the day scheduled. Constituencies of the CSOs, associations and groups in the facilitation group had discussions around issues that they need to convey to the authorities prior to the election.

To the further bewilderment of the facilitation group, the Addis Ababa City Administration cancelled an in-house gathering marking the official launch of the campaign scheduled for August 19. This obliged the over 40 CSOs including umbrella organisations and coalitions to organize the launch of the event in their respective premises.

Officials of the City Administration were not willing to give explanation for the cancellation, according to members of the facilitation group.

Be that as it may, the Ethiopian civil society group is striving to continue the campaign and organize consecutive events to make sure that poor people in Ethiopia have the chance to voice their concerns and express solidarity with the Global Campaign.