"Discussion paper." Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- Oromo ecotheology -- Background -- Belief in the Supreme Being -- Moral Codes and Leadership -- Implications for Environmental Ethics -- The ethics of forests -- Utilitarian values -- Additional values -- The Oromo holistic forest ethic -- Challenges to indigenous world views -- Exposure to western education -- The influence of major religions -- The influence of the market economy -- The privatization of knowlede and power of trans-national companies -- Alienation of people from land and production through 'development' -- The pervasive effects of poverty -- Shortcomings in indigenous knowledge -- Tactics to improve the position of the poor -- Resistance to cash cropping and other inappropriate projects -- Breaking free of dependency -- Consolidating and using indigenous knowledge -- Can ethical dialogue help -- Potential and limitations -- Using self interest of powerful parties as an entry point for dialogue -- Using alliances and publicity to expose illegitimate dialogue positions -- Building the capacity of local groups to articulate alternative development visions -- Concluding remarks and ways forward -- Recommendations -- References -- Appendix 1: List of informants -- Appendix 2: Ethiopian scholars.