Kumilachew Anteneh

Kumilachew holds a BA in Social Anthropology from Bahir Dar University and an MA in Social Anthropology from Addis Ababa University. He brings over 14 years of experience in qualitative research, higher education teaching, and community development in Ethiopia. His early research on blood feuds and local justice practices sparked his focus on moral life as a space where violence and peace are negotiated daily. He has since led qualitative projects on indigenous peacebuilding, social protection, and healthcare trust in conflict- affected regions. Most recently, he served as an in-country researcher for a University of Leeds project, ”Non formal Education for Youth-led Change,” which centered his attention on youth as moral actors.

At Notre Dame, Kumilachew investigates peace as an ongoing moral practice embedded in everyday life. His doctoral research examines how Ethiopian youth navigate moral obligations, social belonging, and trust amidst persistent violence and partial recovery. Ultimately, his work analyzes how these daily negotiations connect individual choices to broader structural realities, framing conflict transformation as a gradual, lived, and relational process.