The major purpose of the study was to look into change and continuity in the policy and practices of adult basic literacy initiatives in Ethiopia and to deduce lessons that can be drawn from the experiences for the future of adult basic literacy program in the country and elsewhere. Data was obtained through critical review of documents on the pre-revolution literacy initiatives; the two campaigns during the socialist revolution; the 1994 Education and Training Policy document; the 2008 National Adult Education Strategy; statistical abstracts and reports of the post-1991 adult literacy activities and available samples of newspaper articles. Interviews were also conducted with 48 individuals who directly participated at various capacities in the previous adult literacy efforts of the country. Snow-ball sampling approach has been used to select the interviewees. Analysis of the data generally indicated that the adult basic literacy initiatives were founded on erroneous conception of literacy--the deficit model of literacy--which assumes an absolute state of literacy/illiteracy. The literacy initiatives also lacked continued commitment from the governing bodies and were largely in response to external drives rather than local needs. Ideological motives rather than actual needs of the beneficiaries have guided the initiatives. The lesson that can be drawn from the previous initiatives and the implications it may have on the future of adult basic literacy programs at large has been discussed.