216 0 obj <>stream The Boran did manage this problem due to two reasons: the adoption of a pragmatic solution for late-born sons; and early born sons are small in number as compared to the late-born sons which enabled Gadaa to sustain among them. QSLBe3x\y+eOkh-5EU/ Regarding their authority in all the matters regarding the Borana society, all the three Abba Gadas and the other three Adula Hayyus (senior councilor) have the same and equal authority, muraan wal-qixxe. Some of these old men may have also sat in the Borana Assembly, the Salgan yaa Borana. However, what initiation, interval, and genealogical generations constitute is not clear. Ibrahim A. Elemo (M.D., MPH)* Book The role of traditional institutions among Borana Oromo, [] communities. 2 0 obj One is a system in which the members of each class are recruited strictly on the basis of chronological age. Ethiopia: The Gada System - Why Denied Recognition to Be a World Attending power transfer ceremonies, rites of passages from one grade to another and other gatherings are meant to be as transparent as possible. 0000004275 00000 n Since the principle of five intervals stated hereinabove, in most cases, are not observed among the Boran people, children continue to be born (before the father reaches fifth Gadaa grade or after the father passed this stage). Courtesy: [27] Siinqee feminist represent women in the gadaa system.[28]. After a few minutes, the head of the council arrives, the Abba Gada or 'father of Gada' as he was called in the Borana tongue. The late Donald Levine has said[26] that Gadaa is "one of the most complex systems of social organization ever devised by the human imagination". The Gadaa System is a system of generation segments or Gadaa classes that succeeded each other every eight years in assuming political, military, judicial, legislative and ritual responsibilities. Nobody is above the rule of law in Oromo democracy. Old and wise as his years, he trudges along, stick in hand. Alaska (None live there). [1] It is also practiced by the Konso and Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia. Hence, it is customary to move from home o home to find their age-mates. For example, certain areas, such as forests, were set aside as drought refuge. These forms of government have its own leader called Abba Gada, and Abba . 0000001731 00000 n Gada institution has three Gada assemblies each with its own Abba Gada. On the other hand, it also ends some of the privileges they used to enjoy and it brings minor social duties to them. Young men are also trained to become junior warriors by taking part in war campaigns and hunting large animals; they learn the practical skills of warfare, military organization, and fighting so that they can engage in battle to defend their country and economic resources. 3 0 obj Each one of the Gadaa class has diversity and unity. Scholars and. They are recognizable by their hairstyle known as guduru which is typically feminine (the Borana likens them to girls at this stage). Had it been so, some argue that Gadaa would have been extinct long ago. The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content. The laws, norms, values, and ideals of the Gadaa System are compatible with existing international human rights instruments. Since the principle of five intervals stated hereinabove, in most cases, are not observed among the Boran people, children continue to be born (before the father reaches fifth Gadaa grade or after the father passed this stage). HWn6C! From the cradle of mankind to the superheroes of today. Gadaa was developed over five centuries with the purpose to foster social, political, economic and military matters collectively. Before proceeding to the discussion of Gadaa institutions it is necessary to clarify these conceptual understandings. Second, in Boran Gadaa System there are five Gadaa classes that are basically cyclic (i.e. Ethno-history and Its Relevance for Ethiopian Studies Shujaa Stories is a production by Tuzi Creatives, Managed by Tuzi Consultancy LTD. The Karrayyu clan has one Adula Hayyu in Gada Harboora. As younger men, some of these old men may have also sat in the Borana Assembly or the Salgan yaa Borana. These parties have different names in different parts of Oromia as the result of Oromo expansion and the establishment of different autonomous administrative systems. They live in the Borena Zone of the Oromia Region and Liben Zone of the Somali Region of Ethiopia, former Northern Frontier District of Northern Kenya,Tana River in the former coast province of Kenya and also in central Somalia. Guji Abba Gada leaders designate Shene armed group as "enemy of the However []. Each of the semi-retired Gadaa grades bears eight years period and in sum covers thirty-two years (i.e. While in the case of the former there will be the exchange of scepter (symbol of authority); in case of the later, however, they exchange incense which is the symbol of sacredness. Since Gadaa is found not only on age-groups but also on generation-sets, hence, understanding the generational relationship and its role is vital. the Borana are among the few remaining Oromo tribes to still fully practice the Gadaa system. Abba Gadas is an egalitarian socio-economic and political system of the Oromo people, in which power rotates between five Gadaa classes every eight years. Each active Gadaa classbeyond the first three gradeshas its own internal leadership (Adula) and its own assembly (yaaaa), but the leaders of the class become the leaders of the nation when their class comes to power in the middle of the life cyclea stage of life called Gadaa among the Boran or Luba among the central Oromo. Since then their system remains full tradition. 0000006983 00000 n The Boranas age-sets are organized in two ways: through a system where the member of each class are recruited strictly based on. 2008. It was the central institution of the Oromo people that contain complex and extraordinary features. Many Borana people prefer to be Muslims rather than Christians since the religion of Islam concurs in many ways with their tradition. However, others recognize the eleven Gadaa grades but they vary on the question of how long a Gadaa grade take in years. In the border regions of Ethiopia-Kenya and southwestern Somalia, one estimate places about 1,094,000 people as Boranas. Moreover, the passage of time has no subjective meaning unless it is punctuated with a transitional phenomenon, whether it is the climbing of the dock, periodic saturnalias, rites of passage, or graduation ceremonies. Since they were semi-nomadic, their population growth did not match with those of their neighbors both in Kenya and Ethiopia, this put them at risk to lose much of their territories. The Borana are known by a generation set Organization, which is believed to guide every aspect of their life, called off the Gadaa system and Borana people are notable for their historic Gadda political system. CigpOW$lAkHc-,Q%HvzcUu86e9riK!Q ; 5/2}36"qt0F{X;! Councils like these have sat together under similar circumstances, for the past five hundred years. In the interpretation (conception) of the Gadaa system, there are several concepts that are understood differently by different scholars. This is the Adula council; they have come to debate as to who should manage the wells. Fathers of the dabballes move from all the principal regions of the Boran to the area of the shrine. Across the dusty plains, under the shade of the acacia, six old men regard one another. The Gadaa men and Yubas duties also include transferring knowledge and skills associated with the functions of the democratic Gadaa System to the members of succeeding grades. Both sets of groups pass from one stage of development to the next every eight years. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But the OLA accused the Abba Gada, who are elders in the Oromo culture, of being hand-picked by the government.