list of borana abba gada

The other council-men bow in reverence. 3 0 obj These were the Abbaa Cha a, the chair of the assembly, Abbaa Dubbi, the speaker, Abbaa Seera, the Memorizer of laws Abbaa Alanga the judge, Abbaa Duula, the army commander, Abbaa saa in charge of the economy. Therefore, the Boran did arrange a pragmatic system for the sons of elders by allowing them to be treated as equals despite differences in their ages. A political party known as GSAP (Gadaa System Advancement Party) bases its ideology on the principles of Gadaa. 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. In Western thought, the life cycle (which is bracketed by birth and death) time (which is well demarcated with mechanical devices and history (which is also mechanically recorded by chroniclers) are reasonably discrete phenomena. The second in command who is also the supreme leader of the whole Borana community is referred to as Abagadha. The purpose of these activities is to first make the members of the grade be aware of their class and peer group. Abba Gadas: The Ancient Borana Leadership System Across the dusty plains, under the shade of acacia trees six old men can be seen sitting together. the former is horizontal and refers to the collective, the latter is vertical and defines the responsibilities assumed successively throughout their careers. 185 0 obj <> endobj Furthermore, Abba Gadaa (the president) belonging to the outgoing Gadaa Council has to appoint (before handing over the power to the incoming Gadaa class) six men from among the ex-members of the Gadaa Council that are now in the semi-retired (yuuba) Gadaa grade. 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. Gada is a complex system that incorporates pivotal institutions such as moggaasa (naturalization), guddifacha (adoption), araara (conflict resolution), gumaa (reparation), rakoo (marriage law) waaqeffannaa (Oromo religion) and Siinqee (institution to safeguard women right). Like modern parliaments today this Borana parliament would summon sittings to make, repel or ensure that the laws were being followed. Portuguese products available Online we mail to all lower 48 states. 0000025131 00000 n By Kana Golicha on 19th February 2022 | . These elements pop up due to the fact that recruitment to an age-set requires, in systems like Gadaa, generational relationship and in connection with that issues like the time when a son may be initiated to the system and the interval between the father and son are inevitable. But still, there are Boranas who are Muslims and others who are Christians as well and they all value their system as an asset. However, the Sakuye herd camels primarily, whereas the Borana are mostly a cattle people. The first and the most prominent figure is . Indigenous democratic system of governance used by Oromo people, Asmarom Legesse, "Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society", 1973, Asmarom Legesse, "Oromo Democracy: an Indigenous African Political System", 2006, Donald Levine, "Greater Ethiopia: The Evolution of a Multiethnic Society", 1974, Z. Sirna, "Ethiopia: When the Gadaa Democracy Rules in a Federal State", 2012, "Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the Oromo", "Sustaining generations of Indigenous voices: Reclaiming language and integrating multimedia technology", "The Gadaa System and Some of Its Institutions among the Booranaa: A Historical Perspective", "A heroic send-off for Aliyi Cirri, a pioneer Oromo freedom fighter whose courage and bravery inspired generations", "The Gada sysytem; full Dimocratical politics of Oromo;71stBorana BalliHand overing Day Febrawary 2009/20017:The Gada of Kura Jarso", "Gada System inscribed in UNESCO as Intangible World Heritage", "The 2015 Commemoration of Odaa-Bultum (One of the Major Oromo Gadaa System's Administrative Centers)", "A Journey to Revitalizing Gadaa at Odaa Hullee: Tracing Jimma University's Unwavering Commitment", "A Future Gaze: Gadaa Oriented Constitutional Structure for Oromia", "Waa'ee Gadaa wantoota beekuu qabdan shan", "BitGadaa | Futuristic African Democracy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gadaa&oldid=1131025659, Articles with dead external links from December 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. It is a simpler institution, called age-sets (hariyya) that was then introduced to serve as a subsidiary institution that supplements the social, maturational and military functions. Keywords: Gadaa, indigenous institution, Oromo, conflict resolution, Awash River Basin, Borana. The scope of gatherings ranges from socio-economic to cultural/entertainment activities. In nutshell, at the Raba Gadaa grade the following Gadaa executive bodies have to be constituted: The Executive officers (jaldhaba)comprising not less than six members; and. ]OYQP"Turc/"vw@kO80;:qcGx$aAcR!C:yawD$'em -S+|$vwxpAF$>KI]fOX=Vm5 Wu "QP4,CRs(Jq Regarding persons with special responsibilities, the Abba Gadaa, the elected chairman of the class leadership presides over the assembly. The council men bow in reverence. Structurally speaking, it is age and genealogical based grouping of male generation and division of labor among the classes. There is an intergenerational correspondence between the hemicycles that: the first Gadaa grade is linked to the fifth, the second is linked to the sixth, the third is linked to the eighth, the fourth is likened to the ninth, the fifth is likened to the tenth, and the sixth is likened to the liminal/final (Gadamojjii) stage. Moreover, while the former serve for eight years, the later serves only for a limited period of time. [14] It is the system with which the Oromo people have been governing themselves in a democratic way for centuries. 0000009484 00000 n Participatory impact assessment of ticks on Borana cattle milk production was conducted from January 2010 to July 2010. A party come to power once every forty years. Today we seem to have forgotten these important rules, and cattle invade and damage forests every dry season. There was no taxation under this system except that Gadaaleaders and their families were provided with necessary materials, such as food, cloth, and house. Friday 28 April, 2023 Horn Affairs News Articles Interviews According to the Oromo worldview, all are established by divine will. The Oromo have used age-sets because generation-sets cannot be an effective means to mobilize troops and a quite distinct organization based on the closeness of age . Despite the Gadaa system being an egalitarian social system, women were excluded from passing through age-sets and generation-sets. The class forms its own internal officials (adula hayyus) and its own assembly (yaaaa). His eyes still shine with the rigors of his youth. The council men bow in reverence. Those in Kenya and Ethiopia speak Borana language that is closely related to Oromo, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the large Afro-Asiatic language family. 0000006983 00000 n 0000012106 00000 n And the possession of the defining institutions of Qaallu (the spiritual leader) and the common Gadaa government seems to have been the special mark of the Oromo people. Hence the coming to power of each Gadaa class once within forty years (i.e. Each luba consists of all of the sons in another particular class. U%.T syO pvyc{CC7-uZ 1 G J6@H-##Ot@rDMp~ $tZ Moreover, Gada is transformed along radically different lines, what Asmarom calls a system of temporal differentiation of society having little to do with age. It is evident from the Boran Gadaa history that there is the high percentage of premature (before assuming political power) death. They keep camels traditionally together with cows and goats. Participedia Contributors, "The Gadaa System of the Oromo People," last modified September 7, 2018, Retrieved from, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 05:08. Division amongst the council-men is rare because the members are from the same age set, namely the Gada class or the Warra Bora. The system regulates political, economic, social and religious activities of the community. Their time cuts across two consecutive supreme leaders and they serve and take instructions from both. Nobody is above the rule of law in Oromo democracy. The Oromo society was structured in accordance with this Gada system. Old and wise as his years, he trudges along, stick in hand. Below this assembly was the Kenyan MCA equivalent, the councillors, Hayyus who made the less weighty decisions. The president was called the Abba boku. The first has nothing to do with genealogical ties. Accordingly, the appointed individuals will become junior councilors for the incoming senior Gadaa councilors. The Aba Gada leaders of the Guji-Oromo people, an ethnic Oromo subgroup who inhabit southern Ethiopia, have declared the Shene-Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) - a group that operates in the bushes of Southwestern Ethiopia as an "enemy of the Oromo people". The Abbaa Boku and his two colleagues are chosen from the oldest or most distinguished families, which are known as `families of Hayu. The principal function of the Abbaa Boku is to preside over the parliament to proclaim the laws, and to act when necessary as a ritual expert in the Gadaa-ceremonies. Among other Gadaa businesses conducted at this level, the following are the most striking ones: First, it is at this grade where the Gadaa class and age-sets come into play as formal corporate groups. 0000012974 00000 n The assembly had the president, two vice presidents and six other very important officials who ran the Borana administration. Nevertheless, water resources scarcity in the country is to be understood in terms of its spatial and temporal distributions. It is still able to preserve its structural values though various external challenges tested it to abolish or decline it through time. The Gadaa system as a whole provided the machinery for democratic rule and enjoyment of maximum liberty for the people. In this respect, Gadaa is a holistic (social, economic, political and religious) system in essence and perhaps this fact made it difficult to define unanimously the Gadaa system by simple and clear terms. Following the rite of passage, therefore, the junior gamme assume responsibilities such as looking after sheep and other simple duties. In the interpretation (conception) of the Gadaa system, there are several concepts that are understood differently by different scholars. 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. Therefore, on one hand, the tradition of electing future leaders allows the de facto leaders become more skillful and prepared for public responsibilities. The five Gadaa parties orderly come to power. Most Borana men do stick to the principle of not raising children before the permitting stage. Gada system, an indigenous democratic socio-politicalEthiopia Representative List 2016 EN: Guyo Goba, the seventieth Abaa Gada of the Borana Oromo, ties 'kallacha' headgear on his forehead which is a symbol of power, and bearing a staff known as Hororo and a whiplash (Litcho) in his hand and wearing shorts (Hida) 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. He takes a seat at the head of the council as he has done, for eight years, since the beginning of his rule. A few of them are pulling at their scraggly white and ochre beards while nodding in agreement. They are recognizable by their hairstyle known as guduru which is typically feminine (the Borana likens them to girls at this stage). <<51B1CC5AE372B54BB6E33B35BC5182B1>]/Prev 120898>> That is a son gets introduced to a specific Gadaa grade, which correlates to the Gadaa class of his father, and subsequently changes his grade every eight years as a member of his cohort. Both social groups pass from one stage of development to the next every eight years. The Karrayyu clan has one Adula Hayyu in Gada Harboora. The people would hold elections to elect a new crop of leaders every eight years according to tradition, Indeed, democracy existed in Africa long before the white man ever set foot on the African continent and strong, age old dynasties are not the preserve of Europe and Asia. Any age-sets to be an institution and be functional shall have two, at least, invariants; that is, age plus the interval of initiation or any other elements. Dabballes hair will never be cut and he will have a fictitious name until the naming ceremony (ceremony of passage to the second Gadaa grade) is undertaken. The Gada assembly to which the Abba Gada Liiban Jaldeessa belongs is called Gada Harboora. cyclic but neither in a sense of reincarnation nor is it a closed cycle. For example, in case of US once a president finishes his or her two-term office there is no chance to serve as a member of the Congress again or as an administrative member of a newly elected president. 0000013416 00000 n [2][3][4], Under Gadaa, every eight years, the Oromo would choose by consensus nine leaders known as Salgan yaii Borana (the nine Borana assemblies). % They were the Gada class or the Warra Bora. 0000001892 00000 n The system covers political, social, economical and spiritual ways of life. However, to be initiated to the Gadaa system, in principle, they have to be always five Gadaa grades apart from their father. Asmaran has called the gada chronology "one of the most ingenious creations of the Borana mind", and has added that "historians in other societies might envy the dcill and The Borana Oromo has a very prominent traditional system of governance-the Gada System. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Then they had to build a traditional hut known as galma especially on a free and fresh area. The Liiban Borana often refers to themselves as Sarkamtu. The other two Senior Councilors are Abba Gadas of their respective assemblies.There are also clan councilors in Gada Harboora called Hayyu Garba, and in Gada Hawattu and Konnitu called Hayyu Meedhicha. The Abbaa Boku was also supported by a council, known as Shanee or salgee, and retired Gadaa officials. exists for that purpose. And they meet a last time, again, at the end of their eight years making a ceremony of giving the roles and power of protection to other upcoming members of that age of Dori who were in Raba before. Besides being a supreme spirituality in charge of prayer in all Borana gatherings, including the Borana parliament, he is also in charge of administration, who appoints other Qalu, putting them in charge of smaller administration units, which can be equated to a present state president, a Qalu who in turn appoints other smaller administrators in his jurisdiction called Jalab (governor) who are respectively in charge of smaller administration, meaning one Qalu is in charge of many Jalab under his state. The Gadaa system is an indigenous egalitarian democratic system practised among the Oromo nation of East Africa. This is the Adula council; they have come to debate as to who should manage the wells. Put it differently, where Dulo Gadaa class is known for military leadership and defending the territory; Birmaji was, perhaps, notorious for rendering justice to the people. Junior gamme and senior gamme are the sons of two distinct Gadaa classes and they are named after the Abba Gadaa (Gadaa class) in power. [11] It is the brainchild of Oromo from the Madda Walabu district of Oromia. Politically, it has a system of government where the overall leader is God himself and many unknown things are referred as 'Waqa Bekh', a sentence that can be equated to a Supreme Being knows. HWn6C! It is through a formal rite of passage that previously semi-retired assemblymen enter into the final Gadaa grade. One is a system in which the members of each class are recruited strictly on the basis of chronological age. Of course, the legacy of ones family and the past accomplishments of a clan councilor has a great influence in the decision that is made to nominate the would-be councilors. The end of a discussion to issues was accepted without question and the Abba Muriti, the father of resolution was there to make sure of that. 0000000936 00000 n In Boran, the junior gamme are called the sons of Guyyo and the senior gamme are called the sons of Liban. That is, they are named after the two Abba Gadaas, Abba Gadaa Guyyo Gobba (incumbent) and Abba Gada Liban Jaldessa (ex-Abba Gadaa). These requirements are similar in three aspects: both are formed every eight years; both pass from one stage to another; and in both active members pave position in both systems. Perhaps, the Age-set system might have imitated the natural course of human physical development to the structure the society. RM HWJN1X - Kura Jarso the 71st Borana Oromo Abba gadaa and his councilors, Oromia, Yabelo, Ethiopia. stream Marra Grass or pasture Muru Cutting, making a judgment or decision Nagaa Peace/cosmic harmony Nagaa Booranaa Peace of Borana The second has little to do with age. The Borana age-set (hariyya) is an institution or organized on age and generational relationships. Old and wise as his years, he trudges along, stick in hand. 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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. On the other hand, it allows the Boran people to watch the performance and credibility of the elected (de facto) leaders. This is the Adula council; they have come to debate as to who should manage the communitys wells. 2 0 obj Moreover, they may be required to be assistants to the Gadaa Council in power. Bonus information The decisions made by the traditional councils also affected the use of natural resources. Both types of social groups are formed every eight years. The election of the Gadaa councilors takes place at the time when the rite of passage of the senior gamme to Kusa Gadaa grade takes place. Gadamojjii (full retirement) is the terminal and sacred stage of the Gadaa grade refers to that are entering into or going out of the gadamojji Gadaa grade. 0000014355 00000 n . 0000000016 00000 n 0000002053 00000 n an Abba bokkuu or Abbaa Gada. Borana Gadaa leaders embroiled in Kenya's dirty politics. In this line, one may regard that age-sets are something common among different ethnic groups of the region to the extent that there is no distinction among them. It was purely invented by the Oromo and it is one of the most remarkable political systems which was highly democratic with effective legislative and judicial institutions. The assembly had the president, two vice presidents and. Second, generational relationship and generation-set are mutually interdependent, due to likened lives and interlocking trajectories across the generations. The Abbaa Boku (the father of scepter) was a chairman who presided over the assembly. Just another site . Leaders are not only elected to position of authority to maintain the laws and the rules of the land but also made accountable for every decision they make during their tenure as councilors of their own constituency and leaders of the society.According to the Borana Oromo Gada System, the Gada is made up of three assemblies of active leaders and their immediate family members called Yaaa. That of a lion which represents strength and domination (4); and. namely the Gada class or the Warra Bora. [2] [3] [4] endobj The rules are to be enforced by different agents who work together. Due to this Borana lost much of their top grazing land far from their central area where they used to take their animals during the drought. In addition to his Harvard PhD dissertation, Legesse has published a book[25] positioning Gadaa as an African democracy that could inform constitutional thinkers. It is appropriate to discuss who can enter into gadamojjii and who is leaving. This is the reason why the Borana Oromo chooses to call the Abba Gada of Harboora Assembly Hayyuu Fiixe, or Adula Fiixe, which literally means the prime councilor. trailer ;.En!PHI the Borana are among the few remaining Oromo tribes to still fully practice the Gadaa system. until they reach the sixth Gadaa grade). This begins when sons join the system as members of Gadaa class (generation class or set) forty years after their fathers and continue passing from one Gadaa grade to the next every eight years. At this Gadaa grade, all elected Gadaa councilors at the kuusaa Gadaa grade will assume power at the sixth Gadaa grade. Defining the term generation is not an easy task especially in a relation to its socio-political relevance for peoples responsibilities and rights characterization. Though the nomenclature of each five cyclic Gadaa classes varies across the Oromo land, in essence, all are the same. Each Gadaa class remains in power during a specific term (Gadaa ) which begins and ends with a formal transfer ceremony. The Borana people are notable for practicing Gadaa system without interruption especially those residing in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, a larger percentage of Boranas in Liban Zone of Somali region and those in central Somalia were Muslims, where as those living in Borena Zone of Ethiopia and those in Kenya majorly practicing Christian and Islamic religion, but few still hold purely to their culture especially those in Sakhu Constituency of Marsabit County. During the ceremony, the boy sang their age-set songs (tunnee) and the songs of Gadaa passage (mokkee). Today we seem to have forgotten these important rules, and cattle invade and damage forests every dry season. The Gadaa system embodies five elements and that is why it is regarded as a complex system as compared to other age-sets among other ethnic groups of East Africa. He takes a seat at the head of the council as he has done, for eight years, since the beginning of his rule. Here the checks and balance is clearly visible, where councils over councils are institutionalized in order to avoid tyranny and dictatorship. @F% The entire grade progresses through eleven different grades, each based on an eight-year cycle, and each with its own set of rights and responsibilities.[20]. Gadaa Grade is the stage of full political maturity and became the ruling party for the following eight years. Hence, it is customary to move from home o home to find their age-mates. Gadaamoojjii Men in the final grade of Gada cycle (72-80 years old) or the retired In 2015, the Gadaa Center at Odaa Bultum was inaugurated and in 2018, the Gadaa Center at Odaa Hullee reinstalled after two centuries of interruption. All Gadaa officials were elected for eight years by universal adult male suffrage. They ensured that the laws made in the higher levels of authority reached the people. Dabballe is the initial Gadaa grade roughly ranging from birth to eight years. First and foremost, one has to be clear that Gadaa class refers to the group of people who share the same status and who perform their rites of passage together. Hence based on the variants they are established on Age-sets may be divided into two: elementary age-sets and complex or advanced age-sets. They were the Gada class or the Warra Bora. 0000001570 00000 n Abba Gadas: The Ancient Borana Leadership System. These elements pop up due to the fact that recruitment to an age-set requires, in systems like Gadaa, generational relationship and in connection with that issues like the time when a son may be initiated to the system and the interval between the father and son are inevitable. However, the Boran did adopt a practical solution to the gap created due to late born sons, commonly known as sons of elders (ilmaan jaarsaa); It refers to sons born to a man that has passed the stage of fatherhood, the Raba grade). The transition rituals by which the genealogical social group (the sons) passes from one grade to the next is performed every eight years during the life cycle. 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. That is, the father and the son cannot be in the same (first or second hemicycle) at the same time. 0000008615 00000 n The parliament, called Gumi Gayo, functions just like a present day senate with the same roles. [7][8][9] Whenever an Abbaa Gadaa dies while exercising his functions, the bokkuu (the symbol of power) passes to his wife and she keeps the bokkuu and proclaims the laws. All activities and life of each and every member of the Oromo was guided by an egalitarian socio-economic and political structure of the society calledtheGadasystem. Shujaa Stories is a production by Tuzi Creatives, Managed by Tuzi Consultancy LTD. Since Jaldessa Liban (the thende facto Abba Gadaa) kept the outgoing class waiting for three months the Borna consider this a most reprehensible failure of Gadaa leadership. The class in power is headed by Abba Gadaa in Borana, Abba Bokku elsewhere. In incorporating the age-classification system, Gadaa is similar to age-sets practiced by the Masai, Kikuyu, and the Nuer. 0000013937 00000 n The decisions made by the traditional councils also affected the use of natural resources. It is an indigenous system of government where leaders are elected to position of authority through the will and active participation of the people they represent.For people who have studied the system and worked with the Gada Councilors, it is absolutely clear that Gada is a functioning democracy. Only those between 32-40 years are allowed to be part of this special Borana Defense Forces. 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. Besides, daballe are free and irresponsible groups. 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). Old and wise as his years, he trudges along, stick in hand.

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