Dear “Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo”:
It is my pleasure to share with you especially with the young Oromoo Qubee generation the work we have done during your first Gadaa grade or age. The information presented below was posted on Oromian National Academy-ONA discussion forum on December 27, 2002. It was not long time ago but seems long-time if I tell you what was happened then and how some Oromoos understood or perceived Oromummaa in general and Gadaa Oromoo in particular. To mention some, religion was understood as “sensitive issue” to talk about its negative impacts on Oromummaa, it was nearly a taboo to talk about it. As a result, a phrase “traditional Oromoo religion” was preferred over “indigenous Oromoo religion” Waaqeffannaa. It was considered as offensive or exclusive to address Ilmaan Oromoo as Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo; there was considerable resistance or opposition against the display of Fajjii Abbaa Gadaa until recently as Oromoo national color or flag; the Oromoo communities in diaspora have hesitated to display the Oromian favored tri-colors: Black, Red and White to display during protest or to put it on local community office buildings; Some of our people advised us to focus now on struggle for Blisummaa instead of cultural movement such as promoting the Oromoo Gadaa System. There were many Oromoos who mistakenly believed that the Gadaa Oromoo System has been outdated and need to treated as a subject for archive for historians to write about it; they have made a logical mistakes and drew an irrelevant conclusions because they mistakenly assumed that the Oromoo Gadaa System is inconsistent with the current globalized world and therefore it should be put in archive as if it will not serve any purpose and as if it will never come back to life. Another interesting observation was an argument over the use of words such as Oromoo or Oromian, nationality or nation and so on. There were some Oromoo individuals who passionately opposed against the use of the word “Oromian while they were okay with the use of the word Oromo. What was wrong with being an Oromian but right being an Ethiopian?
They never had explicit answer or reason except they were saying that we call ourselves Oromoo and the word Oromian is something new. My logical guess was that Oromian explicitly clashes with Ethiopian. The fear factor was/is boiling down to the reviving of the Oromoo Gadaa Republic of Oromia. There were many other ill-advised views among Oromoos in those days, but it took us few years to correct it, to some extent, thanks to the arrival of our Qubee generation, who have scared duties to put the Oromian house in order first and assume responsibilities slowly, but surly so as to revitalize the Oromoo Gadaa Civilization.
The good news is that the Gadaa Oromoo has come back to life now. Gumii Gadaa in Oromiyaa has already established and Abbaa Gadaa Oromoo on the tour in North America and giving blessings to his Gadaa children, the Oromoos. It’s encouraging and uplifting to see the 2014 Oromoo Communities’ achievements and advancing the Oromoo struggle for freedom. Moreover, the development in Oromiyaa that led by Oromoo Students, and their sacrifices in order to restore Oromoo dignity and identity, culture relevant institutions, symbols, colors, arts and songs, indigenous Oromoo cultural and ritual practices. However, what the Oromoo nation aspired for over a century has not come yet. The Oromoo Nation shall not rest until the Oromoo Gadaa Republic, Oromiyaa / Oromia become Independent and Free from all forms of suppression and exploitations.
The Oromoo Communities in North America have been enjoying the blessing of Abbaa Gadaa Oromoo, the first father of the Oromoo Nation and the first man among equals. Since the Gadaa Oromoo become a reality of life, it is safe to say now hello Ilmaan Abbaa Gadaa Oromoo or Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo. From historical and cultural context Gadaa Oromoo is another name for Oromoo Gadaa Civilization. So it is important to pay attention to the words when we use them. For example, that word Gadaa without Oromoo attachment or the word Oromoo without the Gadaa attachment has nearly empty meaning. Again, Gadaa Oromoo is another name for Oromoo Civilization. Therefore, all Oromoo Community Organizations would be better understood and earn public respect if they identify themselves closely with the Gadaa Oromoo Civilization by revitalizing indigenous Oromoo institutions such as Hammachiisaa by adopting a culture relevant Oromoo name like this one: Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo. This name has been adopted by one of promising Oromoo Communities. That is Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa, the Oromo Community in Las Vegas. I personally proud of community leaders and members for moving on the right direction and inheriting their indigenous Oromoo name, which has culture relevant and let other OC follow their example or model.
This idea needs every individual Oromoo support. Moreover, it needs the support of Oromoo Community leaders, activities and members. This author would like to extend his call to OC leaders in Mediapolis Minnesota, Washington D.C. and all OC in North America, EU, Australia and the rest of the world to consider They have the ability to plan events for Hammachiisa Day at the presence of Abbaa Gadaa and other Abbooti Gadaa Oromoo so as to inherit a culture relevant Oromoo name: Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo for their respective Communities’ Organization. This would allow them to write a new chapter in Oromoo Communities history by revitalizing one of the Gadaa Oromoo Institutions, Hammachiisaa where our future children and grandchildren inherit or get their culture relevant Oromoo names and pass through all stages of socialization during their early years.
Dhiiroo! Let’s make the foot print of Abbaa Gadaa remain with us and our children on the soil of North America and Europe, Australia and other part of the world. Let all OCO around the Globe inherit culture relevant and unifying Oromoo name, Hawaasa Ilmaan Gadaa Oromoo and seek for Abbaa Gadaa’s blessings. This event shall be planned to include all OCO in Diaspora or around the Globe via information technology, media or direct participation by individual representatives from respective Oromoo Community. As you have noticed, every culture and society has individuals who come up with new ideas. People mistakenly think that those who come up with new ideas are the best. This is not partially correct. In my opinion, the best individuals (people, society) are those who have embraced the new ideas and put it into action towards the advancement of their society in terms of culture and economic and scientific progress. If you agree to this point, let’s take this opportunity to engrave the foot print of the first father of our nation, the Abbaa Gadaa on the soil of North America for our children and grad children can celebrate him and plan Hammachiisaa events for every born new Oromoo child in the years to come. So please support this initiative by outreaching to your local OCO leaders and members to plan the event.Finally, thank you for supporting this initiative and wish you all a Happy Irreechaa Oromoo 2014!
Now let me take you to read a cover letter and the chart I posted in December 27, 2002. The chart is intended to show you and contribute to public awareness about an indigenous Oromoo Gadaa Institutions. I hope that it would contribute as a point of reference for those who like conduct scientific research particularly the younger Oromoo students who would like to make institutional research in the area of their interest. I hope also every research conducted on each institution would serve as original work. So her you have it, a gold mining on their backyard. Last, but not least although the chart seems self-explanatory, but I don’t claim that it is a perfect one in way and subject to constructive criticism. I could have been done a better job providing a legend or descriptions to each cell in the rows. The relevance of the information, however, depends on the normative judgment of the reader. The next subject present the cover letter and my reflections as I promised above. Thank you for your time and comments.
Subject: The Gadaa Oromo Organizational Design ( December 27, 2002)
At the forefront, I would like to thank ONA for the opportunities it has opened to all Oromians including my self. As stated in its mission, it is an organization where we members discuss ideas to expand our capacity to create the result we truly desired, where new and vitalizing patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where we members are truly learning how to learn together.
The attached document is the Gadaa Oromo Organizational Design (GOOD) or The Gadaa Oromo Institutional Structure (GOIS) design, hand-crafted, has completed. As a good citizen of Oromiyaa, I am very much pleased for this little contribution I made toward the goal of ONA and the good cause of Oromians.
I must acknowledge and thank those enthusiastic Oromians who started designing the Gadaa Oromo structure and those who enrich this beautiful work with their inputs via network discussion during its realization. We have built this chart together. It represents our home, culture, aspiration and our oromian’s identity.
I submit this work to ONA hoping that it will be used for practical purposes; re-building Sirna Gadaa Oromoo (SGO), which has been declined over time under the deliberate suppression of successive Ethiopian government, starting from local assembly (Caffee Balbaala) to national assembly (Caffee Gadaa Oromoo) in Oromiyaa based on this comprehensive design.
I sincerely believe that, the realization of this chart should be and must be an indisputable job of this generation. Gadaa Oromoo is just our national heritage; it is an innate identity of oromians. Therefore, we have extraordinary responsibilities to practice SGO and at the same time commit to scarify our time, energy, money and knowledge in order to furnish our nation and the next generations with those indigenous values- Sirna Gadaa Oromoo. We need to be also a better generation as compare to our forefathers or predecessors since our world of today is much better, in relative terms, than their world in the past. If we do not help ourselves for better future, nobody else help us. It’s a matter of to be or not to be!
Last, but not least I am so glad having this opportunity to express my feelings and moreover looking forward to see my father’s, obboo Ejjetaa Baanee, 82, inauguration of Buutta or Gadaa Duuloo in June 2003 in Central Oromiyaa! As a result, starting from now onwards my official signature includes the phrase Ilma Abbaa Gadaa.
It is a matter of time, generation and commitment, a liberated and free Gadaa Republic of Oromiyaa shall be re-established by the united forces and resources of the Oromo nation!
The Oromoo Gadaa System the Oromian and African “Living Dinosaur” is on the move!
Nahoofkalsha!
(Mitiku) Iddoosaa Ejeta Banae Ilma Abbaa Gadaa
Enclosure: The Gadaa Oromoo Institutional Structure, 3rd draft and final, designed for ONA by (Mitiku) Iddoosaa Ejeta Banae, Ph.D. Date: December 25, 2002.
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* About the Author: Iddoosaa Ejjetaa, Ph.D., Ilma Abbaa Gadaa, native to Oromiyaa/Oromia. Independent and Naturalist Thinker; An activist and advocator for the revitalization of Authentic Oromummaa, Oromoo Indigenous knowledge and institutions, and for the formation of Biyyaa Abbaa Gadaa,Oromiyaa- The Gadaa Republic of Oromia.
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