October 14, 2014 | By Iddoosaa Ejjetaa*
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Gadaa Oromoo System has been outdated and need to treated as a subject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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