Gadaa

**Gadaa** (Oromo: *Gadaa*; literally: era) be de indigenous democratic system of governance de Oromos for Ethiopia den northern Kenya dey use. De Konso den Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia sanso dey practice am. De system dey regulate political, economic, social den religious activities of de community.

Under Gadaa, every eight years, de Oromo go choose by consensus nine leaders dem know as *Salgan ya’ii Borana* (de nine Borana assemblies). Leader dem elect by de gadaa system dey remain for power insyd for 8 years per, plus election dey take place for de end of those 8 years.  Weneva *Abbaa Gadaa* die while dey exercise ein functions, d*e bokkuu* (de symbol of power) dey pass to ein wife wey she dey keep de bokkuu den proclaim de laws.

UNESCO inscribe de Gada system as Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2016. Ebe de brainchild of Oromo from de Madda Walabu district of Oromia. Oromo people regard de system as dema common heritage den as major part of dema cultural identity. Ebe de system plus na wey de Oromo people dey govern dema body insyd democratic way for centuries.

De Oromo govern dema body in accordance plus de Gadaa system long before de 16th century, wen major three party wars commence between dem den de Ethiopian Empire go dema north den Adal Sultanate go dema east den south. Na de result be say Oromo absorb de Christian den Islam religions. Na de Borana den Guji groups wey dey near de Ethiopian-Kenyan border dey practice Gadaa widout interruption. For de state of Oromia under de Federal system of Ethiopia insyd, de Gadaa system start renaissance across Oromia. For 2015 insyd, na dem inaugurate de Gadaa Center for Odaa Bultum insyd wey for 2018 insyd, dem reinstall de Gadaa Center for Odaa Hullee after two centuries of interruption. Insyd 2019, Bule Hora University launch master's degree program insyd Gadaa studies.

## Characteristics

### Luba
Na dem structure de Gadaa society go peer groups dem base for chronological age anaa genealogical generation dem bell *Luba*. Each *luba* dey consist of all de sons for anoda particular class insyd. De entire grade dey progress thru eleven different grades, each base for eight-year cycle, wey each plus ein own set of rights den responsibilities.

De grade dey pass from one stage of development go de next every eight years.

### Baallii
*Baallii* be process of transferring power from one Gadaa party go de next.

### Gadaa Party (''Gogeessa Gadaa'')
Five Gadaa parties dey wey dem know as *shanan Gadaa Oromoo*. Dese parties dey follow de five world views of de Oromo people. De five Gadaa parties orderly dey cam to power. Party dey cam to power once every forty years. Hence, der no go be direct competition among de five Gadaa parties, rada de competition go be among individuals for party insyd. De five Gadaa parties get different names among Boorana, Maccaa-Tuulama, Arsii, Gujii den Ituu-Humbannaa.

## Research
Number of scholars study Gadaa. Legesse rep say Gadaa be *"one of the most astonishing and instructive turns the evolution of human society has taken"*. In addition for ein Harvard PhD dissertation, Legesse publish book wey dey position Gadaa as African democracy wey fi inform constitutional thinkers. De late Donald Levine claim say Gadaa be *"one of the most complex systems of social organization ever devised by the human imagination"*. For Jalata, Gadaa dey represent *"the totality of Oromo civilization"*.

## References


## Bibliography

* Ulrich Braukämper, *Layers Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia* (2003)
* Joseph Van de Loo, "Guji Oromo Culture in Southern Ethiopia." Berlin: Reimer, 1991.
* Asmarom Legesse, "Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society", 1973
* Donald Levine, "Greater Ethiopia: The Evolution of a Multiethnic Society", 1974
* Asmarom Legesse, "Oromo Democracy: an Indigenous African Political System", 2006
* Asafa Jalata, Gadaa (Oromo Democracy): An Example of Classical African Civilization, Journal of Pan-African Studies (2012)
* Tenna Dewo. 2008. The Concept of Peace in the Oromo Gadaa System: Its Mechanisms and Moral Dimension. *Journal of Oromo Studies* 15.1: 139-180. Web access
* Z. Sirna, "Ethiopia: When the Gadaa Democracy Rules in a Federal State", 2012
* Participedia Contributors, "The Gadaa System of the Oromo People," last modified September 7, 2018, Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053728/https://participedia.xyz/method/4865