The Gadaa System and Some of Its Institutions among the Booranaa: A Historical Perspective1

Abstract

The Oromo people are governed by the historic Gadaa system as their political culture. Traditionally, the Oromo believed in a supreme deity, Waaqa/Waaqayoo (God) but eventually most of them were converted to Christianity and Islam without necessarily giving up Waaqeffannaa cultural and ritual practices since it is similar to both as a monotheistic religion. Nevertheless, the Booranaa Oromo have strongly maintained the cultural heritage of the original Gadaa intact. Based on the secondary literature and my fieldwork among the Booranaa, this paper attempts to address the Gadaa system and some of its traditional institutions which are operational among the Booranaa Oromo. It mainly focuses on mechanisms of conflict resolution or management used by the Booranaa to serve the society. It will also highlight that the traditional mechanisms of settling disputes and/or preventing it among the Booranaa in the context of the Gadaa system are much more closer to the hearts and minds of the people and are more helpful than the modern system of governance, particularly for maintaining sustainable peace, tranquility and prosperity.

Keywords: Booranaa, Gadaa, Democracy, Institutions, Conflict management,
Waaqeeffannaa, Siinqee, Jaarsaa