Gadaa (Oromo: Gadaa; literally: era) anɛ yʋʋmpʋgʋdʋgin wada suokanɛ ka Oromos bɛ Ethiopia la nɛ northern Kenya dim da dɔlli guri ba nidib ka daʋŋ ka’asigɛ.[1] Di anɛ bʋnkanɛ ka Konso nɛ Gedeo nidib banɛ bɛ southern Ethiopia la mɛ dɔlisid mɛn. Suor la gɔsid pɔlitis nwɛ’ɛb yɛla, da’ diib yɛla, nidib bɛllim nɛ pʋ’ʋsim nam yɛla sʋ’ʋlim la ni.[2][3][4]

Gadaa
democracy
Country of originEthiopia Dɛmisim gbɛlima
Intangible cultural heritage statusRepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Dɛmisim gbɛlima
Described at URLhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/01164, https://ich.unesco.org/fr/RL/01164, https://ich.unesco.org/es/RL/01164 Dɛmisim gbɛlima

Gadaa nii, yʋma anii wʋsa, Oromo la na gaŋ tuon gatiba awai ka ba buoni ba ye Salgan ya’ii Borana (Borana nam awai la’asʋg).[5][6] Tuon gat ka gadaa suor la gaŋ na mɔri o kpɛŋ la yʋma anii ma’aa, ka ba maan vɔɔtʋg yʋma anii la naarin.[7][8][9] Sankanɛ ka Abbaa Gadaa maal ka’alim o tʋʋma ni, ba nɔkid bokkuu (dinɛ pa’an paŋ) lanɛ tisi o pʋ’a ka o su’a bokkuu la ka tʋm wada tʋʋma.[10]

Gada da nyɛ suori paas UNESCO ni ye di an Intangible Cultural Heritage din yi yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ ayuobʋ (2016) la ni sa.[11] Di anɛ pʋtɛn’ɛkanɛ da yi Oromo onɛ yi Madda Walabu districtI bɛ Oromia la.[12][13] Oromo nidib nyɛ di ka di paasi ba common heritage ni ka lɛn an malʋŋ kanɛ pa’an ban yi zin’isi’a.[14] Di anɛ suokanɛ ka Oromo nidib dɔlisidi zanli ba nidib dɔlisid wada suor yʋma dinɛ ka’ bɛnnɛ.[15][16]

Oromo nidib da zanli ba mɛŋnɛ dɔlisid Gadaa zi’esim la hali ka 16th century nam pʋ paae, zab titada atan da paae ban nɛ nimbanɛ bɛ Ethiopian Empire la lɛbid north nɛ Adal Sultanate lɛbid ya-nya’aŋ nɛ ya-datiʋŋ. Di nyɔɔd anɛ ye Oromo da nyaŋ Kristo biis pʋ’ʋsimMɔɔm pʋ’ʋsim suoya wʋsa. Borana nɛ Guji nidib banɛ kpi’e nɛ Ethiopian nɛ Kenyan titɔdogon la ka ba nyaŋi maan Gadaa malima ka daʋŋ ka’asigɛ. Oromia teŋkanɛ bɛ Federal system of Ethiopia la, Gadaa tʋʋma suor la da pin’ili bɛ Oromia sʋ’ʋlim wʋsa. Yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ anu (2015) la ni, ba da zuŋ Gadaa Center dinɛ bɛ Odaa Bultum ka yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ anii (2018) la ni, ba da lɛbis Gadaa Center dinɛ bɛ Odaa Hullee la zi’el din da paam daʋŋ century nam ayi la.[17][18] Yʋʋm tusa ayi nɛ piinɛ awai (2019) la ni, Bule Hora University da zuŋ master's degree program in Gadaa studies.[19]

Luba

Gadaa society da pʋnɛ dɔlis yʋʋma an si’em nɛ tuŋ-tuŋ ka ba buoni di ye Luba. Luba anɛ dasam banɛ banɛ an yinne zɛm ka yi tuŋ yinne ni. Di nɔbʋgidnɛ dɔlisid nidib piinɛ yinne banɛ an kɔn’ɔb kɔn’ɔb, ka yinne wʋsa tiakid yʋma anii pʋʋgin ka yinne wʋsa mɛ mɔri di nyadi nɛ di tʋʋma.[20]

Gadaa Grades[21]
Daballe Junior Gaammee Foollee Kuusaa Raabaa Doorii Gadaa Yuuba I Yuuba II & III Gadaamoojjii Jaarsa
Age 0-8 9-16 17-24 25-32 33-40 41-48 49-56 57-64 & 65-72 73-80 >80
Characters No responsibility Student Military trainee Military Warrior Leader Advisor Repositories of law Conducts Rites No responsibility

Grade wusa naanid tuŋ yinne ken yinne ninɛ yʋma anii pʋʋgin.

Baallii

Baallii anɛ ban na nɔk kpɛŋ/paŋ yi Gadaa yinne ken tuŋ kanɛ tia’al.

Gadaa Party (Gogeessa Gadaa)

Gadaa partinam anu la anɛ dinɛ ka ba buon ye shanan Gadaa Oromoo. Parti bama dɔlnɛ dunia wʋsa gɔsʋgnama anu banɛ ka Oromo nidib gɔsid la. Gadaa partinama anu la tunnɛ dɔl taaba ka di’esid paŋ la tia’asid taaba. Paati wʋsa ɛɛnti di’e paŋ la yimmʋ yʋma pisnaasi pʋʋgin. Dinzug, Gadaa paatinama anu la pʋ nya’ad taaba onɛ na lieb kpɛɛm sansi’aa, amaa nya’ab la bɛnɛ nimbanɛ bɛ paati yinne ni. Gadaa paatinama anu la mɔrnɛ yʋda kɔn’ɔb kɔn’ɔb; ka yʋ’ʋban anɛ; Boorana, Maccaa-Tuulama, Arsii, Gujii and Ituu-Humbannaa.[22][23]

Gadaa Parties
Boorana Maccaa-Tuulama Arsii Gujii Ituu-Humbannaa
Meelba / Harmufaa Birmajii Birmajii Harmufa Horata
Muudana / Roobalee Michilee / Muudana Roobalee Roobalee Dibbaaqa
Kiilolee / Birmajii Duuloo / Halchiisa Bahara Muudana Dibbeessa
Biifolee / Muldhata Meelbaa / Hambissaa Horata Halchiisa Fadata
Michilee / Duuloo Roobalee Daraara
  1. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/gada-system-an-indigenous-democratic-socio-political-system-of-the-oromo-01164
  2. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/gada-system-an-indigenous-democratic-socio-political-system-of-the-oromo-01164
  3. https://ollaa.org/introduction-to-gadaa-system/
  4. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234668768.pdf
  5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301650149
  6. https://books.google.com/books?id=_XwN2JdMYM4C
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=XM-PAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA137
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=HVGRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA128
  9. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkJpBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA483
  10. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejossah/article/download/159459/149011
  11. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/gada-system-an-indigenous-democratic-socio-political-system-of-the-oromo-01164
  12. https://www.opride.com/2017/11/17/heroic-send-off-aliyi-cirri-pioneer-oromo-freedom-fighter/
  13. http://www.mwu.edu.et/?q=node/283
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418151410/https://www.oromiatourism.gov.et/attachments/article/13/The%20%20Gada%20system.pdf
  15. https://ethiopianembassy.be/2016/12/01/gada-system-inscribed-in-unesco-as-intangible-world-heritage/
  16. https://hornaffairs.com/2016/12/01/description-oromo-gada-system/
  17. https://oromianeconomist.com/category/odaa-bultum/
  18. https://www.ju.edu.et/?q=featured-stories/journey-revitalizing-gadaa-odaa-hullee-tracing-jimma-university%E2%80%99s-unwavering
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20200601185946/http://bhu.edu.et/news
  20. https://participedia.xyz/method/4865
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20230614115143/https://www.addisherald.com/chapter-6-gadaa-grades/
  22. https://journals.ju.edu.et/index.php/gadaa/issue/download/3/c
  23. https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo/oduu-42218860