Oduu Haaraya

JUXTAPOSING DEMOCRACY WITH THE GADA SYSTEM OF THE OROMO PEOPLE

 

Part V

 

By Odaa Hora

 

Where does Gada depart from Democracy?

 

In part IV the premise of the Gada System of the Oromo people that the law stands above all men and the principle of accountability: the role of confession and penalty in comparison to democracy was thoroughly elucidated, and this part continues with:

 

5) Separation of Religious, Ritual, and Political domains

 

We know for granted that mankind began in Africa, and religious thought began where man-kind began, the earliest paradigm of social reality that was based on the development of the dual elements, language and religious thoughts that led humanity in the arts of group cohesion, social organizations, and psych-spiritual matrix “software” called religion devised in the development of human civilizations from time immemorial.

 

In Oromo worldview and mythology, Waaqyyo nama uumane, kan affee Namatu uuma, in English God created human beings and the rest, such as languages Amantii (Religion, Spirit), Ideology, Social Laws, Moral and, Ethical norms etc created by human. Here it is very crucial to draw a line between the male-dominated versions of the religion of the Hebrew writings and its transitions in many languages that come later in a written form and teaches that God spoke with somebody else, a human and he wrote nothing else but Gods word and it is immutable.

 

According to the Oromo Mythology Waaqqa per se is invisible, but his deed is visible. Mankind has ever seen and never spoken with Waaqa late alone to write his words. I have no doubt it may seem very hard for some of us to digest, but that is the fact and the history of what is called Religion. Fact is with whatever book and its version one identifies to it, it is still a book and written by a human at one time and place and socio-cultural environments of that suit particular community in concern and further dissemination via seas and oceans with whatever means possible.

 

Today, it is firmly established that humanity’s cultural journey began in the rift valley region of East Africa and the Oromo’s are the largest inhabitants of the region who developed their own unique Gada system and Ammantii (Religion) called Waaqqeffannaa, (the Supreme Omnipotent God).

 

As we all eager to know and raise a question, when the Gada System of the Oromo people began, is equivalent to ask and find an accurate date to when do mankind begin to think communally and invented and established some sorts of regulatory norms, morals, ethics and Amantii (Religion). That being said, according to Oromo traditional time reckoning, it is conservatively calculated that the Gada system was about 4000 years old before the Current Era (BCE).

 

The psycho-spiritual social contract and transcendental “software” system called Amantii inspired from the universe in which mankind lived and the nexus between himself and the world around him to fulfill his own desire and live in harmony that profoundly affected humanity and human civilizations transmitted from one to the next generation from time Immemorial.

 

The English word Religion has of Latin stem re (again) and lego (to consider carefully, or sense of choose) possibly traced to the era of by MT Cicero Roman Statesman in 63 BC initially used as tool to consolidate power and control resources via Rome proper that holds true to the very date if one dig deep to its root and what was committed under the masks of religion to the very date.

 

As Greek is credited to bring civilizations to Rome and Rome is credited to bring Civilizations to Europe created an empire where religion and politics have been two faces of the same coin where it lost the psycho-spiritual, moral, ethical and social norms of guides role at least for the last two and half millennium to the very date.

 

As a result, we will find a number of states and political parts operating by attesting religious names to themselves today. For instance, the current ruling party in Germany is the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) established in June 1945 just to name

 

In contrast, in Gada System of the Oromo people, there is a strict demarcation, duties, and responsibility between religious activities and administrative activities and corresponding leadership. Here departs the Oromo meaning of Amanttii and what the European call religion and its purpose.

 

The Gada system strictly draws a demarcation between political and religious roles and responsibilities and accountability accordingly. In spiritual, ritual, religious activities, the corresponding Qalluu, the most knowledgeable once on the subject takes the responsibility to lead all procedures and ceremonies, such as in occasion of celebrations of Muuda (anointment), Eeba (blessing) ceremonies etc.

 

In cases of the Oromo political affair, the Gummi (Counsel) assembly and its corresponding qualified Abba Gada takes the leading position and management of the tasks in concerns. As our elders say: Wanti hundii bakka ykn iddoo qaba- means when translated everything has its own place and role. More importantly, they both works in concert, mutual respects, peace, love to each other and responsibility according to the position owed and the accomplishment its duties accordingly guided by the principle and the laws of the Gada in the Oromo society fertilizing and e, harmonizing with each other for the general wellbeing of their society.

 

In contrast, in the western Greco-Roman extensions of democracy, the top-down command, master-servant relationships have been a deep-rooted perception and extended acculturalization that holds true throughout their history and turned to the norm of the standard operations of the system.

 

6). Period of Testing: Time gap between election investiture

 

One of the very dangerous procedures performed in a western democracy has been the qualification of the unqualified person in the highest leadership positions. In a sense, one gives scalpels to the unqualified surgeon to carry out neurosurgery. As we have destined to witness, a candidate may wake up one morning coming from no-where and is intended to be elected as a president or Chancellor, etc., The only thing to accomplishes is what was called election campaign. Here begins the politics: a racket to steal money from the people.

 

By self-profiling with vapid rhetoric, with little or nil-experience for this specific positions within a short period of time the candidate restlessly begin manipulating almost all means of communications, mass media to steal the voice of the mainstream citizen.

 

The candidate’s feds the voters with words that entertain them most to steal their voice such as patriotism, bravery, grandiosity, a messiah born to solve their problem just to catapult and hold the power in the higher office and to lead the nation of that particular state. Once the voice of the people was stolen and power is gained, the real face of the winner which the voters do know nothing in defacto, and also rarely told the truth in mass media will take its path.

 

As a result, we do see a number of tyrannical “leaders” in the world. There is no mandatory period of testing the candidate’s activity in real societal activates pros and cons. There are no systems of the establishment of checking the candidate and tell about the real CV to avoid if he or she is qualified for the job. That is why the western democracy was and is amorphous and proved to be open to a tyrant, power abusers.

 

As Prof. Asmarom wrote how the Borana elder responded to the system western democracy and how the people elect their leaders. The Borana elder said “electing a man after hearing him give self-praising speeches is no wiser than marrying a woman after watching her sing and dance in the company of a crowd of admiring warriors.”

 

It the western democracy it is a standard establishment that one can simply weak up one morning from nowhere and says: I will candidate for the presidential election for next year, and begin to gamble with false promises, diabolic lies, and pseudo-patriotism propaganda, bravery, etc., and that was exactly the way most of the tyrants and power abusers catapulted to the political power and committed a crime against humanity under the masks of democracy know in the history of human civilization to the present day.

In the Gada system of the Oromo people the training, educations of the future candidate by master teachers for this specific and the highest responsibility position begins from the time a candidate is 21 years old and found in the Foolle or Gammee gurgudda,3rd Gada grade to its entry to the Gada grade at 40 years old. In other words, the candidate possesses the wisdom and training for half of his life.

 

odaahora @gmail.com

 

Kan Hanqate Waaqni Itti Ya Guutu!!!

 

Visit https://oromolands.blogspot.com

 

INJIFATNOON KAN UMMATA OROMOOTI!!!!!!

 

References

 

Asmarom Legesse  Oromo Democracy an Indigenous African Political System. The red Sea Press, Asmara, 2000.

 

Asmarom Legesse  Three approaches to the study of African society. The Free Press, New York,1973

 

Dirribii Demesse  Ilaacha Oromoo. Finfinne, 2000

JUXTAPOSING DEMOCRACY WITH THE GADA SYSTEM OF THE OROMO PEOPLE

 

Part V

 

By Odaa Hora

 

Where does Gada depart from Democracy?

 

In part IV the premise of the Gada System of the Oromo people that the law stands above all men and the principle of accountability: the role of confession and penalty in comparison to democracy was thoroughly elucidated, and this part continues with:

 

5) Separation of Religious, Ritual, and Political domains

 

We know for granted that mankind began in Africa, and religious thought began where man-kind began, the earliest paradigm of social reality that was based on the development of the dual elements, language and religious thoughts that led humanity in the arts of group cohesion, social organizations, and psych-spiritual matrix “software” called religion devised in the development of human civilizations from time immemorial.

 

In Oromo worldview and mythology, Waaqyyo nama uumane, kan affee Namatu uuma, in English God created human beings and the rest, such as languages Amantii (Religion, Spirit), Ideology, Social Laws, Moral and, Ethical norms etc created by human. Here it is very crucial to draw a line between the male-dominated versions of the religion of the Hebrew writings and its transitions in many languages that come later in a written form and teaches that God spoke with somebody else, a human and he wrote nothing else but Gods word and it is immutable.

 

According to the Oromo Mythology Waaqqa per se is invisible, but his deed is visible. Mankind has ever seen and never spoken with Waaqa late alone to write his words. I have no doubt it may seem very hard for some of us to digest, but that is the fact and the history of what is called Religion. Fact is with whatever book and its version one identifies to it, it is still a book and written by a human at one time and place and socio-cultural environments of that suit particular community in concern and further dissemination via seas and oceans with whatever means possible.

 

Today, it is firmly established that humanity’s cultural journey began in the rift valley region of East Africa and the Oromo’s are the largest inhabitants of the region who developed their own unique Gada system and Ammantii (Religion) called Waaqqeffannaa, (the Supreme Omnipotent God).

 

As we all eager to know and raise a question, when the Gada System of the Oromo people began, is equivalent to ask and find an accurate date to when do mankind begin to think communally and invented and established some sorts of regulatory norms, morals, ethics and Amantii (Religion). That being said, according to Oromo traditional time reckoning, it is conservatively calculated that the Gada system was about 4000 years old before the Current Era (BCE).

 

The psycho-spiritual social contract and transcendental “software” system called Amantii inspired from the universe in which mankind lived and the nexus between himself and the world around him to fulfill his own desire and live in harmony that profoundly affected humanity and human civilizations transmitted from one to the next generation from time Immemorial.

 

The English word Religion has of Latin stem re (again) and lego (to consider carefully, or sense of choose) possibly traced to the era of by MT Cicero Roman Statesman in 63 BC initially used as tool to consolidate power and control resources via Rome proper that holds true to the very date if one dig deep to its root and what was committed under the masks of religion to the very date.

 

As Greek is credited to bring civilizations to Rome and Rome is credited to bring Civilizations to Europe created an empire where religion and politics have been two faces of the same coin where it lost the psycho-spiritual, moral, ethical and social norms of guides role at least for the last two and half millennium to the very date.

 

As a result, we will find a number of states and political parts operating by attesting religious names to themselves today. For instance, the current ruling party in Germany is the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) established in June 1945 just to name

 

In contrast, in Gada System of the Oromo people, there is a strict demarcation, duties, and responsibility between religious activities and administrative activities and corresponding leadership. Here departs the Oromo meaning of Amanttii and what the European call religion and its purpose.

 

The Gada system strictly draws a demarcation between political and religious roles and responsibilities and accountability accordingly. In spiritual, ritual, religious activities, the corresponding Qalluu, the most knowledgeable once on the subject takes the responsibility to lead all procedures and ceremonies, such as in occasion of celebrations of Muuda (anointment), Eeba (blessing) ceremonies etc.

 

In cases of the Oromo political affair, the Gummi (Counsel) assembly and its corresponding qualified Abba Gada takes the leading position and management of the tasks in concerns. As our elders say: Wanti hundii bakka ykn iddoo qaba- means when translated everything has its own place and role. More importantly, they both works in concert, mutual respects, peace, love to each other and responsibility according to the position owed and the accomplishment its duties accordingly guided by the principle and the laws of the Gada in the Oromo society fertilizing and e, harmonizing with each other for the general wellbeing of their society.

 

In contrast, in the western Greco-Roman extensions of democracy, the top-down command, master-servant relationships have been a deep-rooted perception and extended acculturalization that holds true throughout their history and turned to the norm of the standard operations of the system.

 

6). Period of Testing: Time gap between election investiture

 

One of the very dangerous procedures performed in a western democracy has been the qualification of the unqualified person in the highest leadership positions. In a sense, one gives scalpels to the unqualified surgeon to carry out neurosurgery. As we have destined to witness, a candidate may wake up one morning coming from no-where and is intended to be elected as a president or Chancellor, etc., The only thing to accomplishes is what was called election campaign. Here begins the politics: a racket to steal money from the people.

 

By self-profiling with vapid rhetoric, with little or nil-experience for this specific positions within a short period of time the candidate restlessly begin manipulating almost all means of communications, mass media to steal the voice of the mainstream citizen.

 

The candidate’s feds the voters with words that entertain them most to steal their voice such as patriotism, bravery, grandiosity, a messiah born to solve their problem just to catapult and hold the power in the higher office and to lead the nation of that particular state. Once the voice of the people was stolen and power is gained, the real face of the winner which the voters do know nothing in defacto, and also rarely told the truth in mass media will take its path.

 

As a result, we do see a number of tyrannical “leaders” in the world. There is no mandatory period of testing the candidate’s activity in real societal activates pros and cons. There are no systems of the establishment of checking the candidate and tell about the real CV to avoid if he or she is qualified for the job. That is why the western democracy was and is amorphous and proved to be open to a tyrant, power abusers.

 

As Prof. Asmarom wrote how the Borana elder responded to the system western democracy and how the people elect their leaders. The Borana elder said “electing a man after hearing him give self-praising speeches is no wiser than marrying a woman after watching her sing and dance in the company of a crowd of admiring warriors.”

 

It the western democracy it is a standard establishment that one can simply weak up one morning from nowhere and says: I will candidate for the presidential election for next year, and begin to gamble with false promises, diabolic lies, and pseudo-patriotism propaganda, bravery, etc., and that was exactly the way most of the tyrants and power abusers catapulted to the political power and committed a crime against humanity under the masks of democracy know in the history of human civilization to the present day.

In the Gada system of the Oromo people the training, educations of the future candidate by master teachers for this specific and the highest responsibility position begins from the time a candidate is 21 years old and found in the Foolle or Gammee gurgudda,3rd Gada grade to its entry to the Gada grade at 40 years old. In other words, the candidate possesses the wisdom and training for half of his life.

 

odaahora @gmail.com

 

Kan Hanqate Waaqni Itti Ya Guutu!!!

 

Visit https://oromolands.blogspot.com

 

INJIFATNOON KAN UMMATA OROMOOTI!!!!!!

 

References

 

Asmarom Legesse  Oromo Democracy an Indigenous African Political System. The red Sea Press, Asmara, 2000.

 

Asmarom Legesse  Three approaches to the study of African society. The Free Press, New York,1973

 

Dirribii Demesse  Ilaacha Oromoo. Finfinne, 2000

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