Gadaa Across Domains: A Long-Term Study of an African Democratic Institution

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic and multi-national state with historically complex and often contentious internal relations. This book explores the history of the gadaa system, hailed in the post-colonial context as a paradigmatic example of African democratic institutions and a powerful symbol of Oromo political emancipation. This customary institution has undergone a revival independent of international indigenous rights frameworks and now holds significant potential as a mechanism for protecting the common resources of communities and peoples in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. The first part of this volume is devoted to describing the gadaa institution among the ­Oromo-Borana, where it continued to operate throughout the nineteenth century, a period in which it almost disappeared in other Oromo areas. The second part outlines the history of top-down interactions with customary institutions in Oromo-Borana areas, addressing national and international development, biodiversity conservation, and especially politics and inter-ethnic conflict. The third part broadens the focus from the Borana to the wider Oromo and Ethiopian contexts.

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