LONDON INTERNATIONAL OROMO CULTURE & History Workshop July 4 2009
LONDON INTERNATIONAL OROMO CULTURE & History Workshop July 4 2009
Exploring Oromo Cultural History:
Critical Multi-disciplinary EnquiriesSession 111: Gadla: Past, Present and Future Significance in Oroino History
We are pleased to announce that The London International Oromo Culture and History Workshop is planned to be held in July 4 2009.
The Workshop will be of interest to those interested in understanding their cultural heritage, scholars and students of Oromo studies.Gada is a highly complex system of constitutional governrnent based an indigenous African democratic principles whereby officials are elected every eight years. At its pinnacle Gada was a fully functional complete system of govemance; arguable even superrar, in some aspect, to the modern democratic systems around the globe.
For inistance„ the Gada government has separate legislative (Yaa'ii) and executive (Gumii) Urarsches as as independent judiciary.The Gada system has been the basis of Oromo culture and civilisation which helped the Oromo nation maintain political, economic, social and religious institutions for thousands of years.Unfortunately, the Gada system, as a national institution, has been seriously weakened since the Oromo nation lost its sovereignty around the endml of 19th century. Novetheless, it remains dynamic and in cotinuous existence. In fast,Gada heritage has a great deal af influence an the Oromo identity. collective consciousness, values and tradition and world outlook at all levels.Gada is not only an Oroino cuitural heritage but also a significant World Heritage with huge potential for contribution to the whole of humanity. lt should be part of the school curriculum in Oromia not only as part of history lesson but to broaden the minds of the young Generation.
Further scholarly studies are also required to fully uncover the Gada system itself.This 'Workshop will attempt to take a holistic view of Gada. It will address the role Gada played and is still playing in the life and development of the Oroino society, its contribution to the world's history of democracy and the potential role it can play in the future.
Topics to be covered include:·
- Ideological foundation of the Gada system·
- Philosopliical significance of Gada·
- Gada ritual cycles·
- The role of Gada in warfare·
- State and religion under Gada·
Gada political institutionsVENUE: Room U214, City University London,Northampton Square, London EC1V OHBTRAVEL: Bus: 153, 4 &
56;Underground: Angel Station an Northern Line
WORKSHOP ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
posted by Mana Oromoo Swiss @ 6:27 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Don't concentrate only on the past history of Oromos, but also on the future destiney of thge nation. Try to promote the God- given right of Oromos to self-determination!! If so, they can contribute to the common ground Africa is seeking to forge a united Federal Africa!! Is it not good to find a common ground also with Oromia? What should be the common ground/purpose?
As far as I am concerned the common ground/purpose for our African UNITY must be an attempt of forging Independent Oromia, Independent Tigrai, Independent Amhara…etc in an Integrated Africa. That meanse we need to forge Independent Oromia in an Integrated Africa with Finfinne being the capital of both Oromia and Africa. Oromia being at the center, all languages (nations) in Africa can forge their mononational or multinational states. Africa will be the Language based Federation (Union) of these states with national freedom. Then we can ask the question: which level politician are we? Continental? National? Provincial? District? or Local?
The reason why we dare to ask this question is the following. We nations in Africa suffer from conflicts based on colonial borders and because of disregarding national rights as some thing “ethnic”. This desigantion “ethnic” instead of nation/nationality/people is used by both European colonizers and their puppet African colonizers aka Abyssinians. In reality Africa was borderless, all being called as Ethiopia (meanse black faced in Greek) or Sudan (also meanse black faced in Arab), both refer to land of blacks. It is true all of Africa is land of blacks.
To tackle the problems of nations in Africa and to deal with the present global challenge, Africans are trying to come together and forge an AUG (African Union Government). We are looking at USA or EU as an example. But both can not be good examples. USA is the melting pot for all nations around the world migrating to America and learning english. EU is the Union of well developed and independent mono-national-states, all with their own respective languages good developed and used.
Africa can be neither a melting pot nor a union of well developed only mono-national-states. The nations in Africa are diverse in development and size. What is good for Africa is to build a union (federation) with autonomous national areas for all nations aka “ethnies”.
Based on their size and development, some nations can forge mono-national-state like Oromia. The others, which are too small to have their own state can forge multi-national-state like SNNP of Ethiopia, with all nations having their own Province/Zone, District/Wereda or Community/Qebele as autonomous natonal areas based on their size. Relatively bigger nations like Sidama can have their own autonomous Province, nations smaller than this like Alaba can have autonomous District and the smallest nations like Dorze can have their own Community. Based on their geographical position, certain small nations like Agew and Harari can join the bigger neighbour nations like Amhara or Oromia, but have their own autonomy, be it as province, district or community. Such 5 tier organization (African Federation — Mono-/Multinational States — Mono-/Multinational Provinces — Mono-/Multionational Districts and Mono-/Multinational Communities) is the best way of adiministrative Organization for Africa.
In Short Ethiopian model can be used as that of African, just changing its fake status under Weyane to a very genuine one, for which OLF and the likes are struggling!! Then we will have not only an Integrated region named Ethiopia/HoAfrica, but also an Integrated continent Africa build on the center called Oromia with Finfinne as a capital. The only question we people need to ask our selves is that, at which level are we thinking, talking and walking when we try to deal with politics?? Language Based Federalism (LBF), rather than Geography Based Federalism (GBF), is the panacea for regional integration of Ethiopia/HoAfrica and continental integration of Africa.
LIONBRIGDE INTERPRETATION SERVICES are currently recruiting OROMO speakers in London for freelance work (mainly in hospitals)
Please send your contact details and CV to Sharon.Kavanagh@lionbridge.com
Greetings. My name is Chris McCann, and I am a representative of Family Radio
Family Radio (www.familyradio.com) is an international, non-commercial, non-profit Christian broadcasting ministry which is based in Oakland, California, USA. I am helping to locate translators and voice workers in the Afaan Oromo (and also Amharic) language. We are looking to have Bible studies, our 'Open Forum' program, and/or other programs translated from English into Afaan Oromo and recorded in Afaan Oromo.
These services are needed on an on-going basis, with as much or as little time that you would be willing to offer. As Family Radio requires that translations strictly adhere to the English text, an identification with or a background in Christianity is not required.
If this may be of interest to you and you would like to get further information, please contact me via frtrans_cjm@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to the possibility of hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Chris McCann
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