Gadaa

Gadaa[1] (pronounced "Geda" meaning "The Gateway" in Oromoo language) is the indigenous system of governance used by the Oromos in Ethiopia and northern Kenya.

[14][15] The Oromo governed themselves in accordance with the Gadaa system long before the 16th century, when major three party wars commenced between them and the Ethiopian Empire to their north and Adal Sultanate to their east and south.

[18] The Gadaa society was structured into peer groups based on chronological age or genealogical generation called Luba.

In addition to his Harvard PhD dissertation, Legesse has published a book[24] positioning Gadaa as an African democracy that could inform constitutional thinkers.

Primarily, Gadaa system is an ancient philosophy of socio-political system that responsible for regulating Political stability, Economic growth, social services, Cultural commitments, Ethical contract of the religious order of the Oromo society and practice Gadaa Democracy that require equal participation of both male and female.

[27] Considering the symbolic significance of Gadaa for the Oromo, as well as its structural innovations, researchers in law, indigenous studies, and pan-Africanism are exploring how the system could be utilized in the 21st century.

Sirna has analyzed the Gadaa system in relation to deliberative forms of political participation used in Western contexts.

He concludes that the Gadaa systems' technique of 'consensus through dialogue' is unique but firmly rooted in Western democratic norms, and thus well suited to adoption within Ethiopia's federally structured democracy.