Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political SystemRed Sea Press, 2000 - 282 pages "This book reveals the many creative solutions an African society found for problems that people encounter when they try to establish a democratic system of governing their affairs. In much of what has been written about Africa ... Little is ever shown of indigenous African democratic systems, under which there is distribution of authority and responsibility across various strata of society, and where warriors are subordinated to deliberative assemblies, customary laws are revised periodically by a national convention, and elected leaders are limited to a single eight-year terms of office and subjected to public review in the middle of their term. All these ideals and more are enshrined in the five-century old constitution of the Oromo of Ethiopia, which is the subject matter of this book. In this book, Legesse brings into sharp focus the polycephalous or "multi-headed" system of government of the Oromo, which is based on clearly defined division of labor and checks and balances between different institutions. Revealing the inherent dynamism and sophistication of this indigenous African political system, Legasse also shows in clear and lucid language that the system has had a long and distinguished history, during which the institutions changed by deliberate legislation, and evolved and adapted with time."--Amazon.com. |
Contents
Chapter | 1 |
Oromo Dual Organization and the Qallu Institution | 133 |
Chapter 5 | 195 |
Copyright | |
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16th century Abba Gada Abba Muda Abyssinian activities age sets age-sets Amhara ancient moieties anthropology Antoine d'Abbadie Arero Arsi Asmarom Legesse assimilated authority Bahrey Bahrey's Barentu Barettuma Baxter Bokku Borana moiety British ceremony clan colonial councilors cradleland democratic dual organization E.E. Evans-Pritchard elected electors Emperor Ethiopia Ethiopian Studies Ethiopianist ethnographic eties evidence fact Gabaro Gabra Gada and Qallu Gada assembly Gada chronology gada classes Gada council Gada leaders gada period Gada system Galla Galma Gona groups Gumi Harar hariyya hayyu Ibid Karrayyu Kenya laws leadership Liban lineage luba Maasai Macch'a Madha Marsabit Max Gluckman Menelik migration military organization national assembly Northern Kenya Orma Oromo country Oromo culture Oromo democracy Oromo institutions Oromo nation Oromo polity Oromo society Oromo warfare Paul Baxter political system Qallu institution Raba regiments ritual leaders role Sabbo Salviac senior Shoan social southern Borana Southern Ethiopia structure territory tion traditional Warra Qallu warriors Western