Registration is Closed
Oct.18th 11:59pmEST
- Gadaa System 101
- Earn a Certificate upon completion
- Beginner/Foundational Level
- 100% online courses
Join our resident Gadaa Scholar, Dr. Teferi N. Tafa, in the Intro to the Gadaa System class to learn the importance of the Gadaa system & its guiding ideology for democracy. This is a rare opportunity as knowledgeable elders are dying, the indigenous intellectuals are diminishing, and it is becoming increasingly important to reform Gadaa to current Oromo reality.
The first and unique course so far!
Gada is a traditional system of governance used by the Oromo people in Ethiopia developed from knowledge gained by community experience over generations. The system regulates political, economic, social, and religious activities of the community dealing with issues such as conflict resolution, reparation, and protecting women’s rights. It serves as a mechanism for enforcing moral conduct, building social cohesion, and expressing forms of community culture. Gada is organized into five classes with one of these functioning as the ruling class consisting of a chairperson, officials, and an assembly. Each class progresses through a series of grades before it can function in authority with the leadership changing on a rotational basis every eight years. Class membership is open to men, whose fathers are already members, while women are consulted for decision-making on protecting women’s rights. The classes are taught by oral historians covering history, laws, rituals, time reckoning, cosmology, myths, rules of conduct, and the function of the Gada system. Meetings and ceremonies take place under a sycamore tree (considered the Gada symbol) while major clans have established Gada centers and ceremonial spaces according to territory.
Knowledge about the Gada system is transmitted to children in the home. There is no school teaching Gada philosophy yet. The elder people are dying, and the indigenous intellectuals are diminishing. However, since Gada is inscribed on UNESCO and the Ethiopian government announced to consider it to use a guiding ideology, interests to learn Gada system is increasing.
Therefore, it is very important and timely to open Gada school now.
Books
- Oromo indigenous Political philosophy, 2020, Abdi Kitessa
- Gada: three approaches to the study of African society, 1963 Asmarom Legesse
- Sacred Knowledge Traditions of the Oromo of the Horn of Africa, 2020 Gemechu Megersa
- The Secret Death of abba Gada, 2020 Teferi Tafa
Evaluation
- 2 Papers 15% each
- 2 Quiz 15% each
- Class attendance and participation 10%
- Final exam 30%
You should complete the course to get the certificate
Weekly Schedule
- Week 1: (October 25): Introduction to Gada System
- Week 2: (November 1): Gada History, Gada Age System
- Week 3: (November 8): Gada Party System, Oromo Historical Sites, Gada Material Culture
- Week 4: (November 15): Gada Administrative Structure, Gada Military Structure, Sinqe
- Week 5 (November 22): Oromo Calendar, Reforming and the Future of Gada