The phrase Sha Hoi Ba traces its origin in the languages spoken in southern Ethiopia, particularly in Gamo. Practically, it implies that there is a strong concept of oneness among the people speaking languages that have the same root despite their dialectical differences.
Speakers of different dialects within the same language, to some extent can understand one another. There is that thread of unity that binds their cultures, which are more of similar, creating an affinity of one belonging to the other. Close connection or structural resemblances and similarity of character suggesting relationship prevail among the people creating Sha hoi ba. Among them, in Gamo area, if someone from one culture goes to an area of a different culture, he does not feel stranger for the overall life styles and languages of those people, more or less, flow into one another creating the possibility easily understanding between them.
Oneness is a term referring to the ‘experience’ of the absence of egoistic identity boundaries, and. According to some traditions, it is the realization of the awareness of the absolute interconnectedness of all thought or none duality. Some feel that the human experiencing of oneness expresses itself in the unity of thought and reality.
Gamo peoples who are governed by such cultural value, in case of the disruption of the social oneness causing dissension, have a resolving system known as Gamo Waga that is intentionally designed to bring back peace through reconciliation. For that matter, conflict has been in the society and it will be there in human activities and interrelationship. Resolving the conflict varies from one society to another depending on the values of each society. Thus, Gamo people, by the consensus of the society, established various conflict resolution systems such as Tuge since time immemorial. Some feel that the human experiencing of Oneness expresses itself in the unity of thought and reality.
Tuge is significantly implemented by the elders of the society to avoid injury, death, and property destruction. By means of such sacred methods, as the consciousness grows to encompass all, the ego becomes relatively insignificant. In this context, ego gradually phases out; I, gives way to we. The concept of Sha HOI BA or oneness attains, clads its beauty and strength through different mechanisms that the people cling to maintain peace and security their area and the country at large. The elders, who are responsible for the achievement of such extraordinary social objective, are given a high social status.
One effective method of cry, to summon the community upon the occurrence of conflict, is known as Ulo Ala Ulo Ala. If the conflict is a fierce fight between two groups, an ox, as tuge, is made to stand between the groups. At this juncture, no group can violate the pleading of this ordeal. If at all one group trespasses it will be considered a sin or gome. According to the legend Gome is a social and divine wrath poured upon the erring group. In the process of resolving the conflict, elders carry grass as a symbol of peace and defense weapon for the Sha Hoi Ba to thrive.
The elders pleading with young people with grass in their hands, the idea is that ‘you are angry driven by emotion and that has harmed you; yet, you have to be patient. Be like the growing grass but not like that is cut.’ The elders, who stop tuge or the conflict, are referred to as Ogade, Gaanna, Kana and the like. In Gamo, there are 42 Deres or sub territories and each Dere has its own territory. There is a cultural agreement or vow that prohibits every Dere to trespass or go on to another Dere’s territory and thereby loot the property and harm wives and children and even kill without right or permission. Essentially, the agreement stresses the mutual interest of all and that none of the Deres should fight, violate the territorial integrity of other Deres and violate the ownership of the wealth of the other.
If the conflict is unintentional and accidental, any one party is allowed to involve in the reconciliation endeavors. If by accident a loss of life occurs in the process, both the erring and the victimized parties willfully participate in Gompa (a festival ceremony upon which both parties involved in the conflict willingly and joyfully eat together) to make the reconciliation official. After more other cultural and social activities are performed, as a conclusion of the peace and reconciliation agreement, clan leaders from the fighting parties walking over blood and animal waste shouting yo…yo…yo three times, the sign of the declaration of the maintenance of peace and order in the area.
Gamo elders uphold the principle of victory through defeat; they give up their dignity to bring peace among their people. That is the very principle the savior of the world followed. For instance to illustrate the analogy, the seed of the wheat must die first to meet the dire need of the people when it resurrects with its
abundance of its products at the end of the day. Their sacred and blessed contribution to quell the wrath of the youth, of late, in the recent history of the country, has earned them love and respect of Ethiopians everywhere. In such unreserved commitment of the elders and the taintless obedience of the Gamo young people, the strength and the essence of Sha Hoi Ba is truly and fully realized.
Gamo conflict resolution system is much concerned with processes of removing tensions between people or maintaining them at levels consistent with continued peaceful pursuit by states of their goals (individual or collective). To a larger degree, conflict resolution implies that the underlying issues, attitudes and perceptions have been addressed so that the parties are no longer in a conflicting relationship no matter what.
Dispute escalating to a full scale war is twice that of a non-enduring conflict. Enduring conflicts, thus, are different from other conflicts and should be viewed, wherever possible, within a different theoretical context like the Gamo elders are doing.
The concept of enduring conflict has been given considerable attention in recent studies. The concept denotes a competitive relationship between two groups as in the case of Gamo people (a rare occasion) over one or more issues, mainly resources, where the relationship is occasionally punctuated by the actual use or threat of force. The temporal dimension is quite significant here, for enduring conflicts convey the notion of a long term phenomenon during which hostile interactions are interwoven with peaceful periods and conflict management efforts. Military confrontations and efforts to establish peaceful relations occur as concrete events punctuating the life cycle of the conflict.
Zooming our focus on Gamo, apart from Sha Hoi Ba, a certain archeologist named Abeles firmly declares that Gamo is among places on the face of the earth where agriculture and handicraft began. It is believed and also documents indicate that the Gamo art of weaving has been in Ethiopia for over a thousand years. Gamo people believe that the art or craft needing skills with the hands e.g. pottery, weaving and the like started and grew up in Gamo. Hooray Sha Hoi Ba!
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
The Ethiopian Herald June 15/2021
