BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
As ancient nations and a country blessed with heterogeneity and varied cultural and traditional norms, one can experience remarkable traditions and values that would add something worth for humanity and a state of sensuous beauty for human dwells.
Most notably Ethiopians have indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms which they have been practicing for long even before the formulation of modern laws not only to resolve conflicts but also for virtues and intrinsic moral values.
The local people across the nation have adopted similar approaches which are characterized by deployment and dedication of elders in handling cases.
For instance, the most common traditional conflicts resolutions mechanisms in Kaffa society are Shimgelena, Tommo and Eqqo systems. While shimgelena is also widely used in other communities of Ethiopia, Tommo and Eqqo are indigenous to Kaffa society.
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms are deeply seated in different ethnic groups of Ethiopia. They are associated with the cultural norms and values of the peoples and gain their legitimacy from the community values instead of the state.
Situated in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State, the Hadiya community is one of Ethnic groups who have their own unique, indigenous conflict resolving mechanisms. Like others Ethiopians, among the peoples of Hadiya clan, elders are the respected and dignified segment of the society. Among the communities, truth is considered to be the only option to resolve conflicts and sustain peace between and among disputants.
Hadiya communities have maintained their indigenous mechanisms of governance system known as “Seera”. This piece addresses the role of blessing and cursing in conflict resolution among the Hadiya people.
According to the study conducted by Daniel Handino, Hadiya traditional institutions have been playing a significant role in resolving different conflicts that may arise between and among localities and they are platforms where the practices of blessing and cursing are very important as enforcing tools and elders use to easily approach the individuals or groups in conflict, and investigate crimes which are committed in the absence of eye witness.
Speaking truth is an essential principle that is expected from the disputants and the elders who manage the resolution process to save oneself from the curse.
Men and women have crucial role and mostly every meeting begins and ends with blessing and cursing. Cursing is implicit in every day but it takes place on the last day if the suspect does not reveal the truth about the case.
The similarity between the formal and informal procedure is that in both institutions the witness begins by swearing an oath which is a part of the cursing on oneself if he or she lies or tries to falsify the truth related to the case. However, sometimes, the practices of blessing and cursing have been affected by different factors like individual differences over the decisions of elders or negative attitudes towards the value of the practice; sometimes the corrupt behavior of some elders.
To curb this, according to him, awareness creations should be given for youth concerning elders’ honor and values, and their roles in conflict resolution and the disadvantages of malpractices.
To sum up traditional conflict resolution mechanism is not peculiar to Hadiya. The diverse ethnic group across and in every corridor of Ethiopia were practicing them in their day to day activities and abide by them.
Hence nations are advised to maintain such indigenous values and preserve the most elder yearning cultures far from hollow bravado and hypocrisy.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JULY 16/2021
