OROMOO CULTURAL CENTER
About Oromo Cultural Center
Oromo cultural center was established to work on research and development of Oromo culture, history, language and art. It also works on preserving Oromo heritage. Accordingly the center has four major divisions. These are:Oromo Research Center:- comprehends four broad departments. Those are departments of history, language, culture and art researches. Due to diverse essentialities of specialization in the department, the language research division has accommodated four departments namely: (1) department of Afaan Oromoo folklore and Oral Literature, (2) department of Afaan Oromoo grammar study, (3) department of Afaan Oromoo language codification and standardization and (4) department of Afaan Oromoo dictionary making.
The others divisions of Oromoo Cultural Center are:
v Oromoo Art Training and Development Center
v Oromoo Library and Archive Center
v Center of Oromoo Museum
The folk-life of Oromo is basically established on social base. Based on communal understanding the people used to represent life with symbols, norms, and system and shared patterns of behavior, belief, knowledge, attitudes and values endowed in their system of living together. Gada System is a high profile socio-economic and democratic political system of Oromo society. The Gada System is recently registered by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of the people. It comprises various institutions such as: social, political, economic and religious.
Gumaa (blood pay) is one of the peculiar
conflict resolution mechanism that can totally hill the sense of death revenge.
Kallacha, caaccuu, bokkuu, alangee
(lichoo) are socially constricted symbolic utensils of truth which are used
to undertake oath not to do wrong while they undertake Guma. Guddifacha (adoption), moggasa
(nomination) and harma hoosisa (brest
feeding) are the tree ceremonial approaches in which the community give
son-hood or relative-hood to any one from outside the tribe or society and make
part of the society to make his/her life easier in a democratic sprit which
ultimately gives a self-sense of family hood to the newly socialized fellows.
People and Culture
As indicated by different sources, Oromo people are one of the largest ethnic groups with diversified cultures in Ethiopia. The Oromo people speak Oromo language which is originally known as Afaan Oromo. Afaan Oromo is the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia. It is also a cross boarder language which is widely spoken in Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Tanzania, Sudan which makes it the third widely spoken Language next to Arabic and Hausa and the Second widely spoken in the context of African Languages.
Religion and Belief System
Oromo People believe in a supernatural being called ‘Waaqa Tokkochaa’ (meaning: One God). The Sprit through which the power of God manifested itself is called ‘Ayyaana’. The one who has given such a power called ‘Qaalluu’ (for male) and ‘Qaalliittii’ (for female). The belief system pattern of Oromo is similar to that of Old testament trend which might indicate its ancient actuality of the belief system prior to AD.
Siinqee/Siiqee As
Conflict Resolution Mechanism
Obviously, the 21 century
has become an arena of
misunderstandings and conflicts in intra
and inter international community which necessitates the importance of making
use of cultural conflict resolution mechanisms and methods to avert its impending
menace to peace and development. Hence, if not many ,most many traditional
societies including those in developed
world have started to retrieve their
indigenous knowledge for the purpose. Unless
the increasing animosity, hatred, conflict and war being seen among the peoples
of the world is resolved, inclusive & sustainable development is
unthinkable.
Oromoo Research Center
The
Oromo research and publication center was mainly established to conduct
research on Oromo Language, literature, folklore, art, culture and history. Furthermore,
it can also offer a bid of research projects that are desirable to be
undertaken on outsourcing base. This initiative had been started by Oromia
Culture and Tourism bureau and handed down to Oromo Culture Center.
Accordingly, the accredited beginnings by OCTB resulted in to the presence of some
books that have been published and disseminated to the society. Recently, Oromo
Culture Center inherited the above activities that were beginning by OCTB.
Library
The center has a comprehensive
library that renders services to readers and researchers from different
academic background. It has also an archive center, which is currently under
assemblage, and liable to serve as a source of information, for any researcher
from anywhere but interested in conducting a research on issues related to
Oromo Society
Oromoo Museum
The regional museum had been opened and give serves for both local and foreign tourists and visitors. The artifacts collected from 10 cultural zones were arranged and displayed in various show rooms in different clusters and made accessible for public visit. Since the beginning of its service, the museum has been visited by students, from kindergarten up to universities, professionals, researchers, Ethiopian nations and some foreigners..
Art and Theater
The
art and theatre center has three subsections and respective services. These are
(1) Music training and performance services, (2) film and theatre production
and staging services and (3) pictures and handcraft training and gallery
services. The theater hall has started its functions, and has hosted some
musical and theater shows. It has rendered services to governmental,
nongovernmental and other civil societies. It also has served artists and Oromo
authors on different induction ceremonies.