| Abstract: | Conflict may virtually arise in any social setting. It is unavoidable in human
society. A study of conflict and its traditional settlement mechanisms can
contribute to the understanding of various norms, cultures and belief
systems of a given society. African societies had developed their own
traditional institutions that often deal with conflicts. In the light of that,
elderly people are respected as trust worthy mediators. African traditional
institutions maintain social balances and harmony basing on the true
cultural perspective of the society. Like other traditional African countries,
different ethnic groups in Ethiopia have developed and practiced their own
customary codes and traditional institutions to manage conflicts. Among
the different ethnic groups of Ethiopia, the Oromo as the major ethnic group
in the country, with large number of population size and settlement area,
hold variety of traditional knowledge and culture. Some scholars from
social anthropology, sociology, history and other related fields have studied
the social organization, conflict management, history and culture of the
Oromo people. However, researches regarding conflict management
mechanisms through traditional institutions and how this reflects the value
systems of the Aleltu Oromo communities are limited. Therefore, researches
on traditional conflict management mechanisms are relevant areas to be
explored. This study is about the role of traditional conflict management
institution among the Aleltu Oromo community, the case of Jarsumma
institution. The objective of the study is to investigate the nature and types
of conflicts, causes of conflicts and the role of Jarsumma institution tomanage conflicts in the study area. For this research, relevant data was
collected through a combination of primary and secondary source of data.
The primary sources include participant observation, key informant
interview, in-depth personal interview, focus group discussions and case
method. The collected data will be analyzed and interpreted; based on the
analysis, summary and conclusion will be presented. |
