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The Best Article on How the Shift from an Independent Oromia (Gadaa Oromia) to an Integrative Oropia (Great Oromia) Happened!

By Dechasa Abebe, Jimma Universitiy*

The article explains how the paradigm shift in Oromo's political vision took place and the extent of Fayyis Oromia's contribution in the process. Here is one important paragraph in the article:

The other “paradigm shift” was that the change in the Oromoo politics from targeting “Gadaa Oromia”
(“Independent Republic of Oromia”) to targeting “Great Oromia” (“New Ethiopia)” even to “ Greater Oromia”
(the Horn of Africa) then to “Greatest Oromia” (Africa) being the owner of the seat of continental
organization, the African Unity(AU) also changed the historical narratives toward that direction. For instance,
a series of opinion posts on a website by the name “Fayyis Oromia” are advocating this political target
supported by historical narratives suit to that with a new passion.nSince the OLF narratives targeting “Gadaa
Oromia” for half a century, could not be realistic and still does not look that it will be realistic, the Oromoo
elites came up with the option of “Great Oromia” or “Cushitic Ethiopia ((Leenco, 2004). The new or Cushitic
Ethiopia option is bringing the narratives from demographic majority to the real majority (socio-cultural,
political and economic). Ethiopia needs to have more Oromoo pigment (Great Oromia) than what it had been
before. Even to the extent of back to Oromoo’s position of the 16th century in the region. The then Oromoo
Democratic Party (ODP), the transformed OPDO and the present Prosperity Party(PP) members Oromoo
politicians mentioned the notion in an official conference on which Shimelis Abdissa himself presented a paper
that articulated the idea. They all, the party leaders, cadres and members were clearly advocating for such
mission and all were in the same mood. Thus, to fulfill this Oromoo intention, it was essential to use the
Cushitic historical narrative as an instrument in place of the Gadaa historical narrative. So to say, the true
Ethiopia is Cushitic not Semitic as historical evidences clearly depicted. All nations in Ethiopia including the
“Habeshas” were from the Cushitic backgrounds. Thus, they underlined that being Cush means being Ethiopia
in the true sense of the concepto. To materialize this political agenda, they were advised by some scholars that
the Oromoo have to learn “drinking vodka from water bottle.” The central meaning of this saying is that the
only difference between the Oromoo politicians and the “Habesha politicians” is that most Oromoo politicians
“use only vodka bottle to drink their vodka” and always say “spade is spade”. So to say, they have been talking
about the Oromoo directly, whereas politicians from the “Habesha” ethnic groups used “water bottle to drink
their vodka”, i. e; they used the name Ethiopia to promote the interests of their respective ethnic groups
indirectly. They play the same game of ethnicity by using a different method in comparison to the direct
struggle of the Oromoo nationalist for Oromoo issue. That is why one of the advocates of the idea underlined
as “such Oromoo nationalists should learn the Habesha way of doing business, having Oromoo interest at
heart”p
.
Enjoy here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... V2HXEXpz_r

The other “paradigm shift” was that the change in the Oromoo politics from targeting “Gadaa Oromia” (“Independent Republic of Oromia”) to targeting “Great Oromia” (“New Ethiopia)” even to “ Greater Oromia” (the Horn of Africa) then to “Greatest Oromia” (Africa) being the owner of the seat of continental organization, the African Unity(AU) also changed the historical narratives toward that direction. For instance, a series of opinion posts on a website by the name “Fayyis Oromia” are advocating this political target supported by historical narratives suit to that with a new passion.nSince the OLF narratives targeting “Gadaa Oromia” for half a century, could not be realistic and still does not look that it will be realistic, the Oromoo elites came up with the option of “Great Oromia” or “Cushitic Ethiopia ((Leenco, 2004).

The new or Cushitic
Ethiopia option is bringing the narratives from demographic majority to the real majority (socio-cultural,
political and economic). Ethiopia needs to have more Oromoo pigment (Great Oromia) than what it had been
before. Even to the extent of back to Oromoo’s position of the 16th century in the region. The then Oromoo
Democratic Party (ODP), the transformed OPDO and the present Prosperity Party(PP) members Oromoo
politicians mentioned the notion in an official conference on which Shimelis Abdissa himself presented a paper
that articulated the idea. They all, the party leaders, cadres and members were clearly advocating for such
mission and all were in the same mood. Thus, to fulfill this Oromoo intention, it was essential to use the
Cushitic historical narrative as an instrument in place of the Gadaa historical narrative

So to say, the true
Ethiopia is Cushitic not Semitic as historical evidences clearly depicted. All nations in Ethiopia including the
“Habeshas” were from the Cushitic backgrounds. Thus, they underlined that being Cush means being Ethiopia
in the true sense of the concepto. To materialize this political agenda, they were advised by some scholars that
the Oromoo have to learn “drinking vodka from water bottle.” The central meaning of this saying is that the
only difference between the Oromoo politicians and the “Habesha politicians” is that most Oromoo politicians
“use only vodka bottle to drink their vodka” and always say “spade is spade”. So to say, they have been talking
about the Oromoo directly, whereas politicians from the “Habesha” ethnic groups used “water bottle to drink
their vodka”, i. e; they used the name Ethiopia to promote the interests of their respective ethnic groups
indirectly. They play the same game of ethnicity by using a different method in comparison to the direct
struggle of the Oromoo nationalist for Oromoo issue. That is why one of the advocates of the idea underlined
as “such Oromoo nationalists should learn the Habesha way of doing business, having Oromoo interest at
heart”p