Speaking for Nagaa:

Sikko-Mandoo-Gadaa-Assembly ©Gemechu Bekele Lemu

Speaking for Nagaa: Navigating Free expressions in Oromo Linguistic and Cultural Spaces

Gemechu Bekele Lemu

Anthropology has traditionally overlooked freedom of expression as a subject of study. Recent pioneering studies propose a comparative lens to reposition freedom of expression within broader historical and cross-cultural frameworks. However, such studies often retain the Western liberal conception of freedom of speech as their primary reference point, perpetuating an ethnocentric view that marginalizes non-Western democratic cultures. Consequently, alternative views within African indigenous democracies like the Oromo Gada system remain unexplored [...].

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Gemechu Bekele Lemu is a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Ethnology, Ludwigs Maximilans University (LMU), Munich. He received his BA degree in Journalism and Communications from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, followed by a Master’s degree in International Media Studies in Bonn, Germany. Presently, his doctoral thesis investigates of free of expressions, offering a distinctive scholarly lens through examination of the linguistic and socio-cultural world of the Oromo.