Oromo national institutions such as Gadaa, Siiqqee, and Qaaluu have been the products of historically and sociologically proven wisdom and socially and environmentally tested human inventions. These institutions represent the Oromo social, cultural, political, ideological, and intellectual foundation, built on accumulated wisdom and knowledge. As the sources of Oromo cultural capital, they are responsible for generating new ideas, knowledge construction and synthesis, and play a pivotal role in guiding Oromo society. Oromo institutions encompass a vast range of spheres, and provide the rules of the game, shape the behaviors and actions of community members. Since these institutions defend and promote the Oromo national interest, attacking these institutions is equivalent to delegitimizing the Oromo indigenous knowledge, interest, and power, and validating the Ethiopian colonial project.  

The three major Oromo national institutions that have built the foundation of Oromo peoplehood are Gadaa, Siiqqee, and Qaaluu. These institutions have left their footprints on all the socio-economic, politico-cultural, and environmental development of the Oromo people. They have been directly or indirectly informing, guiding, and shielding the Oromo people from external attacks and internal disorders. Having working in unison and guaranteeing the security and safety of Oromo society, they have made the society equitable, democratic, egalitarian, and sustainable until the enemies suppressed them. Although these institutions have worked together, they have unique roles in Oromo society. In harmony, these institutions have created a stable and robust community and a nation. 

However, hoping to easily control the Oromo people and exploit their human and natural resources, the Ethiopian empire builder violently and systematically attacked these vital Oromo institutions. The attacks against the Oromo institutions constitute epistemic violence. The Ethiopian empire builders and their descendants have delegitimized the Oromo ways of seeing the world through imposing their own thinking framework, which is mainly manifested as Ethiopianism. They have done this to make the Oromo people understand the world in the colonizers’ episteme and naturalize and normalize institutions that promote racial/ethno-national hierarchy.  

Institutions guide human interactions and behaviors and influence the worldviews of human groups. The ideas and ideologies that Oromo institutions advance are consistent with the contemporary concepts of equity, social justice, diversity, and sustainability. The ethics and morality they uphold are democratic and egalitarian in opposition to the morality of the empire builders. Both theoretically and practically Oromo indigenous institutions foster participatory democracy and responsible citizenship. Furthermore, because of the multiplicity and complexity of their roles, these institutions are instrumental in understanding the past, present, and shape the future. Therefore, planning and advancing systematic thinking, foreseeing the emerging problems, and effectively managing the emerging social challenges, and using the available opportunities necessitate revitalizing the Oromo national institutions. Also, rebuilding the foundation on which Oromo peoplehood has been built requires revisiting the past and re-envisioning the future based on Oromo cultural capital.

For the 2020 annual OSA conference, we invite scholars to present research-based papers by imagining how the Oromo have used their institutions and cultural capital in defending and maintaining their society by exploring the following three major areas. First, we request to identify and examine the mechanisms by which the regional and global empire-builders have perpetrated the attack on Oromo national institutions. Second, we remind them to explore the consequences of the attacks on the Oromo and their institutions. Third, we recommend envisioning the possible ways that the Oromo can revitalize their cultural capital to rebuild Oromo national institutions and an Oromia state in particular. 

    The presenters are requested to identify and explore the following questions. In understanding how the Gadaa, Siqqee, and Qaaluu institutions have functioned in a unique episteme and constructing different models of reasoning and thinking, researchers are expected to examine the impacts of the attacks on Oromo knowledge construction and the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental developments of Oromo people. 

1. What are the methods they used to attack the Oromo institutions? 
2. Why do the empire builders want to attack Oromo institutions?
3. What are the methods Oromo people used to defend their institutions?
4. What is the accumulated knowledge that is lost or diminished, resulting from the attacks by the local and global impostors?
5. What are the social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental impacts of the attacks?
6. What would Oromia have looked like had the Oromo people’s social development had not been disrupted? 
7. What could the Oromo people contribute to the world had their social development was not interrupted and hindered by the empire builders?
8. Resulting from the attacks, how did the Oromo process and ways of knowing, thinking, and social norms altered?

If Gadaa, Siqqee, and Qaaluu have made the Oromo people robust, democratic, equitable, and sustainable, how can we revitalize these institutions?  

1. What constitutes revitalizations?
2. What is required to revitalize these institutions?
3. By revitalizing the Oromo indigenous institutions, can we foster the rebirth of transformative thinking in the Horn of Africa and provide long-lasting solutions for the existing complex political and economic problems? 
4. Can we advance social norms and the rules of the game that are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable?
5. Can we develop systemic thinking and foresee multigenerational, multisectoral, and holistic knowledge
6. How can we revive the Oromo ways of thinking and worldviews and rebuild Oromia and enrich the world with an equitable, democratic, and sustainable episteme? 
7. By revitalizing Oromo institutions, can we foster the birth of new ways of thinking and enhance the building of democratic, equitable, and sustainable society?
8. Can revitalization enhance intellectual development and a sense of security for the Oromo people?