Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundam... more Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundamental ethical principles of anthropological research and their applicability to current practices of applied anthropology. The Statement on Problems of Anthropological Research and Ethics was adopted by the American Anthropological Association in response to the need to take distance from military research after the Camelot scandal. Anthropology reacted stronger than other disciplines due to its methodology implying a relation of trust with the community. The Codice etico of AISEA defines the anthropologist's obligations with different type of actors. In applied anthropology more attention should be paid to the relation with the financers of the research, due to possible conflict of interest between the latter and the concerned community. During consultancies anthropologists are today often forced into conditions that do not allow them to fulfil the obligations as stated in most deontological codes. Yet, giving up would cut the anthropologist out of the ongoing processes that have often a potential critical impact on the communities. The Codes of Ethics of ISE has allowed overcoming serious controversies by referring to procedural rights according to international law. It is suggested that reference to procedural and collective rights, appropriate international standards and best practices can provide an appropriate device to evaluate case by case the opportunity to engage, considering the overall field of relations rather that strictly focusing on the anthologist's obligations which each actor independently.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 2, 2014
In 1994 Ethiopia has adopted a new constitution, considered one of the most advanced in terms of ... more In 1994 Ethiopia has adopted a new constitution, considered one of the most advanced in terms of provisions for human rights. The progressive ratification of several international treaties on minority rights had already begun in 1991, immediately after the fall of the Derg regime. This progress has brought Ethiopia into the UN monitoring system, but the review of the official UN documents reveals the mismatch between the mentioned constitutional and international steps and the on-ground situation. This article considers two possible causes of this gap. The first is the particular form of ethnic federalism, first introduced with the Charter of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia and later developed in the new constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). The second is the contradiction between the constitutional theory based on the fundamental political freedoms, and the political practice of the ruling party, grounded in revolutionary democracy, a post-Marxist ideology based on the Leninist democratic centralism and on some of the principles of the developmental state. In this article the problems identified by a UN independent expert on minority issues have been reconsidered with reference to the Ethiopian pastoral minorities. Special attention is paid to the controversy on the construction of the Gibe 3 dam along the course of the Omo River. This article claims that minority and indigenous rights are compatible with ethnic federalism as defined in the FDRE constitution, but are in conflict with the praxis inspired by the working ideology of the ruling party.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Mar 10, 2008
he dominant feature of modern politics is the emergence of the nation-state. This is the outcome ... more he dominant feature of modern politics is the emergence of the nation-state. This is the outcome of a number of interrelated social, economic, political and cultural processes, stretching several centuries back into European history. Innovative ideologies such as the enlightenment and crucial political events such as the French and the American Revolutions led to the emergence of electoral democracy based on a strong individualistic ethos and on the idea of popular sovereignty that rulers should be accountable to the ruled. In Europe linguistic homogeneity was a major fea-
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
This article applies the working definition of primary identity to explore the emergence of the e... more This article applies the working definition of primary identity to explore the emergence of the ethnic identities in the southern-most tract of the lower Omo valley. The current identities are the result of two correlated movements, migration to the valley by organised pastoralists and scattered groups, and a move down to river and to the Omo delta where the ecological niche generated by the regular flooding of the Omo River provided a rich variety of livelihoods alternatives. The major migrations were connected to great population movements occurred in East Africa during the first half of the 19 th century. The current identities emerged out of a series of cataclysms that differently affected the various groups and their territorial distribution. The Daasanach recall the occurrence of large floods; the Nyangatom stress the destructive impact of the Ethiopian conquest; the Kwegu and the Kara were hit by sleeping sickness epidemics. The cataclysms changed the demographic balance with the natural and the reciprocal relations of power, leading to the disappearance of some of the primary groups whose existence and prosperity were recorded by the early explorers, and to processes of assimilation. The historical reconstruction here presented shows that the notion of primary groups exercising coherent governance over a broad and sometimes scattered range of resources needs to be complemented with the theoretical relevance of clusters, specific localities characterised by high interaction and co-presence of different primary groups. Clusters were important knots of culture and identity elaboration. They were the premise of the process of incorporation into the prevailing primary groups and gave the start to specific local identities. In the case of the Daasanach access to a viable pool of natural resources by a mixed population allowed the development of a lasting primary group.
This article addresses the protracted state of political violence developed in and around the Bor... more This article addresses the protracted state of political violence developed in and around the Borana and Guji zones of Oromia region after the introduction of the ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. In order to account for the persistence of the role of certain groups during different phases of the conflict, an attempt is made to elaborate on the connections between ethnic identity, natural resource and customary institutions by introducing the notion of primary identity. Since the turn of the millennium there is in Ethiopia a theoretically grounded attempt to co-opt customary institutions and elders into modern governance, particularly in the pastoral sector and with reference to both the political field and development. The field-research focused on the interplay of customary and modern politics on occasion of two electoral events, the 2004 referendum organised to solve the border issue between the Somali Regional State and Oromia, and the 2005 political elections. The analysis of the political dynamics and of local political history suggests that the constitutional provisions were transformed by the federal strategic need to control the insurgency of the Oromo Liberation Front, and by the peripheral motivations bound to the primary groups. The combined effect of these two factors produced a systematic abuse of human rights and the manipulation of development and refugees policies, involving the various actors in an informal 'demographic politics of space'. As a result the Borana Oromo were displaced from a large portion of their customary territory and were relegated into a state of permanent food dependency. Under these conditions, the opportunistic cooption of elders and customary leaders can only lead to the most destructive outcomes. It is here suggested that human and indigenous rights as defined by the relevant international instruments may better contribute to constructively valorise the potentials of customary governance.
Written in 2002, this article anticipates the debate on 'land grabbing'. It correlates in... more Written in 2002, this article anticipates the debate on 'land grabbing'. It correlates increasing famine and dependency on food aid to the process of progressive dispossession of natural resources faced by the Ethiopian pastoral communities.
La propensione per lo studio delle specificita culturali ha fatto dell’antropologia una delle dis... more La propensione per lo studio delle specificita culturali ha fatto dell’antropologia una delle discipline direttamente interessate ai processi di mutamento pianificato. L’attenzione per la cooperazione internazionale allo sviluppo e alle sue ricadute professionali e stata ben presente nell’antropologia italiana e all’interno dei convegni SIAA, ma il dibattito in seno all’associazione e rimasto per il momento sottodimensionato rispetto a un altro ambito di grande interesse pubblico, la migrazione dai paesi affetti da conflitti e poverta verso l’Europa e al ruolo che gli antropologi possono svolgere nelle politiche di accoglienza.
The ICCA Consortium was invited to attend the International Land Coalition (ILC)’s Global CSOs Ca... more The ICCA Consortium was invited to attend the International Land Coalition (ILC)’s Global CSOs Caucus Meeting, held at the IFAD Headquarters in Rome on 14 August 2019. The global CSOs caucus is an unstructured meeting of civil society organisations that are members of ILC and operate at global level. The objectives were to learn about each other’s initiative, clarify the way ILC operates and draw ideas that may help the new Coalition Council in the elaboration of next ILC Strategy.
During this workshop the Borana customary leaders and selected community members, including women... more During this workshop the Borana customary leaders and selected community members, including women, developed and adopted the 'Yaaballo Statement on the Borana Conserved Landscape'. This report provides the original Oromo version of the statement, with the English translation.
In this article the author builds on the notion of “paradigm of development” to provide analytic ... more In this article the author builds on the notion of “paradigm of development” to provide analytic instruments for the institutional analysis of international development. He identifies the following four main paradigms, each rooted in different disciplines and ethical foundations:1) economic growth; 2) social equity; 3) environmental sustainability; 4) beneficiaries’ active role. Each paradigm implies different and measurable objectives, to be achieved by specific methodological approaches. The various paradigms give different consideration to relevance of specific articulations of culture, formal or informal norms and local conditions. It is accordingly possible to classify them based on their relativist attitude. The economic growth paradigm assumes generalized positive gain for the public. The beneficiaries of development are not really defined: they are an imagined community that cannot take any direct role in the design and implementation of programmes and project. As such, this...
Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundam... more Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundamental ethical principles of anthropological research and their applicability to current practices of applied anthropology. The Statement on Problems of Anthropological Research and Ethics was adopted by the American Anthropological Association in response to the need to take distance from military research after the Camelot scandal. Anthropology reacted stronger than other disciplines due to its methodology implying a relation of trust with the community. The Codice etico of AISEA defines the anthropologist's obligations with different type of actors. In applied anthropology more attention should be paid to the relation with the financers of the research, due to possible conflict of interest between the latter and the concerned community. During consultancies anthropologists are today often forced into conditions that do not allow them to fulfil the obligations as stated in most deon...
This article identify the juridical practice of reducing sanction in exchange of admitting guilt,... more This article identify the juridical practice of reducing sanction in exchange of admitting guilt, as practiced in the customary judicial system of the Oromo-Borana. It is published in the <em>Sociology Ethnology Bullettin</em> of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of Addis Ababa University
Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundam... more Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundamental ethical principles of anthropological research and their applicability to current practices of applied anthropology. The Statement on Problems of Anthropological Research and Ethics was adopted by the American Anthropological Association in response to the need to take distance from military research after the Camelot scandal. Anthropology reacted stronger than other disciplines due to its methodology implying a relation of trust with the community. The Codice etico of AISEA defines the anthropologist's obligations with different type of actors. In applied anthropology more attention should be paid to the relation with the financers of the research, due to possible conflict of interest between the latter and the concerned community. During consultancies anthropologists are today often forced into conditions that do not allow them to fulfil the obligations as stated in most deontological codes. Yet, giving up would cut the anthropologist out of the ongoing processes that have often a potential critical impact on the communities. The Codes of Ethics of ISE has allowed overcoming serious controversies by referring to procedural rights according to international law. It is suggested that reference to procedural and collective rights, appropriate international standards and best practices can provide an appropriate device to evaluate case by case the opportunity to engage, considering the overall field of relations rather that strictly focusing on the anthologist's obligations which each actor independently.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 2, 2014
In 1994 Ethiopia has adopted a new constitution, considered one of the most advanced in terms of ... more In 1994 Ethiopia has adopted a new constitution, considered one of the most advanced in terms of provisions for human rights. The progressive ratification of several international treaties on minority rights had already begun in 1991, immediately after the fall of the Derg regime. This progress has brought Ethiopia into the UN monitoring system, but the review of the official UN documents reveals the mismatch between the mentioned constitutional and international steps and the on-ground situation. This article considers two possible causes of this gap. The first is the particular form of ethnic federalism, first introduced with the Charter of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia and later developed in the new constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). The second is the contradiction between the constitutional theory based on the fundamental political freedoms, and the political practice of the ruling party, grounded in revolutionary democracy, a post-Marxist ideology based on the Leninist democratic centralism and on some of the principles of the developmental state. In this article the problems identified by a UN independent expert on minority issues have been reconsidered with reference to the Ethiopian pastoral minorities. Special attention is paid to the controversy on the construction of the Gibe 3 dam along the course of the Omo River. This article claims that minority and indigenous rights are compatible with ethnic federalism as defined in the FDRE constitution, but are in conflict with the praxis inspired by the working ideology of the ruling party.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Mar 10, 2008
he dominant feature of modern politics is the emergence of the nation-state. This is the outcome ... more he dominant feature of modern politics is the emergence of the nation-state. This is the outcome of a number of interrelated social, economic, political and cultural processes, stretching several centuries back into European history. Innovative ideologies such as the enlightenment and crucial political events such as the French and the American Revolutions led to the emergence of electoral democracy based on a strong individualistic ethos and on the idea of popular sovereignty that rulers should be accountable to the ruled. In Europe linguistic homogeneity was a major fea-
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
This article applies the working definition of primary identity to explore the emergence of the e... more This article applies the working definition of primary identity to explore the emergence of the ethnic identities in the southern-most tract of the lower Omo valley. The current identities are the result of two correlated movements, migration to the valley by organised pastoralists and scattered groups, and a move down to river and to the Omo delta where the ecological niche generated by the regular flooding of the Omo River provided a rich variety of livelihoods alternatives. The major migrations were connected to great population movements occurred in East Africa during the first half of the 19 th century. The current identities emerged out of a series of cataclysms that differently affected the various groups and their territorial distribution. The Daasanach recall the occurrence of large floods; the Nyangatom stress the destructive impact of the Ethiopian conquest; the Kwegu and the Kara were hit by sleeping sickness epidemics. The cataclysms changed the demographic balance with the natural and the reciprocal relations of power, leading to the disappearance of some of the primary groups whose existence and prosperity were recorded by the early explorers, and to processes of assimilation. The historical reconstruction here presented shows that the notion of primary groups exercising coherent governance over a broad and sometimes scattered range of resources needs to be complemented with the theoretical relevance of clusters, specific localities characterised by high interaction and co-presence of different primary groups. Clusters were important knots of culture and identity elaboration. They were the premise of the process of incorporation into the prevailing primary groups and gave the start to specific local identities. In the case of the Daasanach access to a viable pool of natural resources by a mixed population allowed the development of a lasting primary group.
This article addresses the protracted state of political violence developed in and around the Bor... more This article addresses the protracted state of political violence developed in and around the Borana and Guji zones of Oromia region after the introduction of the ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. In order to account for the persistence of the role of certain groups during different phases of the conflict, an attempt is made to elaborate on the connections between ethnic identity, natural resource and customary institutions by introducing the notion of primary identity. Since the turn of the millennium there is in Ethiopia a theoretically grounded attempt to co-opt customary institutions and elders into modern governance, particularly in the pastoral sector and with reference to both the political field and development. The field-research focused on the interplay of customary and modern politics on occasion of two electoral events, the 2004 referendum organised to solve the border issue between the Somali Regional State and Oromia, and the 2005 political elections. The analysis of the political dynamics and of local political history suggests that the constitutional provisions were transformed by the federal strategic need to control the insurgency of the Oromo Liberation Front, and by the peripheral motivations bound to the primary groups. The combined effect of these two factors produced a systematic abuse of human rights and the manipulation of development and refugees policies, involving the various actors in an informal 'demographic politics of space'. As a result the Borana Oromo were displaced from a large portion of their customary territory and were relegated into a state of permanent food dependency. Under these conditions, the opportunistic cooption of elders and customary leaders can only lead to the most destructive outcomes. It is here suggested that human and indigenous rights as defined by the relevant international instruments may better contribute to constructively valorise the potentials of customary governance.
Written in 2002, this article anticipates the debate on 'land grabbing'. It correlates in... more Written in 2002, this article anticipates the debate on 'land grabbing'. It correlates increasing famine and dependency on food aid to the process of progressive dispossession of natural resources faced by the Ethiopian pastoral communities.
La propensione per lo studio delle specificita culturali ha fatto dell’antropologia una delle dis... more La propensione per lo studio delle specificita culturali ha fatto dell’antropologia una delle discipline direttamente interessate ai processi di mutamento pianificato. L’attenzione per la cooperazione internazionale allo sviluppo e alle sue ricadute professionali e stata ben presente nell’antropologia italiana e all’interno dei convegni SIAA, ma il dibattito in seno all’associazione e rimasto per il momento sottodimensionato rispetto a un altro ambito di grande interesse pubblico, la migrazione dai paesi affetti da conflitti e poverta verso l’Europa e al ruolo che gli antropologi possono svolgere nelle politiche di accoglienza.
The ICCA Consortium was invited to attend the International Land Coalition (ILC)’s Global CSOs Ca... more The ICCA Consortium was invited to attend the International Land Coalition (ILC)’s Global CSOs Caucus Meeting, held at the IFAD Headquarters in Rome on 14 August 2019. The global CSOs caucus is an unstructured meeting of civil society organisations that are members of ILC and operate at global level. The objectives were to learn about each other’s initiative, clarify the way ILC operates and draw ideas that may help the new Coalition Council in the elaboration of next ILC Strategy.
During this workshop the Borana customary leaders and selected community members, including women... more During this workshop the Borana customary leaders and selected community members, including women, developed and adopted the 'Yaaballo Statement on the Borana Conserved Landscape'. This report provides the original Oromo version of the statement, with the English translation.
In this article the author builds on the notion of “paradigm of development” to provide analytic ... more In this article the author builds on the notion of “paradigm of development” to provide analytic instruments for the institutional analysis of international development. He identifies the following four main paradigms, each rooted in different disciplines and ethical foundations:1) economic growth; 2) social equity; 3) environmental sustainability; 4) beneficiaries’ active role. Each paradigm implies different and measurable objectives, to be achieved by specific methodological approaches. The various paradigms give different consideration to relevance of specific articulations of culture, formal or informal norms and local conditions. It is accordingly possible to classify them based on their relativist attitude. The economic growth paradigm assumes generalized positive gain for the public. The beneficiaries of development are not really defined: they are an imagined community that cannot take any direct role in the design and implementation of programmes and project. As such, this...
Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundam... more Through review of selected anthropological ethical codes an attempt is made to outline the fundamental ethical principles of anthropological research and their applicability to current practices of applied anthropology. The Statement on Problems of Anthropological Research and Ethics was adopted by the American Anthropological Association in response to the need to take distance from military research after the Camelot scandal. Anthropology reacted stronger than other disciplines due to its methodology implying a relation of trust with the community. The Codice etico of AISEA defines the anthropologist's obligations with different type of actors. In applied anthropology more attention should be paid to the relation with the financers of the research, due to possible conflict of interest between the latter and the concerned community. During consultancies anthropologists are today often forced into conditions that do not allow them to fulfil the obligations as stated in most deon...
This article identify the juridical practice of reducing sanction in exchange of admitting guilt,... more This article identify the juridical practice of reducing sanction in exchange of admitting guilt, as practiced in the customary judicial system of the Oromo-Borana. It is published in the <em>Sociology Ethnology Bullettin</em> of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of Addis Ababa University
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