Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Architecture of Sustainable Peace: Customary Norms, Restorative Ethics, and Social Cohesion in Ethiopia
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Abstract
This article critically examines the role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in constructing sustainable peace in Ethiopia, a country characterized by profound ethnic diversity and recurrent conflict. Challenging the historical hegemony of Western, state-centric peacebuilding models, the study argues that Ethiopia's diverse indigenous peace frameworks, including the Oromo Gadaa system, the Dawuro peace system, the Jarssaa Gurachaa inter-ethnic institution, the northern Shimglina system, the Gurage Joka Shengo, and customary mechanisms such as Aba Gars, Joka Shengo, Songo, Woma, Mada'a, and Xeer, constitute a sophisticated "architecture" of sustainable peace. Drawing on a qualitative synthesis of ethnographic studies, policy documents, and theoretical literature, the article identifies three foundational pillars of this architecture: customary norms that regulate social behaviour and establish shared values; restorative ethics that prioritize communal healing, truth-telling, and social reintegration over punitive justice; and institutional mechanisms that foster social cohesion across ethnic, generational, and gender boundaries. The analysis demonstrates that indigenous peace systems operate through institutional redundancy, multilevel functionality, and cultural capital, addressing both the symptoms and root causes of conflict. However, these systems face significant challenges, including systemic exclusion of women and youth, state legal encroachment, urbanization, and the destructive effects of protracted conflict. The article concludes by advocating for hybrid peacebuilding frameworks that integrate indigenous knowledge with formal governance structures while addressing issues of exclusion and adaptation. Ultimately, sustainable peace in Ethiopia and multi-ethnic societies more broadly, requires the decolonisation of peacebuilding epistemologies and the recognition of indigenous systems as legitimate, effective, and essential components of national peace architecture.
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