Venue & Date
Where & When
Minneapolis
Minnesota, United States
July 31 – August 2, 2026
Primary Conference Venue
Augsburg University
Hagfors Center
700 21st Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Situated near 21st Ave South and Riverside Avenue
Call for Papers · 2026 Annual Conference
Oromo on the Global Landscape
Marking 40 Years of the Oromo Studies Association and Honoring the Scholarship of Professor Asmarom Legesse
Dates
July 31 – August 2, 2026
Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Venue
Augsburg University — Hagfors Center
Prefer to read offline? Download a PDF version of this Call for Papers.
Abstract Deadline
June 12, 2026
Notification of Acceptance
June 19, 2026
Conference Overview
A Full Gadaa Cycle of Scholarship
In 2026, the Oromo Studies Association (OSA) marks its 40th anniversary — an interval that corresponds to a full Gadaa cycle, symbolizing generational renewal, continuity, and the orderly transfer of knowledge and responsibility. This milestone provides a unique opportunity to reflect on four decades of scholarship while looking forward to the contributions of a new generation.
This conference centers on the theme “Oromo on the Global Landscape,” highlighting a defining feature of the Oromo Gadaa system: the distribution of populations across wide territories and diverse livelihoods in a decentralized, horizontally organized manner. This structure historically enabled adaptability, resilience, and autonomy while mitigating against centralized authority and authoritarian rule. Today, it offers a powerful framework for understanding Oromo presence across the globe — from the Horn of Africa to diaspora communities worldwide.
The conference will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota (July 31 – August 2, 2026), with an invitation for diaspora-connected parallel panels abroad to join — reflecting the conference’s commitment to centering Oromo communities wherever they are.
40
Years of Oromo Studies — one full Gadaa cycle
4
Presentation Formats
7
Thematic tracks across disciplines
In Honor Of
Professor Asmarom Legesse (1930–2026) illuminated Gadaa as one of the world’s most sophisticated indigenous democratic systems. His pioneering scholarship shaped five decades of Oromo studies and continues to define the field.
This conference honors his enduring intellectual legacy and invites continued dialogue with his contributions.
Conference Focus
We invite scholars, practitioners, and community intellectuals to explore how the decentralized and mobile character of Oromo society influences their engagement with contemporary global realities. At a time when questions of governance, migration, identity, and sustainability are at the forefront of global discourse, the Oromo experience offers critical insights into non-centralized forms of social organization and democratic practice.
We welcome submissions from across the humanities, social sciences, arts, law, public health, education, and STEM fields. This conference is equally a space for diaspora scholars and communities — those based in North America, Europe, Australia and across Africa — whose perspectives are central, not supplementary, to the future of Oromo studies.
Marking a full Gadaa cycle, this conference places special emphasis on generational transition and explicitly welcomes the participation of emerging and early-career scholars, whose voices represent the next cycle of Oromo studies.
Key Questions
01
How does the decentralized structure of their society shape Oromo patterns of mobility, relocation and local settlement?
02
In what ways does horizontal organization challenge centralized and authoritarian models of governance?
03
How are Gadaa principles adapted within diaspora communities and transnational networks?
04
What does a “full Gadaa cycle” signify for the evolution of Oromo scholarship and institutional life?
05
How can emerging scholars contribute to renewing and expanding the field?
06
How are Oromo diaspora communities creating new institutions, knowledge, and cultural practices that are distinct from — yet in dialogue with — those in the homeland?
07
What have four decades of Oromo studies revealed, and what has remained unexamined? How do senior scholars assess the field’s trajectory and unfinished work?
Submissions from senior scholars offering retrospective assessments of the field are especially welcomed.
Suggested Topics
Subthemes & Tracks
Track 01
Oromo in the Global Context
- Oromo Diaspora formation across Africa, North America, Europe, Australia and beyond
- Transnational personality and experience, the search for networks, community building
- Digital connectivity and global Oromo identity
Track 02
Oromo Knowledge Production: Contributions of Asmarom Legesse and OSA
- The legacy of Asmarom Legesse; features of Oromo indigenous African democracy
- The contribution of OSA in four decades of global discourse
- New directions in Oromo studies with African- and Indigenous-centered scholarship
Track 03
Gadaa in Motion: Features of Decentralization and African Democracy
- Gadaa as a model of distributive governance, concordant with Siinqee and Qallu
- Anti-authoritarian social organization; roots of self-governance
- Gadaa-inspired approaches to conflict resolution, mediation, peace and justice
- Community governance in dispersed populations and Diaspora case studies
- Gadaa’s role in decolonizing knowledge production
Track 04
Population Mobility, Ecology and Diverse Livelihoods
- Historical and current population settlement in diverse ecological and geographic zones
- Adaptation strategies across pastoral, agrarian, and urban contexts
- Oromo environmental practice that produced bounty and ensured sustainability
Track 05
Generational Renewal, Emerging Voices and Rising Fields
- New theoretical and methodological approaches; graduate and early-career research
- Mentorship and knowledge transmission across generations
- Literature, film, visual art, and creative expression in Oromo communities
- Public health, education, law, and policy perspectives on Oromo communities
Track 06
The Oromo Language (Afaan Oromoo), Repository of Identity Across Space
- Linguistic construction of knowledge in destination locales
- Language preservation, transmission and transformation in diaspora
- Heritage language education as sites of transnational governance
- Centrality of language in Oromo cultural production
Track 07
Oromo Futures in the Age of AI: Imagining New Possibilities, Assessing Risk
- AI tools for Afaan Oromoo language preservation, translation, and speech recognition
- AI-assisted research methodologies and digital humanities in Oromo studies
- Decolonizing digital knowledge systems through Oromo-centred scholarship
- Digital archiving of Oromo history, oral traditions, literature, and cultural heritage
How to Submit
Submission Guidelines
Register for the conference at oromostudies.org/conference. All submissions must include the presenter’s name(s), institutional affiliation, and contact information.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Deadline for all submissions: June 12, 2026. Final notification of acceptance: June 19, 2026.
Individual Papers
- —Abstract: 250–300 words; include source of data
- —Include title, author name(s), institutional affiliation, and contact information
- —Presentation length: 20 minutes
Roundtables & Intergenerational Dialogues
- —300-word panel description
- —Individual participant bios and institutional affiliations
- —Contact information for all participants
Pre-Organized Panels
- —300-word panel description
- —Individual abstract (250–300 words) for each panelist
- —All author names, affiliations & contact info required
- —3–4 participants per panel
Graduate & Early-Career Flash Talks
- —Abstract: 250–300 words; include source of data
- —Include title, author name(s), institutional affiliation, and contact information
- —Presentation length: 5–7 minutes
- —Any format welcome — especially encouraged for emerging scholars
Conference Objectives
Celebrate 40 years of the Oromo Studies Association as a full Gadaa cycle of scholarship.
Honor the enduring legacy of Professor Asmarom Legesse and invite continued engagement with his contributions.
Highlight the global relevance of decentralized, horizontally organized social systems in countering authoritarian structures.
Foster intergenerational dialogue and elevate emerging scholars across disciplines.
Advance interdisciplinary research on Oromo societies in global contexts — welcoming scholars from the humanities, social sciences, arts, law, public health, education, and STEM.
Submit your abstract by June 12, 2026 to conference@oromostudies.org
In the Spirit of Gadaa
Submit Your Abstract
We invite scholars, practitioners, and community intellectuals from across the humanities, social sciences, arts, law, public health, education, and STEM fields.
Questions? conference@oromostudies.org