RESILIENCE IN CHANGING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS: THE GARRI PASTORALISTS IN SOUTHERN FRONTIERS OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

While conflict and the resulting damage to livelihoods displacement are commonly seen as socio-economically and politically disruptive, yet it is essential to recognize that they can also present opportunities for social transformation and collective continuity. This study used historical methods to examine how Garri communities cope with recurring displacement and instability. Through historical analysis and interviews, the study explores Garri's resilience in a complex political setting. Garri's ability to handle crises and create stability is influenced by their historical experiences, cultural adaptations, and strategic alliances. Particularly, the Garri shift from reactive to proactive resilience helped them maintain their collective continuity and ontological security. The town-making and commercialized pastoralism highlights their adaptability to uncertainties and proactive response to evolving circumstances. Proactive resilience is irreversible, sequential, autonomous, and result-oriented. Therefore, Garri's resilience mechanisms reveal multifaceted narratives of adaptation, transformation, and strategic response, offering valuable insights into the complex dynamics of survival, living with and adapting to uncertainties, and community rebuilding within a dynamic environment. The study argues that conflict and displacement, despite their hardships, should be viewed as opportunities for collective development and continuity. Communities can achieve ontological security and collective continuity by adopting proactive resilience mechanisms and seeking constructive solutions.

Keywords

• frontiers
• displacement
• town-making
• somalization
• commercialization