Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
The Circle of Twenty Villages: Where Tradition Breathes and Justice Walks Barefoot
By Yemane Gedilu
As the morning light breaks over the rugged highlands of Tigray, it casts a golden hue across the clustered stone houses and winding paths of Wojetat – a region where history is not just remembered but practiced, and where governance isn’t a relic of the past, but a daily ritual rooted in community, dignity, and ancestral wisdom.
Here, nestled between the northern and southern escarpments of the region, lies what locals call “Demer ʿIsra ʿAdi”—the Council of Ten Villages. It is not a governmental office or a modern-day tribunal. It is a living institution made up of ten grassroots village councils, each elected from and by the people they serve. This ancient confederation of local leadership is organized into two clusters: ten villages to the north and ten to the south, each with its unique rhythm of life, yet all harmonized in collective governance.
In the heart of these villages sits a communal gathering place—no throne, no podium, no loudspeaker. Just a circle of elders, respected women, youth representatives, and traditional leaders who sit on equal ground, sometimes under the shade of a sycamore, other times beside a sacred spring or village courtyard. It is in this setting that matters of great weight are discussed—issues of justice, land disputes, interfaith harmony, communal safety, and the deeply respected customary rites that govern birth, marriage, and death.
The brilliance of the Demer ʿIsra ʿAdi system lies in its simplicity and integrity. It is local democracy in its purest form:
- Each village elects a representative annually. No individual may extend their term without consent, and rotating leadership is strictly enforced.
- Age and wisdom matter. Only elders—revered for their experience and judgment—are eligible to serve.
- Neutral grounds are chosen for meetings, typically centrally located among the ten villages to ensure accessibility and fairness.
- Secrecy is sacred, and agendas are open—decisions must be transparent, but internal deliberations are protected from gossip and external influence.
- No one holds a “high seat.” Decisions are made in the round, with no single person claiming authority over others.
- The council’s motto, proudly recited at every gathering, is:
“Our banner is our culture, our path is our own; Ethiopia may govern, but it must not impose.”
This is not rebellion—it is the articulation of a deeply federalist vision of coexistence. - All decisions must be enacted—there is no space for performative leadership. If a decision is made, the entire community stands behind it.
- The laws are living. As culture evolves, so too does the code of conduct. Yet, it holds fast to core values: mutual respect, reconciliation, truth-telling, discretion, and the sacredness of human dignity.
Among the most revered roles are those entrusted with delicate matters:
Abo Gereb for land issues,
Debarite for women’s rights and family concerns,
Rekbe Kahnat for religious dialogue,
Shiraʿti Hizaʿti for rites of passage,
Deyna for justice, and
Abo Gaz for public safety and order.
These aren’t titles. They are lifeways—community roles bestowed upon those known for listening more than speaking, for healing more than dividing.
In the quiet strength of this council lies a powerful truth: Tigrai’s soul doesn’t rest in stone monuments or royal chronicles alone—it pulses through the unwritten laws of the people, their gatherings, their rituals of dialogue, and their commitment to living honorably in the shadow of the mountains.
As a traveling journalist, I didn’t just observe governance—I witnessed poetry in motion. Here in Wojetat, governance is a communal fire, not a cold bureaucracy. It warms, it feeds, and it lights the path ahead.
So let the world come see Demer ʿIsra ʿAdi, not as a curiosity of the past, but as a model for a future that remembers the wisdom of walking barefoot in justice.
“To preserve our heritage, we must all become its voice.”
Let this be a song, a banner, and a promise.
Yemane Gedlu Gezahegn is a Tourism expert who workes Tigrai Culture and Tourism Bureau.
