Somalia programme
For reasons related to insecurity and complicated logistical processes, we currently manage and coordinate the Somalia programme from the LPI Nairobi office with relevant field missions to Mogadishu.
Civil society support and engagement
The role of traditional elders and religious leaders has remained vital yet weakened in the absence of viable state structures. More recently, the growth of groups that claim to have little or no affiliation to local clans and that try to gain legitimacy among local communities while having links to trans-border networks, has further weakened the effectiveness of traditional conflict transformation structures and methods.
Modern approaches to conflict transformation need to complement the already existing conflict transformation resources within the Somali context. Actors that are capable of analysing and dealing with local conflicts, working with traditional conflict transformation structures while interacting with other actors both inside and outside the context, need to be strengthened and supported. The existence of such civil society actors is a necessary pre-condition to sustainable peacebuilding as a long- term process that can only be achieved from within the society in conflict.
Policy work and awareness-raising
The Somali context is diverse and dynamic and engagement in conflict transformation needs to be framed around an understanding of this. Sound research and analysis are thus pre-conditions for effective engagement. Research and analysis with primary data collection done in the field can also serve as a basis for supporting the engagement of external actors, such as embassies and international agencies. By involving internal and external actors in the actual process of data collection – and not only feeding them with information – their understanding of the conflict can be furthered and their engagement can be framed in ways that are conducive to peace.
Cross-fertilisation of conflict transformation theory and practice
Programme work in conflict transformation is fluid and, to a certain extent, dependent on changing scenarios. LPI and its partners’ engagement in a dynamic conflict setting necessitates a process of constant action-reflection including analyses of the context, the intervention and its results, in order to enable learning. Thus, a systematic approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation will enable LPI and the partners to learn from what they do, increase the effectiveness of the projects and programmes and improve their practices in conflict transformation. Monitoring and evaluation are also good tools to ensure that all processes that take place are well documented throughout the programme. This documentation forms the basis from which lessons are learnt and on which re-planning is based. These lessons can then provide a learning basis for other actors in Somalia as well as in conflict transformation in general.
Engagement in dynamic conflict settings necessitates a process of constant action-reflection, including analyses of the context, the intervention and its results, in order to enable learning. The field of conflict transformation has borrowed concepts and methodologies from other fields with varying degrees of success. In certain cases this has not worked as planned, with the realisation that there is a need to develop methodologies that are more suitable to this field.
The partner for the Somalia programme, Somali Peace Line, is one of the few organisations with a specific focus on peacebuilding that is fully operational inside Mogadishu and South Central Somalia. Our indirect partner, Somali Women Contact Committee, is a network of women’s organisations that spreads over 54 districts in the eight southern most regions of Somalia. The network was formed in 2007 and is therefore still in its initial phases of organisational development regarding vision, mission and operational structures.
The target groups of this programme are Somali CSOs including traditional elders, religious institutions (such as imams and influential Islamic scholars), women and youth groups, local peacebuilding NGOs, Transitional Federal Institutions, and politically organised Islamic groups. The Somalia programme will seek to enhance constituencies’ ownership of the political process and to promote the necessity for a de-escalation of violence in the Somali context.
Implementation modes and types of activities
The implementation of this programme is based on activities such as organisational analysis, capacity building through the accompaniment of partners, on the job trainings and formal trainings, conflict analysis and research, accompaniment in mediation and negotiation based on conflict analysis and research carried out, gender mainstreaming, awareness-raising and policy work, financial support and the continuous training in and application of LPI’s PME&L tool.
For information about the programme’s results please see Annual report.