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REPORT OF THE 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL CIVIC FORUM (NCF) HELD FROM 17TH TO 22ND DECEMBER 2009 AT THE LAKE NAIVASHA SIMBA LODGE, KENYA
The National Civic Forum (NCF) held its third annual conference at Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge from 17th to the 22nd of December 2009. The 5-day workshop discussed NCF as an institution, its major achievements since inception; planned activities and civic service to the Somali nation. During the workshop a number of commissioned papers were presented. The topics included peace-building, state-formation, human rights and impunity, current developments in Somalia; looking at all these issues from different perspectives.
The conference which was funded by Heinrich Boll Foundation (HBF) brought together Somali civics from all corners of the world and concluded with a communiqué calling for lasting peace and reconciliation in Somalia. The following report provides a summary of the 5-day intensive conference’s proceedings.
Thursday
Session 1: Opening remarks
Moderator: Dr. Abdullahi Haider
Presenters: Dr. Yusuf Nur, Dr. Axel Harneit-Sievers, Hassan Dirie.
The day started with the reading of Koranic verses to open and bless the proceedings and deliberations.
As part of the update on the National Civic Forum (NCF) and its activities during the year 2009, one of the presenters gave an overview of NCF’s mission and vision as “an independent, non-partisan organization founded by a cohort of Somali professionals and scholars in the year 2004. NCF’s mission is to generate and disseminate creative ideas that will assist in the establishment of a democratic political order, durable peace, justice, rule of law, and sustainable development in the country.
In the long term, NCF strives to be a facilitation venue for the emergence of a new generation of competent Somali leaders.”
NCF carried out a number of activities in the year 2009 including panel discussions and workshops on various key topical issues. This was supported by the production of Bildhaan journal, a number of e-newsletters and media engagements. Language accessibility was, however, a problem. The office in Mogadishu opened and did a number of workshops before it closed due to internal problems and the Ethiopian military intervention in Somalia.
Other than generating ideas and inputs, it is NCF’s mandate to record debates, alert, educate and ask the public to account. NCF is at crossroads between being pro-people or pro-government. It is both since it tries to be the link between the two.
A criticism has been leveled against NCF on the way it conducts business. It is seen as an elitist exclusive group, an organization that is not open to all. “While the secluded environment helps generate ideas there is a need to open up to others and reach out so that we can affect policy” a participant felt.
Other challenges NCF faces include: the need to diversify funding sources, the need to reach out other civil society groups and organizations, and the need to increase visibility in terms of public forums, media engagement and informal contacts.
Session 2: Overview of the current Somali situation
Moderator: Abdi Ahmed Baffo
Topics; An overview of the current political and social situation of Somalia - Prof.
Mohamed Jawari, Hassan Sheikh, Abdurahman Warsame and Ibrahim
Abikar;
An overview of the humanitarian situation and civil society activities - Nurto
Sheikh, Abdullahi Shirwa and Abbas Mohamed
A briefing on the December 3rd bombing of Banadir University’s graduation -
Mohammed Nur Ga’al, Abdi A. Mohamed Baffo and Abdullahi Shirwa.
This session was organized in a panel discussion format on the current situation of the country. The panelists briefly spoke about the reconciliation processes the country has witnessed since the late 1980s and the beginning of the 90s where the focus was not on ceasefire but on inclusivity for all the active major players of the time. With a historical chronology of almost all the developments in Somalia from colonial to independent Somalia, including the two civilian administrations and the military regime, they emphasized the importance of trust and trust-building among the Somali people. The panelists also analyzed the Djibouti process and its agreement with a focus on the key challenges facing the new government. There are other actors that matter in addition to the TFG including Alshabab, Hisbul Islam, Ahl Sunna, ‘Somaliland’ and ‘Puntland’. The message was that although the new TFG had popular support it seems that it is losing it day by day for not delivering and that there is some level of disappointment by the elders, civil society and women groups among others. The targeted assassinations by armed Islamist groups led to mass displacement, refugee influx leading to an unparalleled humanitarian crisis in the country.
Some of the most interesting discussions circled around the fact that after the Ethiopian withdrawal, people had some hopes that there would be some semblance of law and order and the level of violence would go down. People hope dwindled and the situation is now even worse than before. Livelihoods have been depleted and the Somali people are left to live hand-to-mouth or they have become dependent onJaaliyadda remittances while the middle class is fending for itself.
Deliberations
The panelists stressed the impact of war on women which some referred to as ‘death sentence.’ Although women make up more than 60% of the Somali population they are the most affected. Some have been refugees in Kenya for over twenty years as more continue to flee to as far as Yemen.
Despite their suffering, women contribution has been credible, gender roles are now reversed making them household heads. Women face marginalization from political participation to family level even at the face of the Charter which allows them a 12% quota which has never been respected. The centrality of women was, however, discussed and agreed by the participants.
On the Jaaliyadda, the Somali community is divided along clan, sub-clan and sub-sub-clan lines and to some extent along regional lines as was witnessed in the recent trip to the United States by the TFG President Sheikh Sharif where emotions run high as opposed to being objective and focus on national issues.
In terms of TFG support, 95% of the people support the government with 5% opposing it. There are however two problems: the FBI syndrome and political Islam which are also competing for the Jaaliyadda attention. On the jihadist concept, the media fuels instead of stopping it. The other major problem is personality vs. institutionalism, on which people are to differ not knowing what they want to get by the end of the day.
Some of the questions raised by the Jaaliyadda include the role of the Jaaliyadda, the need for coordination, whether there is a need for 550 parliamentarians and more than 40 ministers in a government that does not even control a third of its own capital city. The participants questioned the delay of the reconciliation, reconstruction and development process and why the country, particularly the capital city has been turned into a militarized zone with security concerns and interests taking over from more priority areas.
The panelists concluded their discussions by stating that the TFG has no plans and they have horrible advisers; its silence on its position about the religious leaders is unhealthy; and there is a need to study further the relationship between students and radicalism.
TFG incapability and lack of systems in place was echoed by majority of the participants in the conference as they observed pervasive arrogance and lack of training for TFG employees. The participants felt that the former Somali government was replaced by disorganized groups with no coordination and clear national agenda and plans. To date TFG lack resources for operationalisation since its relocation. The panelists also called for an assessment of the TFG and the armed opposition groups in terms of popular support vs. current support and the role the international community plays in supporting the two.
The urgency to stop the blame game was also encouraged and so was the need for the Somalis to bear the blame themselves. The role and centrality of women in Somali society was emphasized. Participants noted that the Jaaliyadda remittances were not monitored as they also created a high level of dependency.
The day ended with an internal NCF meeting by members only.
Key messages:
1. NCF is allegedly an elitist organization that needs to open up its membership to other Somali civics and academics both from Somalia and outside. Despite this, NCF did a good job and the participants were grateful for the conference organization and its timeliness;
2. The Somali constitutional-making debate and process is in a critical stage which needs everybody’s attention. The focus should not be on a product but on an inclusive process that is led and owned by Somalis with support from the international community. There should be wide public consultations and outreach in order to produce an acceptable Sharia-compliant Somali constitution.
3. The TFG is weak but presents a very unique window of opportunity that needs to be built on;
4. Reconciliation is important despite the TFG’s reluctance and the UN diplomacy of ignoring the fact and the realities on the ground;
5. There are regional variations that need to be appreciated: ‘Somaliland’ and ‘Puntland’ who also need to be engaged when the circumstances allow;
6. The country faces critical humanitarian situation where access and delivery are crucial;
7. The World Food Programme’s (WFP) withdrawal from parts of Somalia was condemned and so were the US sanctions on Alshabab-controlled areas;
8. Civil society, despite the definitional problems and overdependence on external aid, play an important role in the current Somalia including that of the binding glue;
9. The participants condemned the December 3rd suicide bombing of Shamow Hotel during Banadir University graduation and they sympathized with the University and the relatives of the deceased and the wounded. They also called for an end of such acts and for an international investigation into the incident.
Friday
Session 3: Governance issues and institutions
Moderator: Dr. Abdisalam Omar
Topics: Federalism and democratic governance in Somalia-Dr Hassan
Mahadallah
Mega conflicts in Somalia-Abdi Mohamed Baffo
Somali experience in constitution making and public consultations-Prof
Mohamed Jawari
Addressing priority issues-Ahamed Ugas.
Deliberations:
The day began with a recap of day one. Abdisalam Omar the moderator began by posing the question whether the conference would be discussing deficiency or absence of government institutions in Somalia. The discussions were mirrored in federalism debate by the panelists and the participants. The federalist argument is that the dismemberment of Somalia is the only way out and that there are two levels of government, in other words two centers of power. According to the panelists, people always confuse federalism with confederal systems of governance. Conferedation is a loose association of independent states, i.e. the British system which Somalia cannot fit. In this case, issues to consider include: the need to address the sensitivity of the term ‘federalism’; the efficient (but also targeted) delivery of services; increment of employment opportunities; creating a space for citizens to realize, demonstrate and exercise their rights; training of leaders; and the importance of a good track record.
The panelists agreed that federalism is pregnant with dismemberment and fragmentation and unless it is carefully courted it is going to be a disaster for Somalia furthermore it is disastrous for minority groups like women. They deliberated on the differences between federalism and other systems of governance and agreed that the unitary system was the best for a country like Somalia. They discussed the emergence of ‘Somaliland’ and ‘Puntland’, the problems in Somalia’s south and central regions for the past twenty years pushed them to come up with their own systems. Given the fact that all politics are local, these two regional administrative units serve as good examples to the rest of the country.
The issues discussed in the conference were connected and key for the Somali people.
The history of constitution-making was discussed tracing it back to colonial undertakings and the 1960 constitution. The panelists pointed out that the best Somali constitution ever drafted was the 1990 draft which addressed the interests of all Somali stakeholders at the time. Prof. Mohamed Jawari, a UNDP consultant on the process, pointed that he joined UNDP Somalia on one condition, that they allow him to edit the 1990 draft constitution and put it to a wider public consultation stressing its importance. Both the panelists and the participants agreed that this is a difficult and long process; that there is a need to focus and make it a process led and owned by the Somalis and they should not just rush to produce a draft. In this case, the roles played by UNDP Somalia, the office in charge of this portfolio, the IFCC, and the PCC were all important. They ought to agree on a clear division of labour and a closely coordinated process that brings on board all Somali stakeholders for public consultations before the drafting so as to incorporate the ideas and inputs of the Somali people in the new constitution.
Finally, the panelists agreed on the importance of Somali ownership of the process; the need for experts, both Somalis and non-Somalis; constant consultation with civil society on the process and the need for NCF to contract 4 to 5 people to study and research on this area in addition to its previous areas of research.
The day’s session ended with an internal NCF meeting.
Key messages:
1. Governance is an issue all over Somalia including areas with relative stability and development;
2. The role civil society play is important in governance of the country;
3. Priority issues within governance include; reconciliation, the security sector development and reform, and public financial management and accountability;
4. The constitution-making of Somalia has gone through a long and very delicate process from colonial Somalia. It was time to focus on an inclusive process. The 1990 draft was agreed to have been the best the country ever had.
5. In a Sharia-compliant constitution, the UNDP-led team must ensure that the five (5) universal principles should be captured in the new draft. The process should not come up with a rushed product.
6. The roles of the UNDP-led team, the office of the relevant ministry, the IFCC and the PCC are so far clearly delineated and this must be protected;
7. Federalism is one form of governance, not necessarily suitable to the Somali but one of the available options. People need to be sensitized and not rushed into it or into any other form;
8. Conflict is part and parcel of human life and the Somali leaders need to focus and prioritise reconciliation.
Saturday
Session 5: Peace and political processes,
Moderator: Dr. Yusuf Nur
Topics: Women in peace processes-Asha Haji Elmi
Institution Building-Dr Hodan Isse
Moving beyond contested agreements and failed transitions-Abdi Ahmed
Baffo
Peace and impunity-Abdul Yusuf Osman (Bidar)
Deliberations:
The day began with a recap of the previous day. Asha Haji Elmi made a presentation on the role of women in peace-building with emphasis of the concept of the ‘6th clan’ from the Arta peace process to-date. The panelist also compared and contrasted women in times of conflict and women during peace and pointed out the centrality of women in both scenarios.
The argument was that most of peace processes conducted for Somalia failed due to the lack of women representation and participation and the last two, which somehow succeeded had women participate. She called for open-mindedness, respect for women’s role and called for more involvement of women in future political processes for the country. Asha also disagreed with the notion that the 6th clan concept is dominated by one single woman, herself, and argued that if it were not for the inclusivity of all Somali women it would not be there from the start.
Dr. Isse who made a presentation on institution-building, focused on economic development in a corruption free environment as the basis for lasting peace and development for Somalia.
Echoing Asha, Najma spoke about a lost generation, the youth. She noted the lack of integration in the Somali Jaaliyadda and recommended that such NCF forums should help generate communal values-based ideas and implement them. Both Asha and Najma stressed the importance of borrowing a leaf from the past Somali traditions where respect begun from the smallest level of Somali society; the family.
In an emotional session, Abdul Yusuf, presented a new case on the Somali debate ‘peace and impunity in Somalia’ with a case study of what he called the Shamow massacre. Referring to the recent bombing on the 3rd graduation ceremony of Banadir University, Abdul raised the question on whether it is time for Somalia to join the ICC for prosecution of war criminals.
Baffo’s moving beyond contested agreements and failed transitions was equally interesting. The flawed paradigm on the Somali peace processes and irreconcilable interests and the wrong timing in terms of the ripe moment for the resolution of the Somali conflict. He introduced a number of scenarios: Shabab victory which may attract another foreign military intervention; a peace deal that may bring the Shabab, the TFG and all other political actors; TFG victory that forms a government; a stalemate which may legitimize the status quo but may not bring in anything new to the circle; and an unknown situation that could introduce new actors, with a new landscape, new wars and of course new challenges for peace and reconciliation process. With an inventory of the past peace processes and debates on why agreements are contested and transitions fail, Baffo came up with a number of conclusions. This is the most challenging reconciliation process; the opposition is an allied force and they control and/or have influence over many regions; the current nature of the Somali conflict is ideological; the international component is the most prominent; and that the only hope now lies within the civil society.
Session 6: Social and economic recovery-
Moderator - Dr. Hodan Isse
Topics: Agriculture and peace-building - Hussein Haji Mao;
Economic development as a tool for peace and security in Somali - Ali Omar;
A briefing on Mombassa’s Entebbe II, civil society, and the recent ICG meeting in Jeddah - Jibril Abdulle;
Youth employment in war-torn Somalia - Mohamed Ali Khasse;
Somali conflicts, interventions and reconciliation - Hassan Dirie;
Jaaliyadda contribution - Ibrahim Abikar
.
Deliberations:
This session covered a number of inter-related topics all related to peace, peace-building and security. Haji Mao’s topic stressed the importance of agriculture and its relations with peace, on the other hand he opened up the debate on whether we should focus on peace or move on to development with no conducive environment. The same issue was raised in Omar’s topic on economic development as a tool for peace and security and in the subsequent question and answer session. However, both the presenters and the participants agreed on the need to engage in a two-track approach in which efforts to find lasting peace and development issues will be carried out simultaneously since they are inter-related.
Jabril from CRD Mogadishu briefed the conference on the recent CRD-facilitated civil society gathering in Mombassa. The conference titled Entebbe II brought together over 150 Somali participants from all over the world and deliberated on the current Somali situation and the role of civil society in this situation. The conference came up with a 14-point communiqué which covered human rights and the issue of impunity, peace, security, institutional capacity building, and youth building a united front to contribute to the development of the country. The conference also condemned the recent bombing of the Banadir University graduation. Jabril also briefed the conference on the recent ICG meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where there was less interest in Somalia issues as was portrayed in the level of representation of the host, Saudi Arabia. This 6th ICG meeting supported the TFG and the civil society pushed for their role which the TFG resisted. The TFG mentioned that some Arab countries were calling for a reconciliation conference with opposition elements that was rejected by both the UN and the TFG.
Mohamed Khasse’s youth employment in war-torn Somalia topic attracted a very interesting debate on high impact and quick results people always expect from such interventions. He discussed the need for employment creation and the skills training that should target the youth and its long-term nature. Hassan Dirie gave an inventory of past Somali conflicts, past military interventions including the recent Ethiopian invasion and the past peace and reconciliation conferences held for Somalia. Ibrahim Abikar’s topic on Jaaliyadda contribution was equally interesting. It covered the challenges faced by the community in the United States and their expected role by those in the country. Abikar stressed the importance of their engagement in the national processes. One key challenge in addition to clanism and regionalism within the community and the recent allegations of Alshabab links is a new trend where the youth have joined the black American community’s gang culture.
The day’s sessions ended with an NCF meeting.
Key messages:
1. Women’s role and the concept of the 6th clan have become important landmarks in Somali history since full-blown civil war broke out in early 1991 to-date and as of the Djibouti-led Arta peace process;
2. Institution-building is one of the most important issues and a pre-requisite for any nation-building. Without them, there can be no nation-building. Such efforts geared to this goal must be corruption-free and must be based on justice and equality with all stakeholders including men and women;
3. There is a need to underline development enabling institutions to be the primary objective of any government, failed or otherwise;
4. There is a negative effect of external factors contributing to the Somali problem therefore a need to emphasize the role of agriculture as an instrument that could potentially combat poverty through food security and job creation, particularly in areas where the weather is favourable.
5. Human rights violations and the culture of impunity must come to an end and the Hague-based ICC must be engaged in prosecuting violations in Somalia;
6. Focus on productive sectors like agriculture can contribute to peace-building in the long-run. However, there is a debate on whether focus should be on security and stability or development;
7. Economic development is an important tool for peace and security in Somalia;
8. Despite reluctance by various authorities in Somalia including the TFG to recognize their importance and role of civil society it is key;
9. Entebbe II was a major breakthrough for the Somali civil society;
10. The recent ICG meeting in Jeddah failed to meet the expectations of the TFG, civil society and the Somali public at large. Representation was low in terms of profile and there were no new issues discussed in their agenda;
11. The youth are an important force to reckon with and focus on in order to prevent them from joining groups like Alshabab. Various employment-creation schemes can be worked out and they should be long-term in orientation;
12. The Somali conflict is one of the most protracted conflicts in Africa. It needs an integrated approach with a focus on Somali ownership;
13. The Jaaliyadda contribute to both conflict and peace. The over one billion US dollar remittances sent back to Somalia aside, they are also involved in the provision of advisory services and in the private sector development. This group is also divided along clan, sub-clan, sub sub-clan and regional lines. Of late, there has been an increase in their engagement in Alshabab activities worldwide.
Sunday
Session 7: Social and economic recovery-
Moderators- Shukria Dini and Dr. Yusuf Nur
Topics: A brief discussion on NCF’s membership - Dr. Yusuf Nur, Haider, Baffo
and Dr. Qayad;
A fundraising event for Banadir University facilitated - Dr. Yusuf Nur,
Farah Sheikh, and Haider
Critical shifts in Somali political dynamics - Ahmed Abbas;
Islam and society - Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir;
Sustainable strategies for agri-food development - Mahdi Abdullahi;
Employment generation - Mohamed Barre;
Somali natural resources - Haider;
Surveillance and control of RVF and national-building through character
education. -Dr. Saida Ahmed;
Deliberations:
Haider, Qayad, and Dr. Yusuf briefed the participants on NCF’s mission and goals. They also discussed the criteria for membership in which they invited the conference participants to join and apply. The team also promised that the applications would be discussed that evening by the NCF board which would also vet new applicants’ joining
the forum.
This discussion on NCF and its membership was followed by an emotional fund-raising for Banadir University after a briefing on the recent bombing on the graduation ceremony at Shamow Hotel on December 3rd2009. The participants pledged and NCF accounted for the collections and the session ended.
Within the same 7th session, Ahmed Abbas, Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Dr. Mahdi Abdullahi, Mohamed Barre, Dr. Abdullahi Haider, Dr. Saida Ahmed and Hassan Ali gave brief presentations on critical shifts in Somali political dynamics, Islam and society, sustainable strategies for agri-food development, employment generation, Somali natural resources, surveillance and control of RVF, and national-building through character education respectively. Abbas did a marathon review of five (5) areas: colonial era, the birth of the national state, the military take over, the emergence of armed and clan-based groups and the current stateless period and called for a new shift based on Somali interests, values and commitment. Farah Sheikh argued that Islam is a complete way of life and that it is the society to adapt to Islam and not the other way around. He also stressed the importance of the ongoing consultations and drafting of a Sharia-compliant constitution calling for the inclusion of the five universal principles of Islam (the preservation of religion, life, wealth, mind and dignity) into the main document. He advised that issue of implementation should be left to future judiciary which will make the interpretation and judgments. Farah also called for a deradicalisation of the Somali processes and the separation of self-interest-based religious arguments from Islam. He called for the need to have a Mufti in Somalia.
The paper on sustainable strategies for agri-food development was quite interesting though some participants argued that it is an idea whose time is yet to come bringing back the old argument on whether to focus on peace-building and security or on issues of development. Mahdi debated food security and safety from a Western perspective and tried to call for a Somali application. He also pointed out that food aid was the main problem facing the Somali nation. Mahdi recommended that Somali doctors should be trained to handle livestock diseases. Mohamed Barre gave a brief presentation on employment creation arguing that 70% of existing employment opportunities are unconventional while the remaining 30% are conventional raging from organized to unorganized illegal employment opportunities to government and NGO jobs in Somalia. Barre called for institutional support, the empowering of the private sector, civil society’s advocacy roles and finally investing in children and the realization of their rights as the most effective ways to eradicate poverty and create conventional employment countrywide.
Haider’s paper on Somali natural resources titled “Hydrocarbon (oil & gas) potential in Somalia” argued that many oil experts believe that Somalia has got a high potential and the country require peace and political stability in order to attract international investment necessary for exploration and development. After a brief presentation on the untapped oil and other natural gasses, he stressed that not only does the country possess all requirements for a petroliferous province but it was also time to concentrate on the political environment, improve stability and make Somalia a place where law and order prevail. He called for civil society provision of the necessary monitoring and advocacy mechanism to check the possible negative exploitation of natural resources a fear by a good number of concerned Somalis.
Dr. Saida’s paper, Rift Valley Fever: Surveillance and control, discussed the problem of RVF from its geographical distribution, occurrences, outbreak cycle, the risks involved on both human and livestock and its economic impact including the loss of livestock to the ban by the Gulf and the high mortality rate of the population. The paper was too scientific to generate more ideas but attracted a number of political questions including the implications it had to the peace processes and the regional balance of trade, i.e. between Somalia and Ethiopia. Dr. Saida made a number of recommendations including vaccinations, education and awareness raising, the use of mosquito nets and the separation of animals and humans in their sleeping areas.
Hassan Ali’s paper on nation-building through character education moved the participants when he reminded them that “tomorrow solution to adult problems depends, to a large extent on how children grow up today,” quoted from Margaret Mead. Hassan stressed the importance of enculturation of certain values in children as they grow as part of a long-term nation-building through character education like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship with the expected outcome being an intelligent and responsible individual leading to a healthy nation.
Session 8: Conference recomendations
In this session participants were to come up with conference recommendations. They were divided into groups where each was assigned with the task of coming up with a list of recommendations for the 5-day conference. The lists were the platform for the debates the following day. They also contributed to the initial draft of the conference’s communiqué.
The day’s sessions ended with an NCF meeting.
Key messages:
1. The Somali political terrain change on a regular basis and there is poor leadership;
2. Islam is a complete way of life and the constitution is to ensure that the five (5) universal Islamic principles are captured in the upcoming Sharia-compliant Somali constitution;
3. Due to the lawlessness in the country, all of the productive sectors like agriculture, livestock, fisheries and marine resources have been neglected. The Somali people need to awake to the reality that they have more than they need in terms of food in their country but this would be realised only if peace prevails;
4. Somalia has a large pool of untapped oil and natural gas evenly distributed throughout the country. Lasting peace, reconciliation and political stability can lead Somalia to be one of the richest oil-producing countries worldwide;
5. Rift Valley Fever is both a scientific as well as a political disease in the Somali and Horn of Africa.
6. 70% of today’s youth employment opportunities are unconventional due to the lawlessness in the country and the remaining 30% comes from the government and NGO job market. There is a need to focus more on the conventional aspect of it and help the youth stay away from idleness;
7. According to Margaret Mead, “the solution to adult problems tomorrow depends, in large measure, on how children grow up today.”
Monday
Session 9:
Moderator- Dr. Mohamed Gedi Qayad
Topic: Finalization of the recommendations and the selection of four (4) groups
panelists.
The participants agreed on the following four (4) topics and their panelists which were recorded for public and media outreach.
Panel one- Reconciliation
Moderator- Omar Qadi
Panelists: Baffo, Shukria Dini, Qoran Noor, and Abdullahi Mahdi
Panel two- Social issues and the role of civil society
Moderator- Dr. Qayad
Panelists; Dr. Nurto Sheikh, Mohamed Khasse, and Ahmed Ugas
Panel three- Foreign interventions in Somalia
Moderator- Omar Qadi
Panelists: Prof. Hassan Mahadallah, Dr. Hodan Isse and Ali Omar
Panel four- Leadership
Moderator- Farah Sheikh
Panelists: Dr. Yusuf Nur, Hassan Ali, and Abdurrahman Odawa
Session 10:
Press release and closure
The 5-day 3rd annual conference ended with a communiqué and was officially closed.
Recommendations
The 5-day conference came up with a number of recommendations including:
1. There is a need for NCF to serve the purpose it was formed: a platform for civics and to engage Somali actors in the country’s reconstruction and development process, during and after the transition;
2. While the role and works of the Somali civil society was commended; it should stand up for the Somali cause and double its efforts;
3. NCF needs to create a more conducive environment for Somali civics to engage the Somali authorities and help them with what they need, i.e. policy formulation and articulation;
4. The TFG should come up with policies and engage civil society, the Jaaliyadda, and other Somali actors in the country’s reconstruction and development processes;
5. The constitution-making process amounts to Somali reconciliation thus the importance of making it a widely-consultative process that should not be rushed. It should also be Sharia-compliant;
6. Somali scholars, retired senior civil servants should write on Somalia and leave a living legacy behind;
7. NCF's should compile the papers presented in the conference and publish them into a book under its copyright.