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Photo Albums and Reports
NED - Hamar-jajab workshop - 23-27 December 2006 (PDF) Hamar-jajab workshop photos
NED - Karaan workshop - 13-18 December 2006 (PDF) Karaan workshop photos
NED - Hamar-weyne workshop - 4-9 December 2006 (PDF) Hamar-weyne workshop photos
NED - Bondhere workshop - 17-21 September 2006 (PDF)
NED - Hodan Workshop - 9-13 September 2006 (PDF)
NED - Warberi Workshop - 26-31 August 2006 (PDF)
NED - Abdul-aziz Workshop - 14-19 August 2006 (PDF)
NED - TOT SAACID - 4-6 July 2006 (PDF)
NED- Mobilisation Workshop - 20-21 June 2006 (PDF)
Conflict resolution centre proof-of-concept initiative
This National Endowment for Democracy funded programme was designed as a proof-of-concept initiative to highlight how important conceptual and philosophical issues in democracy, rule-of-law and conflict resolution and conflict transformation can be effectively transposed into grassroots communities in Mogadishu City – where structural ‘anarchy’ still prevails, and a systemic lack of awareness and education on these issues severely truncates options for local communities.
A key feature of behavioural change toward inclusive democratic concepts is instituting new forms of conflict resolution and conflict transformation in this war-torn country. At a grassroots level, there is no reference to anything resembling ‘rule-of-law’. By establishing 4 proof-of-concept mediation centres in 4 of the 16 districts of Mogadishu, SAACID hopes to provide an effective grassroots alternative for the arbitration and conciliation of individual and group conflicts at the district level. If this could be achieved it would significantly enhance grassroots rule-of-law at a practical level in Mogadishu City.
The programme aims to:
The 4 targeted districts for the programme are:
The programme is to run for a 12-month period.
It was due to begin in the first quarter of 2006, but was delayed by increased tension and fighting between US-backed warlords and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). It is now due to be completed in mid-2007.
The UIC exerted increasing control in Mogadishu City and set up a series of district-based Islamic courts - claiming that they were now doing the job that SAACID had intended for the conflict resolution centres. After consultations with NED, it was agreed that SAACID would indefinitely suspend the development of the conflict resolution centres and redirect the programme to providing training to all 16+1 districts in Mogadishu (November). There was a delay in programming as these consultations took place; and until NED released a second quarter of funding for the programme.
The UIC was forced out of Mogadishu in late December by the transitional Federal Government (TFG). This institution is claiming a full governance role in the city - meaning that again the development of conflict resolution centres is problematic. The TFG is currently extremely weak, so SAACID will maintain a wait-and-see approach to the development of the conflict resolution centres and continue to concentrate on district-based training.