USIP’s Work in Making Peace Possible

UNMISS Photo/JC Mcilwaine

CURRENT SITUATION After decades of civil war and the collapse of the central government in 1991, and international supporters have made progress in re-establishing state structures, such as a provisional 2012 constitution and the country’s first elections for a government since 1969. The and the , with U.S. assistance, support the Federal Government of Somalia in restoring President Hassan Sheikh institutions. Still, continued attacks by the al-Shabab Mohamud on His Plan for extremist group, plus corruption and regional and clan Peace disputes, have complicated the government’s efforts to

Somalia’s president spoke hold popular elections and establish stable governance. For example, consensus still must be at USIP in April 2016 to lay reached about the composition, boundaries, and powers of Somalia’s constituent states. The out his government’s plan government was unable to hold a direct vote for president in 2016 and scheduled an indirect for stabilizing his country— election in parliament for February 2017. Of an estimated 10 million Somalis, more than 2 million and Somalia’s need for are displaced and 5 million need humanitarian assistance, according to U.N. agencies. international support in that USIP’S WORK effort. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) provides education, grants, training, and resources to help Somalis strengthen the institutions and skills needed to build a more stable, resilient society and state. USIP works through partnerships with Somali civil society organizations and government institutions, the U.S. State Department, non-governmental organizations, and the large Somali diaspora around the globe. USIP’s recent work has included:

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE | 2301 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20037 | 202.457-1700 | www.usip.org Constitutional Review. To help develop a more stable, permanent constitution, Somalia’s government has pursued a “national dialogue” that includes public review of the 2012 Provisional Constitution. Cellphones, social media, and other technologies can be harnessed to make this dialogue more inclusive and transparent. USIP, with its associated non-profit, PeaceTech Lab, brought together the constitution-drafting bodies, civil society organizations, and technologists to explore approaches.

Police Training. Members of the Somalia Police Force have taken part since 2013 in USIP courses on police methods to counter violent extremism through community policing. The program emphasizes the principles of service-oriented policing with a focus on building the essential capabilities for a new national police system.

Generation Change. This program offers conflict management and leadership training, plus a network of support, to emerging, young civic leaders (18-35 years old). It engages young leaders from several countries across sub-Saharan Africa, including Somalia, strengthening their ability to build and lead civic groups that work for peace in their communities and countries. These youth are then able to offer conflict management and leadership training in their own communities.

GRANTS USIP has provided grants to projects that promote peacebuilding, nonviolent strategies, and conflict resolution in Somalia, including:

Peace Education. A team of education specialists from , , and has worked to revise the social studies curriculum for primary and secondary students. This work aims to remove cultural and ethnic biases from the curriculum and infuse themes of tolerance, appreciation for diversity, and respect for others.

Land Arbitration Initiatives. As in many countries, land ownership is a source of local conflicts and violence. USIP has supported Somali partners to help build national institutions to non-violently resolve land disputes. These include a central government repository of land records, which does not exist in much of Somalia.

USIP EVENTS USIP convenes scholars, experts, policymakers, elected officials, and others to discuss conflicts and peacebuilding efforts around the world, including in Somalia. These have included:

A Somali Plan for Peace. Somali President laid out his plan for rebuilding stability and social peace in Somalia in a public address at USIP in April 2016. In his speech and in discussions with USIP, he pointed out the obstacles of mistrust and extremist violence that must be overcome with international help.

U.S. Foreign Policy in Somalia. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman spoke at USIP in June 2014 to announce the U.S. decision to recognize Somalia and re-establish diplomatic ties. She discussed new U.S. efforts to advance peace, stability and development in Somalia.

Progress or Peril in Somalia. In April 2014, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for Somalia, , joined Ambassador Johnnie Carson, a USIP senior advisor, to discuss with U.S. Somalia specialists and the public the role of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNOSOM). Kay discussed UNOSOM’s progress in achieving key governance and security goals.

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE | 2301 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20037 | 202.457-1700 | www.usip.org