Bringing Together Somali Civil Society in the Quest for Peace” Civil Society Meeting Entebbe, 11-13 March 2008
“Bringing together Somali civil society in the quest for peace” Civil society meeting Entebbe, 11-13 March 2008 Introduction From 11-13 March 2008, over 150 leaders of Somali civil society gathered at the Imperial Beach Resort Hotel in Entebbe, Uganda. The group included: Somali NGOs, business leaders, professional associations, women’s groups, religious leaders, academics, the media, and traditional leaders. Almost half of the group are members of the Somali expatriate community, who travelled from as far afield as Australia, Canada and Scandinavia. It has been an unprecedented gathering of such a wide-ranging and influential group of civil society. The prospect of recovery and peace-building in Somalia rests in large part on civil society, which can be a catalyst for social, political and economic change. The purpose of this meeting was two-fold: first, to foster a more collective voice among the diverse sectors and groups of Somali civil society, both those living within Somalia and those living outside; and second, to begin to build consensus among this group on how the Somali civil society can most effectively and constructively contribute to peace-building in Somalia. Discussion was intense and animated over the three days of meetings, both in plenary session, and in the various working groups on, for instance, the role of women, the business community, and of the diaspora in peace-building. The meeting was also attended by selected representatives of the international community who had the opportunity to interact with the wide range of Somali participants. Despite the intensive nature of the meeting, with side sessions continuing late into the evenings, the atmosphere throughout was cordial and constructive, generating a spirit of hope and empowerment in the midst of the challenges faced by the Somali people.
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