Somali Futures: an Exploration

Somali Futures Pilot Survey July 2011 Somali Futures: an exploration Pilot Survey July 2011 Humanitarian Futures Programme 1 King’s College, London Somali Futures Pilot Survey July 2011 Contents Preface 6 1. Background 7 2. Methodology 8 3. Focus group findings I. National Identity 11 a. Values and Traditions b. Clan and Clanism c. The future of the Somali Language d. The Future of Pastoralism II. Society: Family, the Role of Women and Religion 15 a. The Family b. The Role of Women c. Religion III. The Experience of Emigration: the Diaspora and the Role of the Business 17 Community IV. Governance: Future Peace and Reconstruction 19 a. Future peace b. Reconstruction V. Individuals’ views of the future 21 4. Pilot project findings 22 5. Conclusions and Recommendations 25 End notes 27 Annex I: Research Brief 28 Annex II: Brief Bibliography 30 2 Somali Futures Pilot Survey July 2011 Executive summary 1. Somali Futures: An exploration is an initiative of King’s were under threat from foreign influences, including College, London’s Humanitarian Futures Programme to Arabic and English. explore how Somalis see their future and that of future 6. The main findings under the topic of society included generations. Supported by the United Nations the sense that the strength of Somali families is being Development Programme ‐ Somali office, the undermined by the experience of emigration and overarching purpose of this initiative is to determine if separation. Discussants repeatedly stressed that a good there are any consistent themes that emerge from education for their children is a high priority for the extensive engagement with a sample of Somali future. Many Somalis agree that women have much to respondents that might prompt different forms of contribute to national political life, and younger women, support to the Somali people; in particular, regard the participation of women in 2. With that overarching goal in mind, this initiative is a national leadership as vitally necessary and overdue. A pilot survey that eventually will lead to four specific minority (mainly, but not exclusively, men) are strongly objectives: (i) using futures perspectives to look for of the view that women should lead only in the family. alternative ways to promote more acceptable forms of When it comes to religion, Islam is a vital part of Somalis' governance; (ii) to support UN and Somali planning sense of identity. Somalis want the country's Islamic efforts through tested forms of futures‐oriented nature and traditions to be preserved and voiced the scenario and simulation exercises; (iii) to analyse wish that their families should receive a good religious possible differences between the aspirations of those (i.e., Islamic) education. A minority hoped for an Islamic living abroad (the Diaspora) and indigenous Somalis; and government; (iv) to test a methodology based upon futures 7. Under the Experience of Emigration, it was noted that perspectives that might have applicability for other about a fifth of Somalis have gone abroad, and many of conflict‐affected countries and regions; those in the Diaspora provide regular financial support 3. The pilot survey’s methodology was based principally in the form of remittances. There was virtual unanimity upon focus groups held in various parts of Somalia, for the proposition that the Diaspora has a crucial role to Somaliland, the United Kingdom and the United States. play both in bringing peace and in rebuilding the In total 229 Somali discussants took part in the survey. country. It was accepted that the Somali business Focus groups concentrated on four themes: (i) Somalis community, both in the Diaspora and in Somalia, is today; (ii) the Somali homeland today; (iii) the Somali talented and successful, and could be of considerable homeland in the future; and (iv) Somalis and the future; importance when it comes to Somali development At 4. Focus groups’ discussion topics centred on national the same time, some groups felt that Somali identity, which included values and traditions, clan and businessmen had benefitted from the absence of state regulation and control. Some claimed that the massive clanism, the Somali language and pastoralism; society, which included family, the role of women and religion; sums received in Somalia in remittances from the the experience of emigration, including the Diaspora Diaspora were being "invested in destruction" by clan leaders and warlords. This was seen as business and business community; governance, peace and reconstruction; and individual views of the future. indirectly contributing to the lack of a functioning government. 5. Focus group findings based upon the topics noted in #4, above, suggested that under the heading of national 8. Under Governance, there was general optimism about identity, considerable pride existed in the Somali the future. Some see the absence of a functioning state as an opportunity to start afresh with a "clean sheet." language, culture and clans. On the other hand, clanism was condemned, the decline of pastoralism was Others look upon the experience of emigration as foreseen as was the rise of urban crises and the positive, equipping Somalis with education and new alienation of youth. The Somali language and culture skills which can be deployed to reconstruct the country. 3 Somali Futures Pilot Survey July 2011 Some expressed the view that those fighting would, adapt, they were less and less in control of their own either through exhaustion or the realisation that they fates; were getting nowhere, lay down their arms and that 12. As for cross‐cutting methodological issues, there were peace would, in time, prevail. There was also a general four inter‐related findings: (i) concepts such as “future,” view that Somalis have been responsible for the collapse “progress” and “improvements” were difficult to of their country, and that they are the ones who must separate from participants’ own experiences, and these reconstruct it. A small minority blamed external forces in turn were defined in terms of immediate problems for Somalia's plight. About half said that, without an and opportunities; (ii) having the project’s concept pass improvement in the economy, political progress was through a series of intermediaries, viz, project designers, unlikely. Discussants in and from Somaliland expressed project implementers and focus group moderators – strong approval of the political progress made in made an appreciation of the project’s purpose and Somaliland, and saw international recognition (of objectives even more difficult to inculcate in focus Somaliland as a state) as a crucial priority. groups; (iii) moderators’ guidelines (See #3, above) 9. Individual views of the future involved questions about made it too easy for participants to ignore the futures how discussants hoped to be living in ten years' time. concept and fall back into their “comfort zones” of the While a minority objected to these questions on present; and (iv) due to security issues, efforts to engage religious grounds, a striking unanimity was evident: those who do not normally have a voice about their Somalis want peace and the opportunity to provide nations’ future were difficult to identify and engage; adequately for their families. They repeatedly stressed 13. As a pilot project, the conclusions and recommendations the importance of good educational provision. are tentative. At this stage, the project proposes two sets 10. There are three levels of findings that emerged out of each of substantive and methodological conclusions and this pilot survey: recommendations. In the former category, the first i. The first has to do with specific topics that were conclusion is the need to reconcile the seeming paradox discussed in interviews and focus groups, and between the Somali sense that what is Somali is being eroded in fundamental ways, while on the other hand these are encapsulated in items #4‐9, above. there would appear to be an equally consistent belief ii. The second level focuses upon cross‐cutting amongst Somalis that Somalis can find their own substantive issues that arose out of the project’s solutions. From these three recommendations emerge: efforts to engage with a wide spectrum of Somalis; (i) to promote Somali solutions the business community iii. the third concerns the utility of the pilot study’s will be essential, and it can be used to promote approach and methodology eventually to arrive at employment generating small and medium sized the four “products” that would result from the commercial ventures; (ii) to build practical linkages Somali Futures focus over time (See: #2, above). between overseas academic and technical institutes that 11. Cross‐cutting substantive findings included (i) that there have Diaspora faculty with businesses and related was general consistency between the views of the institutions in Somalia and Somaliland; and (iii) to Diaspora and those of indigenous Somalis, (ii) that support indigenous efforts to promote and disseminate Somalis for this project seemed to suffer from an Somali art and literature within Somalia and Somaliland, identity crisis resulting from the difficulties of being part seeking the involvement of the Diaspora towards this of a society perceived to be in major transition; (iii) that end; there was a general belief that fundamental changes in 14. The second conclusion is that a good proportion of Somali society and customs were inevitable and that Somalis feel that the international community does not “there was no turning back;” (iv) that the concept of clan understand them, or that in some instances does not – as opposed to clanism – was acknowledged as have the best interests of Somalis at heart, Hence, it is fundamentally important; (v) that, led in no small part recommended that (i) those governments of countries by the business community, Somalis could adapt to the with Somali Diaspora and those Diaspora communities, dynamics of globalisation; and (vi) while Somalis could themselves, should develop networks intended to seek 4 Somali Futures Pilot Survey July 2011 ways to promote greater understanding about the 16.

Load more