Ulf Johansson Dahre (ed.) The Role of Diasporas in Peace, Democracy and Development in the Horn of Africa SOCIAL ATHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE LUND UNIVERSITY SOMALIA INTERNATIONAL REHABILITATION CENTRE Research Report in Social Anthropology 2007:1 A complete list of publications from the Dept. of Sociology, Lund University, can be found att the end of the book and at www.soc.lu.se/info/publ. Copyright © the Authors 2007 Grafphic Design Infografen/Desktop Typesetting Ilgot Liljedahl Production Sociologiska institutionen, Lund Printed by Media-Tryck Sociologen, Lund 2007 ISBN 91-7267-237-4 Publisher and Distribution Media-Tryck Sociologen Lunds universitet Box 114 SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden Fax 046-222 4794 • E-post [email protected] • www.soc.lu.se/info/publ Dahre 3 Table of contents Acknowledgements 5 Ulf Johansson Dahre Introduction: Transnationalism and migration 7 Larry Andow 11 Nicklas Svensson 13 Marika Fahlen 17 General Political, Social and Cultural Issues of the Horn of Africa 19 Ali Moussa Iye Looking Towards the Future: Using Anticipatory Approaches to Address Issues in the Horn of Africa 21 Amira Awad Osman Women of the Horn in Diaspora: From Victims to Powerful Actors 29 Håkan Wiberg Diasporas and Conflict 37 The Transnationalism and Diasporas of the Horn of Africa 49 Martin Hill “Defending Human Rights in the Horn of Africa: Opportunities for the Refugee Diasporas” 51 Abdi Jama Ghedi Diaspora Contribution To Innovative Sectors: The Horn of Africa’s Experience 59 Redie Bereketeab The Eritrean Diaspora: Myth and Reality 79 Gaim Kibreab The Eritrean Diaspora, the War of Independence, Post-Conflict (Re)-construction and Democratisation 97 Mohamed Abusabib Sudanese Diaspora in Sweden: Challenges and Prospects for Contribution to Democratization and Reconstruction Effort in Sudan 117 4 Dahre Yussuf Yassin Ethiopian Advocacy Groups in USA after the May Elections-Lobbying the American Legislature 123 Focus on Somalia 135 Abdirahman Aden Ibbi The Current Situational Leadership of Somali Politicians in Southern Somalia 137 Mohamed H. Mukhtar Somali Reconciliation Conferences: What Went Wrong? 139 Abulkadir Osman Farah Reconfiguring the State in Somalia: Current Progress and Challenges 147 Ella O. Chimbiru The Sudan and Somalia Peace Process: The Role of Women 157 Thomas L Weiss The Migration and Development Nexus in Africa – Contributions from the Somali Diaspora and experiences from IOM 165 Benny Carlson Hard Workers and Daring Entrepreneurs: Impressions from the Somali Enclave in Minneapolis 179 Carol Auld Shape-Shifting Mediascapes: Social Change and Diasporic Media Online 189 Workshop recommendations 203 Workshop 1 Unifying Diaspora voices for democracy, respect for human rights, and justice in the Horn of Africa 205 Workshop2 Health and Socio-Economic Effects of kath Use: What is the Solution? 207 Arne Ardeberg Closing remarks: Proposal for a Permanent Horn of Africa Forum in Lund 209 Contributors 211 Appendix I: Nasir Warfa Mental health effects of khat use: what is the solution? 213 Appendix II: Mammo Muchie Post Election Crises in Ethiopia: Challenges to the Democratic transition in Ethiopia and wider Africa 215 Dahre 5 Acknowledgements Shortly before the 2006 Horn of Africa conference, our dear colleague, Mr. Samson Araya from the Eritrean Association in Lund, suddenly and sadly passed away. We want to express our warmest condolences to all members of the Araya family wher- ever they live and all the Eritrean community in Lund. Mr. Samson Araya used to participate in our conferences on the Horn of Africa peace-building and inspired us with his enthusiasm and experience of the Horn of Africa. He will be greatly missed and remembered! Somalia International Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) profoundly thanks the spon- sors of the conference: City of Lund, Folke Bernadotte Academy, Lund University, Olof Palmes International Center, ABF, Folkuniversitetet, Socialdemokraterna, Vän- sterpartiet, and Aalborg University. We thank too all those (scholars, civics, practi- tioners, diplomats, politicians), who presented valuable papers and statements, mod- erators of the conference workshops namely Prof. Arne Ardeberg, Prof. Ole Eleg- ström, and Associate Prof. Benny Carlsson from Lund University and co-organizers of the conference (Sudanese, Eritrean, Ethiopian and Djibouti associations in Lund) We would like to thank the Mayor of the City of Lund, the Honourable Larry Andow, for giving a warm reception to all the conference guests. Special thanks to Count Pietersen, former Ambassador to UN, who very profes- sionally and efficiently chaired the conference. We also thank those who co-chaired the conference as well as those who reported conference workshops We would like to thank Dr. Ulf Johansson Dahre for editing the proceedings of the conference and Gillian Nilsson for proof-reading the proceedings and for her continuous support. We would like to thank the University of Lund and the Depart- ments of Social Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science for sponsoring the printing of the proceedings of the conference. Finally, we thank everybody who participated in the conference. Lund in April 2007 The Conference Organizers 6 Dahre Dahre 3 Table of contents Acknowledgments 5 Ulf Johansson Dahre Introduction: Transnationalism and migration 7 Larry Andow 11 Nicklas Svensson 13 Marika Fahlen 17 General Political, Social and Cultural Issues of the Horn of Africa 19 Ali Moussa Iye Looking Towards the Future: Using Anticipatory Approaches to Address Issues in the Horn of Africa 21 Amira Awad Osman Women of the Horn in Diaspora: From Victims to Powerful Actors 29 Håkan Wiberg Diasporas and Conflict 37 The Transnationalism and Diasporas of the Horn of Africa 49 Martin Hill Defending Human Rights in the Horn of Africa: Opportunities for the Refugee Diasporas 51 Abdi Jama Ghedi Diaspora Contribution To Innovative Sectors: The Horn of Africa’s Experience 59 Redie Bereketeab The Eritrean Diaspora: Myth and Reality 79 Gaim Kibreab The Eritrean Diaspora, the War of Independence, Post-Conflict (Re)-construction and Democratisation 97 Mohamed Abusabib The Sudanese Diaspora in Sweden: Challenges and Prospects for Contribution to Democratization and Reconstruction Effort in Sudan 117 4 Dahre Yussuf Yassin Ethiopian Advocacy Groups in USA after the May Elections-Lobbying the American Legislature 123 Focus on Somalia 135 Abdirahman Aden Ibbi The Current Situational Leadership of Somali Politicians in Southern Somalia 137 Mohamed H. Mukhtar Somali Reconciliation Conferences: What Went Wrong? 139 Abulkadir Osman Farah Reconfiguring the State in Somalia: Current Progress and Challenges 147 Ella O. Chimbiru The Sudan and Somalia Peace Process: The Role of Women 157 Thomas L Weiss The Migration and Development Nexus in Africa – Contributions from the Somali Diaspora and experiences from IOM 165 Benny Carlson Hard Workers and Daring Entrepreneurs: Impressions from the Somali Enclave in Minneapolis 179 Carol Auld Shape-Shifting Mediascapes: Social Change and Diasporic Media Online 189 Workshop recommendations 203 Workshop 1 Unifying Diaspora Voices for Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, and Justice in the Horn of Africa 205 Workshop 2 Health and Socio-Economic Effects of Kath Use: What is the Solution? 207 Arne Ardeberg Closing Remarks: Proposal for a Permanent Horn of Africa Forum in Lund 209 Contributors 211 Appendix I: Nasir Warfa Mental health effects of khat use: what is the solution? 213 Appendix II: Mammo Muchie Post Election Crises in Ethiopia: Challenges to the Democratic transition in Ethiopia and wider Africa 215 Dahre 5 Acknowledgments Shortly before the 2006 Horn of Africa conference, our dear colleague, Mr. Samson Araya from the Eritrean Association in Lund, suddenly and sadly passed away. We want to express our warmest condolences to all members of the Araya family wher- ever they live and all the Eritrean community in Lund. Mr. Samson Araya used to participate in our conferences on the Horn of Africa peace-building and inspired us with his enthusiasm and experience of the Horn of Africa. He will be greatly missed and remembered! Somalia International Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) profoundly thanks the spon- sors of the conference: City of Lund, Folke Bernadotte Academy, Lund University, Olof Palmes International Center, ABF, Folkuniversitetet, Socialdemokraterna, Vän- sterpartiet, and Aalborg University. We thank too all those (scholars, civics, practi- tioners, diplomats, politicians), who presented valuable papers and statements, mod- erators of the conference workshops namely Prof. Arne Ardeberg, Prof. Ole Eleg- ström, and Associate Prof. Benny Carlsson from Lund University and co-organizers of the conference (Sudanese, Eritrean, Ethiopian and Djibouti associations in Lund) We would like to thank the Mayor of the City of Lund, the Honourable Larry Andow, for giving a warm reception to all the conference guests. Special thanks to Count Pietersen, former Ambassador to UN, who very profes- sionally and efficiently chaired the conference. We also thank those who co-chaired the conference as well as those who reported conference workshops We would like to thank Dr. Ulf Johansson Dahre for editing the proceedings of the conference and Gillian Nilsson for proof-reading the proceedings and for her continuous support. We would like to thank the University of Lund and the Depart- ments of Social Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science for sponsoring the printing of the proceedings of