23
facilitated 11 public forums that gave the Somaliland Marginalized Advocacy Group, all three
political parties and members of parliament an opportunity to highlight the needs of
traditionally overlooked citizens and to generate support for new laws and systems to create
more inclusive political and electoral processes.
Interpeace commenced its
Pillars of Peace
program in 2009, working in Somaliland with its
local partner the Academy for Peace and Development. According to the Academy for Peace
and Development, the
Pillars of Peace
program aimed to: “provide a peace building approach
as the basis for support to state building processes, such as democratization.”
46
In the
preliminary phase of this program, the Academy for Peace and Development carried out the
“Pillars Mapping Exercise,” a qualitative and participatory consultation exercise with
community representatives which focused on brainstorming key impediments to its three pillars:
democratization, decentralization and social reconciliation.
47
In October 2010, the Academy for
Peace and Development presented the draft findings of its “Pillars Mapping Exercise” to the
National Program Group meeting in Hargeisa for validation.
48
The European Commission has supported Saferworld to work in Somaliland since 2004 to lead
“[a] process to set up legitimate and representative non-state actor structures in Somaliland that
are able to engage in policy dialogue,” which in 2008 led to the formation of the Somaliland
Non-State Actors Forum.
49
Saferworld’s support to the Somaliland Non-State Actors Forum to
become a platform for civic actors to engage with domestic partners and with the international
community on issues of peace-building, stability and security has continued since. Saferworld
is currently working to increase the Somaliland Non-State Actors Forum’s capacity in the area
of policy analysis and advocacy.
50
Support to the Somaliland Parliament
With USAID funding, IRI is currently working with the Somaliland parliament to modernize its
internal processes, improve constituent outreach and engage in issue-based policy making. IRI
provided support to the Office of the Secretary General of the Somaliland parliament to improve
parliamentary transparency and accountability through the development of a parliamentary
website,
The site, published in Somali and English, provides a
public portal through which Somalilanders have access to information about passed and pending
legislation, session minutes and upcoming House of Representatives events and sessions. IRI
also worked with the Office of the Secretary General to develop and distribute a
Parliament of
Somaliland Members’ Directory
and to track parliamentary votes by political party.
In 2011, IRI introduced the concept of issue-based caucuses to members of parliament and
emphasized the value of incorporating citizen input into the policymaking process. Members of
46
Democracy in Somaliland: Challenges and Opportunities
. Rep. Hargeysa: Academy for Peace and
Development/Interpeace, 2010. Print, p. ix.
47
The Academy for Peace and Development conducted field work for the ‘Pillar Mapping Exercise’ in June-July
2009 and January-February 2010.
48
Democracy in Somaliland: Challenges and Opportunities
. Rep. Hargeysa: Academy for Peace and
Development/Interpeace, 2010. Print.
49
Makokha, Jacinta, and Yussuf Ali.
Somalilanders Speak: Lessons from the November 2012 Local Elections
. Rep.
Saferworld, Apr. 2013. Web. July 2013, p.1.
50
Interview with Saferworld.
