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Dal 5 all’8 febbraio si riuniranno a Roma esponenti di spicco A Roma per incontrarsi, parlare e creare un nuovo spazio, di rilievo, della società civile nella pacificazione e nella ricostruzione della Somalia: è questo l’obiettivo della prima conferenza della società civile somala, che si terrà a Roma dal 5 all’8 febbraio 2008. Organizzata da esponenti di spicco dell’associazionismo, del mondo accademico e dell’imprenditoria provenienti da varie regioni somale e della diaspora, con il supporto di Intersos, che opera a nome dell’Associazione ONG Italiane, la conferenza si presenta come una tappa importante per il paese del Corno d’Africa. Da 17 anni in guerra e senza istituzioni statuali vere e proprie, la Somalia viene solitamente presentata come “lo Stato fallito” per antonomasia e nutre le cronache con morti, feriti e profughi da molto tempo. Ma nonostante il perdurare della seria crisi politica, la vita civile del paese è andata avanti. In questi anni, pur tra mille difficoltà, ospedali e cliniche hanno continuato a operare, anche se con prestazioni a pagamento data l’assenza dello Stato, sono nate scuole, centri di formazione professionale, università, internet points, sono diffuse reti telefoniche, radiofoniche e televisive, mentre l’economia, formale e informale, è rimasta viva. La conferenza di Roma segna il punto di arrivo di un processo di dialogo e confronto sviluppatosi negli anni tra attori somali e le Ong italiane che operano nel paese. Ma è anche il punto di partenza da cui iniziare una nuova azione all’interno del paese. Favorevole la congiuntura politica, segnata dall’apertura senza precedenti ad un ruolo attivo della società civile nella rinascita del paese da parte del nuovo governo transitorio somalo. Nei quattro giorni di colloqui, due dei quali “a porte chiuse”, intellettuali, operatori sociali e imprenditori della Somalia e della diaspora si incontreranno quindi per gettare le fondamenta di una nuova piattaforma da cui partire per incidere sul futuro della Somalia, dialogando anche con quegli attori italiani ed europei che più sono presenti nel paese. Roma, 25.01.2008 "Programma della Conferenza""Galleria fotografica" |
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Promoting Dialogue and Peace in Somalia:
Building Capacity and Strengthening the Somali Civil Society
An International Conference of the Somali Civil Society Organizations, Italian and European NGOs
Rome, Italy - February 5th – 8th, 2008
An International Conference of the Somali Civil Society, sponsored by INTERSOS with the Italian NGOs Association, will be held in Rome from 5th to 8th February 2008. The Conference will see the participation of Somali citizens, coming from different geographical regions as well as from the Diaspora, together with European and Italian NGOs working in the country.
The general purpose of the Conference is to:
- create opportunities for information sharing and networking
- highlight progress and challenges facing Somali Civil Society
- design strategies meant to strengthen the role of Somali Civil society
- develop opportunities to facilitate dialogue and peace building process
- pave the way for establishing links between the Somali Civil society and European NGOs and create awareness and support for an inclusive peace building process.
The Agenda will focus on three main working sessions.
The Conference will start, at a first stage, by organizing two days long (5-6 February), internal debate among the Somali people both those living in the country and those coming from the Diaspora and a restricted number of international NGOs. The civil society in Somalia has rarely been seriously heard and taken into due consideration because other criteria and references have prevailed. The conference, to some extent, wants to start changing this trend. It will represent a unique opportunity to forge a shared perception of the challenges ahead and of the tools to put in place to overcome the conflict and endless nation-wide hatred.
On the third day (7 February) the NGOs community at large will be associated to a plenary discussion. A comprehensive report will be given to the plenary on the conclusions reached in the first part of the gathering. Then the meeting will open the floor to a number of interventions focusing on the strategies intended to make the Somali Civil Society up to the forthcoming challenges in the present deadlock. The International NGOs will take the opportunity to share, with the Somali Civil Society, an evaluation of the cooperation implemented during the recent years and experience and know how acquired in dealing with war and post-war situations similar to those unfolding in Somalia.
The last day (8 February) will finally look at the immediate future. The ultimate objective of the Conference is to make the Civil society aware of its own responsibilities, role and strength. It also wants to send a clear message that, in the present circumstances, they are a main instrument to promote dialogue and peace that cannot be given up. The momentum seems particularly good for a change. Since the Prime Minister has succeeded in nominating a new Cabinet composed of only few Ministers, selected according to their competence, even outside the restricted circle of the Parliamentarians, strongly emphasizing the capacities expressed by the civil society. This step can be considered as a real opening since it recognizes the determination of the Somali civil society to fulfill their aspiration to peace, equity and stability.
It is hoped that the Rome Conference, open to different ideas and proposals of participants, will be of a particular impact at the present momentum of the ongoing conflict. It is also an Italian and international NGOs firm intention to jointly move forward with the Civil Society of Somalia, to facilitate the long awaited transition from an emergency assistance to a development oriented phase. This is the dream of all the humanitarians operating in the country.
Rome, January 29th 2008
info@somaliaforum.org
Rome, January 29th 2008
© 2008 Intersos
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