CURRENT PROJECT

Supporting Community Peacebuilders to Promote Reconciliation in Hirshabelle and Galmudug States, Somalia

Our Insider Peacebuilders Network conducted a three day workshop on climate security and conflict transformation.

The project focuses on supporting and empowering local peacebuilders in their efforts to address conflict and support reconciliation in Hirshabelle and Galmudug States.

Timeframe: 2024 - 2026

This project continues the work started in previous Berghof Foundation projects in Hirshabelle State by increasing the knowledge and developing the capacity of the Hirshabelle Insider Peacebuilders Network (IPN).

The overall objective of the project is to further strengthen local infrastructures for peace (I4P) in their efforts to address conflict and support reconciliation, through continued and broadened capacity development of the IPN and strengthened communication and cooperation between the IPNs in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states, the community, and the local administrations.

The project includes direct support to the conflict transformation and reconciliation engagement of the IPNs in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states. The IPN members take the lead in designing and organising their own activities within their communities, with direct support from the Berghof Foundation and its project team. This allows the IPN members to respond swiftly and flexibly to the needs in their communities and to work directly with conflict parties. Through these indigenous activities, the IPN is actively promoting peace and conflict transformation across both states.

image missing ALT text — Visit the Hirshabelle's Insider Peacebuilders NetworkConnecting and mapping stories of peace

One of the central components of the project focuses on supporting the IPN in collecting and recording their experiences in order to increase their capacity to to better highlight the work they do and utilize it for networking and peer exchange via ArcGiS - a digital networking and monitoring tool. By adding a digital layer to the existing network, the Berghof Foundation is integrating an innovative approach to localise, connect and support regional hotspots for peace – moving beyond just a problem-centred conflict mapping to a solution-orientated mapping of peace. The component centralises the networking of IPN members, the monitoring of impact, and the provision of targeted, effective support.

Communication and cooperation between community-level actors for peace and government officials in Hirshabelle and Galmudug States is critical to building sustainable peace. Thus, the relationship between community peacebuilders and the Hirshabelle and Galmudug administrations, including the police force, will be actively fostered and strengthened in the framework of the project through joint activities and regular exchange on issues of conflict and peace. Furthermore, the project team will develop the capacity of the Ministry of Reconciliation, the district commissioners, and other relevant government officials with regard to mediation and conflict transformation.

Partners and Funding

The Berghof Foundation works closely with the Hirshabelle State administration and partners directly with the Hirshabelle Ministry of Reconciliation.

The project is generously funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read the full grant agreement.

LOCAL PARTNERS

Sharif Abukar Ahmed, Senior Project Manager (Jowhar, Somalia)
Open Horizon Co. Ltd, Administrative and Financial Accounting Assistance (Nairobi, Kenya)
Zainab Mohamed, Project Manager (Mogadishu, Somalia)

Activities

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

Capacity-Building Workshops (4-day skills-based workshops) aim to build the capacities of the IPN on different thematic and methodological topics relevant to conflict transformation and to their engagement in the community, including the climate and conflict nexus, trauma healing, interactive theatre. In this phase of the project, greater focus will be given to linking the Hirshabelle IPN more closely with the IPN in Galmudug State, as a way to increase the reach and impact of the network and facilitate spaces for the IPN members to share their gained knowledge and potentially collaborate on addressing cross-border conflicts and issues of common concern.

INDEPENDENT IPN ACTIVITIES

Direct support to conflict resolution and mediation initiatives designed and led by the IPN members. Support to localized, IPN activities has proven to be extremely valuable and impactful for the individual communities.

REGULAR STRATEGIC NETWORK MEETINGS

Regular strategic network meetings, together with the respective district officials, to increase and strengthen the coordination mechanisms both within the network and between the two networks in Hirshabelle and Galmudug.

ArcGIS MAPPING TOOL

Continued integration of the monitoring and evaluation tool ArcGIS with a focus on increasing the capacity of the IPN members to collect impact stories from their colleagues in order to better highlight the work they are doing and utilize it for networking and peer exchange.

Updates from this work: