Alternatives International

Project Briefings - December 2011

Hiba Zayadin, Lili Eskinazi — 2011-11-30T21:23:43Z

Each of the nine member organizations of the Alternatives International federation is constantly at work on a variety of projects to improve social, economic and environmental justice in their respective countries and to create international solidarity. Every month, the AIJ publishes the Project Briefing which features a summary of interesting projects from various members. Read on to stay connected!

Initiative pour un autre monde (IPAM) – Paris, France

IPAM is supporting the demonstration for the International Day Against AIDS to take place on Thursday, December 1st at 6:30 at la Bastille, Paris. Their message concerns everyone: people living with HIV, lesbian, gay, bi-, trans, women, sex workers, foreigners, drug users, prisoners, etc. They pronounce that our lives, our rights, and our health should be prioritized above profits for banks and laboratories, above an atmosphere of repression and security. Anyone interested in supporting this initiative should visit the website.

Alternatives Montreal — Montreal, Canada

Alternatives is supporting the Voices-Voix coalition. This is comprised of Canadian organizations working together to advance participatory democracy through the promotion of free speech, active citizenship, and responsible government. The Voices-Voix coalition is open to all Canadian organizations. Different organizations propose different actions. The Voices-Voix Declaration was the coalition's first collective act in the summer of 2010. Alternatives encourages all its members to get involved with the Voices campaign by signing their Declaration.

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Forum des Alternatives Maroc (FMAS) – Rabat, Morocco

The Forum des Alternatives Maroc held its 5th meeting on “Community Media for Citizen Information” that took place September 24-25. This meeting, organized by the civil society portal Maghreb-Machrek E-JOUSSOUR of the FMAS, hosted a series of debates around the promotion and development of community media in Morocco. As a six-part series of conferences, the discussions focused on the reform of the communications sector to guarantee freedom of expression and to put into place a legislative framework to guarantee the existence of community media. Participants also discussed challenges and hopes around information and communication as it relates to civil society.

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Teacher Creativity Center - Ramallah, Palestine

In preparation for the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN, The Arab Campaign for Education for All and the Arab Network for Education on Human Rights and Citizenship (ANHUR) launched the one million educator's signature for full recognition of State of Palestine petition.

This campaign comes as an initiative by the Teacher Creativity Center, a member in the Arab Campaign for Education and the Arab Network for Education on Human Rights and Citizenship (ANHUR), which are two local Arab networks containing hundreds of educational institutions in the Arab world.

The statement of the campaign considered the decision of the Palestinian leadership to approach the United Nations will provide the State of Palestine with a legal status and new international legitimacy; in addition to ending the despicable occupation over the Palestinian people.

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Institut Terrazul - Fortaleza, Brazil

Brazil will host the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in 2012. The conference aims to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, to assess progress in implementation of previously agreed commitments, and to address new issues. Its themes are “a green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” and “the institutional framework for sustainable development.” Policy suggestions put forth include public procurement contracts and the need to include specifications for labour and environmental sustainability standards; generating new funds through a financial transaction tax (with such funds being earmarked for environmental goods and services, social protection, poverty eradication and climate change mitigation and adaptation); recognition of the monetary value of ecosystem services within their national accounting systems; developing ways of measuring national welfare, going beyond Gross Domestic Product; and catalyzing a transformation in the poorest countries.

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Alternatives Espaces Citoyens – Niamey, Niger

As a follow-up to the October 2010 Thematic Forum on the right to food and food sovereignty in the Sahel, Alternatives Espaces Citoyens (AEC) recently released a comprehensive report on the subject. The publication “Combattre la faim au Sahel” is a summary of the forum's conclusions and key recommendations to improve food security in the region. After facing two major food crises in the past decade, Niger's food supply and agriculture industry are at their most vulnerable. Rather than adopt this pessimistic point of view in the report, AEC seeks to highlight the enormous potential for agricultural and pastoral activities in the Sahel. As such, properly managing the region's human and natural resources can improve food security over the long term. Today, raising awareness about food insecurity and engaging political actors and social activists in the fight against hunger are both fundamental to achieving the long run improvements that Nigeriens are demanding. Ultimately, through the Thematic Forum and the report, AEC demonstrates the immediate need for legislation on the right to food in Niger.

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Alternative Information Center –Jerusalem, Israel

On September 15, AICafe held a discussion on European views regarding the Palestinian September Initiatives. The discussion also examined the issue of Water in Palestine. The event was led by Luisa Morgantini, former President of the EU-Parliament and Chairperson of the Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. Morgantini was in Palestine for an initiative on the Right of Water with the Italian Committe for the World Water Contract.

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Alternatives Asia – New Delhi, India

Alternatives Asia works with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samithi (BGVS), an Indian NGO focused on local literacy. Through its continuing education program, BGVS provides a platform to address people's needs regarding information, their livelihood and governance. A panchayat resource group of 8 to 10 people provides the support to integrate these efforts and aims to bridge the economic and social divide in the population. The group targets economic divides by integrating government schemes pertinent to the conditions of its region of operation. It targets the social divide by organizing cultural festivals and group activities. BGVS also provides group classes to increase local basic and computer literacy.

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The Arab Spring, In Diaspora

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-11-30T20:12:46Z

For many young Arabs, the goal has long been to get out of their home countries and find better opportunities in the west. Now those lucky ones who found work or higher education abroad are watching the shakeup in their homelands, and they want to be part of the change.

In early October, as more than 400 young Arabs from different parts of the world steadily filed into a convention center in the heart of downtown Montreal, Canada, a tall, slim young man wearing jeans, a blazer, a blue shirt, and a big smile darted through the sea of excited chatter, all the while hidden behind his camera lens. Largely unnoticed by the enthusiastic throng of young Arabs, most clad in suits and many of the young women wearing hijab, he documented their arrival to an event that was a product of his creative musings.

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Re-printed from JO magazine

Montreal's Occupiers

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-10-30T23:20:26Z

It's been a little over two weeks since Montreal's Square Victoria was transformed into a tent city under the banner of Occupy Montreal, an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street in New York City which started last month.

Employees, with their morning coffees in hand and their daily routine in mind, look out of the windows of the Montreal Stock Exchange, the World Trade Centre and Quebecor for a peak of the action taking place right under their noses.

In turn, the occupiers of Montreal's financial district creep out of their tents every morning, yawning and stretching, surrounded by those glass-draped buildings that represent exactly what they've set up camp to protest against - corporatocracy and the one per cent.

Protesters have decorated the statue of Queen Victoria that sits in the shadow of Montreal's Stock Exchange Tower. - (Jill Fowler)

Over 200 tents have been erected in the small square, which has been renamed the People's Square. - (Hiba Zayadin)

The protesters at Square Victoria, as well as those in New York, Amsterdam, Toronto and other cities around the world, have been continually criticized for not knowing what they want.

Although their demands are unfocused, the movement in Montreal has grown so large that there's talk of taking over a second park - I wouldn't put it past them, these people have impressive organizational skills.

In one week, they managed to get an Internet connection and two generators running. They also set up a kitchen, a make-shift clinic, and even a library!

A woman donates money to the People's Kitchen which offers mainly free food and drinks. -(Hiba Zayadin)

The protesters set up shop to store the various donations of warm clothes, books, and other items. People can come and take what they need. -(Jill Fowler)
–

Both the times I visited the encampment, I noticed one man towards whom everyone seemed to gravitate. This man was Peter Moore, clad in a red jacket and grey scarf, with his hair swept back into a ponytail. While most of the protesters spent their days vaguely discussing politics, governments, and the capitalist system, Moore barely seemed to converse; rather, he lectures.

“We have lost touch with our history, we shouldn't be the servants, we must be masters of our country,” he said to a group of people gathered around him. He talked about fractional reserve banking, taxes, private bankers, and national debt to anyone willing to listen.

Peter Moore addressing fellow protesters in French at Square Victoria. -(Hiba Zayadin)

As I made my way through the crowd, I couldn't help but overhear snippets of conversation, most of which were marked with a few key words such as capitalism, banking crises, and financial inequality. The occupiers all had voices and they're more than willing to speak out.

– (Hiba Zayadin)

One man expresses his frustration while another listens patiently. - (Jill Fowler)

Every day the protesters hold a general assembly at the centre of the square, where people gather to voice their concerns and make decisions about the most effective way to get the movement's message out. The approximately 400 campers spend their time talking politics and making their grievances, ideas and suggestions heard.

People gather for the Education workshop which takes place at 4 pm every day at the square. - (Hiba Zayadin)

The protesters make lots of signs in their free time. - (Jill Fowler)

Constantly, new signs adorn the Queen Victoria statue. - (Hiba Zayadin)

Every camper I talked to determinedly expressed his desire to stick it out to the end. “As long as it takes,” they all said in response to my nagging question, “How long will you be camping out for?” They don't seem to be in the least disturbed by the promise of cold weather ahead. They've got the determination, they've got the passion, they've sure got the organizational know-how needed to keep hundreds of camped-out protesters content, all they need now are tangible solutions and well-thought out ideas to present to the government, that is, they need someone to take over the reigns of the movement. For now, they organize workshops, they tend to the day-to-day operations of their tent city, and they play music to pass the time.

It's not all work and no play at the square. Some campers just want to play music and enjoy the company of strangers.
- (Hiba Zayadin)

Bangladesh to Host This Year's South Asia Social Forum

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-10-30T22:46:00Z

This year's South Asia Social Forum (SASF) will kick-start on November 18 in Dhaka, Bangladesh for 5 days of meetings and workshops revolving around the issue of democracy.

The SASF is a part of the World Social Forum (WSF), which in itself is an annual meeting of civil society organizations aimed at developing and proposing viable ideas for an alternative future for the world. WSF aims for globalization that operates with a bottom-up process and stresses the local empowerment.

The main theme of this year's forum is "Democracy for Social Transformation in South Asia: Participation, Equity, Justice and Peace". Over 200 not-for-profit organizations and around 500 activists from all over the world will be attending the forum this November to make their ideas and suggestions heard.

Feroz Mehdi, one of the founding members of Alternatives International who has been largely working on projects related to South Asia, will be attending the SASF in Dhaka. According to him, “The social forum process is growing. In 2010 alone there were 19 national forums, 5 regional forums and 31 thematic forums all over the world involving an impressive number of organizations, networks and tens of thousands of people.”

Some of the issues that will be addressed at the Bangladesh forum include participatory democracy, human rights, fundamentalism, conflict and societal peace, food sovereignty, justice and development, media and cultural hegemony, and regional and trans-boundary issues.

For more information regarding the forum, visit the organization's website:
http://www.wsfsouthasiabd.org/

Photo credit: http://www.wsfsouthasiabd.org/

Symbolic Or Not, Palestine Deserves It

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-10-03T01:14:28Z

Palestinians have found themselves propelled onto the world stage in the past month as Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas seeks United Nations recognition of an independent state.

Abbas' move to engage the international community in realizing the Palestinians' right to statehood stems from 20 years of failed attempts at peace negotiations with Israel, which has been and still is, adamant to move forth with illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. There has been a myriad of articles and opinion pieces in the mainstream media attempting to explain the consequences of such a move for all the parties concerned. However, it is worth considering that by just approaching the UN, the PA has edged closer towards the realization of their demands than all previous efforts at the negotiating table; the Israeli-Palestinian issue is on the international agenda more than ever before.

Whether the bid ends up improving realities on the ground or not—and I doubt it will—its repercussions will be felt across the Arab world, Israel, the US, and the United Nations in the coming months. Hence, the editorial team at the Alternatives International Journal feels it is appropriate to dedicate the October 2011 issue of the journal to the Palestinians' struggle for statehood. Articles in this month's journal include an interview with Rifaat Sabaah, director of the Teacher Creativity Centre in Palestine, an article on the US perspective in relation to the bid by Marion Bauer, and a reprinted opinion piece by Robert Fisk on why the Middle East will never be the same. As for me, I shall write about the UN's role in all of this.

I used to have faith in the UN's power to fulfill its mandates, to reach its stated aims, which include facilitating international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the grandiose achievement of world peace. I don't anymore—not after the political showdown we witnessed in the past weeks over the Palestinians' simple request for a largely symbolic form of statehood.

On Friday, Sep. 24th, people across the world tuned in to news stations to watch the Israeli and Palestinian leaders argue their cases before the 193 nations that make up the UN's General Assembly.

It was clear which leader the audience had greater sympathy for. When Abbas presented his application for statehood, he was met with applause from scores of supporting envoys. Netanyahu's speech was met with much less enthusiasm and yet, though the Palestinians may have won the popular vote, the Israelis will likely win the battle over UN membership.

News Dissector Danny Schechter wrote in an opinion piece for Al Jazeera English, “If you are looking for a democratic United Nations, this is not it. The peoples of the world in whose name the UN was consecrated have no real role, except as spectators on the official tour.”

All that the General Assembly drama seems to offer is a podium for US presidents to patronize other countries while attuning to domestic public opinion. President Obama's reaction to the bid was influenced more by the fact that it is an election year, than by his concern for Palestinians' plight or his commitment to Mideast peace.

After all, powerful countries control the world body, and powerful lobbies control those powerful countries' politicians. And so it is that the UN, where so much faith has been invested, has hit the skids as a medium for advancing Mideast peace. Despite the billions of dollars invested and the scores of ineffective resolutions passed during 60 years of Israeli occupation, we have yet to move forward.

What is most unfortunate about this attempt at UN recognition is that Palestinians will have to face yet another disappointment in their arduous journey towards regaining a homeland. While criticism regarding the conditions of the bid and Abbas' rule exists amongst Palestinians, the PM was still met with a jubilant crowd as he returned to the West Bank after submitting the application. Despite their insecurities and skepticism regarding the success of such a move, people in the crowd portrayed an unyielding sense of hope towards the realization of a Palestinian state.

Only a few days after Abbas gave his passionate speech, Israel boldly approved the construction of 1,100 Jewish homes on Palestinian soil in southeast Jerusalem. And the public asks why the peace process was never successful! This move by Israel tops all the arguments one could use to prove their lack of respect for their neighbours and their unwillingness to grant Palestinians a dignified life and a rightful state.

According to Ron Prosor, Israel's UN ambassador, the Palestinians are using "every pretext in order to find a reason not to go into negotiations."

But wait a minute... I don't think the Palestinians need to use any pretexts, they have a legitimate reason. In fact, they now have 1,100 legitimate reasons to halt negotiations and to instead approach the UN.

The UN council has pushed back a decision on the Palestinian membership bid in an attempt to revive peace talks with Israel. They say it may take weeks before a verdict is reached. I say it will take weeks, maybe months, if Israel remains defiant and disrespectful to its neighbours and the international community as a whole.

In order of appearance:
Photos courtesy of Kate Ausburn and MRegis (flickr)

A Voice From Within Palestine

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-10-03T01:07:46Z

As the director of the Teacher Creativity Centre (TCC) in Palestine, Sabbah collaborates with Alternatives Montreal on local projects in the West Bank that include raising awareness about the Palestinian issue amongst educators and students alike. The Alternatives International Journal (AIJ)'s Hiba Zayadin interviewed Sabbah to find out about realities on the ground in the wake of the Palestinian Authority's historic move at the UN, which saw Mahmoud Abbas reach out to the international community for the formation of a Palestinian state.

AIJ: Mr. Sabbah, tell us briefly about yourself and your work with Alternatives.

Sabbah: I live in Ramallah and am the founder of the TCC, a not-for-profit organization that promotes a democratic and educational environment. The centre has been operating since 1995. The main aim of the centre is to increase solidarity with the Palestinian plight.

AIJ: In the months leading up to the UN vote, what were some of the activities you planned to further your cause?

Sabbah: We typed up a petition signed by a million educators in support of the UN bid. The petition concentrated on the fact that things won't be over once Palestine gets to the UN with its request, but that the serious work begins after the UN showdown. We also prepared activities aimed at schools in the West Bank to raise awareness about the issue amongst students. The youth of our country needed to understand what the bid included, what the UN does, what this all means to Palestine. We seized the opportunity to educate students about the state of Palestine now and where we're heading.
We didn't stop there either. The general population needed preparation in order to face the consequences of this bid soundly and peacefully. We wanted to encourage the people to protest or to celebrate peacefully because, from past experience, violence never gets us anywhere. We are also attempting to help form a peaceful popular resistance.

AIJ: What was the general sentiment in the occupied territories in the past months?

Sabbah: There were two apparent perspectives being adopted by the people in the West Bank and Gaza. One was of overwhelming support of the bid, where people considered it a definite benefit for Palestine. People didn't think it would affect the right of return of refugees or that it would harm Palestine at all.

The opposing view was largely within the framework of Hamas, where people doubted the honesty of the PA in reaching out to the UN and the validity of its request. These people didn't believe that the consequences of the bid will be fruitful in any way either.
Things were also being handled differently in the West Bank and Gaza. Prior to approaching the UN, the atmosphere in the West Bank was one of jubilation, celebration, and hope. People were given the choice to decide whether they wanted to be with or against the bid, and the majority was being supportive out of belief in the move, not because of intimidation or force. In Gaza, the situation took another turn. Celebrations were suppressed, people weren't allowed to bring up the subject. It was really unfortunate as this bid affects all Palestinians and those in Gaza have the right to know what was going on and how, or if, life for them will be changing.

AIJ: So, how did the people react when Abbas took to the podium and delivered his speech?

Sabbah: Right before Abbas began to present his request, there was such a strong undercurrent of excitement that pulsed through the West Bank and even Gaza. Every child, every elder, every Palestinian was glued to a TV screen waiting on Abbas' words.
As they listened intently to Abbas addressing the international community, I actually saw people cry. They felt like Abbas actually expressed all their worries, their aspirations. His speech satisfied their egos, helped reclaim their dignity. He told the story of the Palestinians to the world, the story they themselves had wanted to scream out. Every Palestinian was able to relate to that speech, patriotism was at its peak. Even though people were aware of the symbolic and theoretical aspect of this move, even though they knew things wouldn't change in a day and night, they felt hope re-enter their lives. What we all loved about Abbas' speech was that it wasn't a plea, he didn't play the role of victim, rather, it was dignified and proud. We all know and admire the poet, Mahmoud Darwish, and Abbas quoting him was just perfect for the moment. “You won't break us, you won't defeat us, here we will stay, this is where we'll always be,” he said.

AIJ: Has there been any reaction from Israel on the ground?

Sabbah: Yes, of course. The Israelis are feeling pretty worried about this, they're on edge. The IDF has given permission to settlers to use violence at their own discretion. The settlers have been harassing Palestinians living nearby, they have been intentionally provoking them. Some have thrown stones at passing cars, some of our women have even been hit. It seems as if they're trying to push the Palestinians towards using violence in order to prove a point to the international community.
But hopefully, we won't budge. The Arab Spring has affected us, in that it showed us results can be attained through peaceful uprisings. We are not ready for another intifada, we are ready for a Palestinian Spring. Israeli attempts at eliciting violence must go unheeded.
What is most important now for Palestinians worldwide is peace between the different Palestinian factions, especially between Fatah and Hamas.

AIJ: Do you think Palestinians have regained their trust in other Arab countries?

Sabbah: I would like to think so, yes. After all, we have benefited tremendously from the uprisings in the rest of the Arab world. We have gained the most out of the Egyptian revolution. Israel is feeling more isolated now, the surroundings have changed. There is anger across the Arab world targeted at the US and the stance it took in all this. Palestinians and Arabs alike feel betrayed by Obama's broken promises and his partisan position. The main reason why Palestinians support this bid for statehood is that they believe it will remove their case from US hands and place it under the auspices of the international community. Whatever the outcome, people have been rejuvenated and have regained hope, just through the initial act of approaching the UN, and I think that is a good thing.

Photo Courtesy of : Alt-x (flickr)

Somalia: Failing Responses to a Failed State

Hiba Zayadin — 2011-10-03T00:10:03Z

Somalis have once again found themselves fleeing starvation, drought, and conflict.
Thousands of Somalis with washed-out ribs and blown-up empty bellies roam their country in search of aid. According to the UN, 10 million people are currently on the verge of starvation. The horn of Africa is facing yet another brutal famine.

It all sounds disturbingly familiar. Haunting images of hunger-stricken children bombard our TV screens on a regular basis. The images we see today are carbon-copies of those from 1992. Why is this tragedy a recurring phenomenon? Yes, the drought is a main cause but this famine is as much human-impacted as it is instigated by climate. Conflict between different factions in Somalia is the reason behind so many unnecessary deaths. Conflict is what turns hunger into famine.

Journalists now, similar to their predecessors 20 years ago, rush to point fingers of blame in Somalia's direction. The term ‘failed state' has been used tirelessly in explaining Somalia's suffering. But what advantages stem from labelling a country as failed? How are Somalis affected by constantly having their country being referred to as a state of lawlessness—a failed state?

Somalia first landed within the confines of the term “failed state” in 1991 when President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown, marking the implosion of the state.

During Siad Barre's reign, Somalis witnessed the gradual collapse of their country. He promised them an end to corruption, but instead succeeded in destroying any semblance of national government legitimacy. Backed by the Soviet Union and then by the United States, Siad Barre managed to destroy institutions of both government and democracy. At the outset of civil war in 1991, many would argue that the Somali state had long since failed.

Let's first start by examining the origins of the term “failed state” and what marks a country as failed. Since 2005, the United States think-tank and the Fund for Peace publish an annual index called the Failed State Index.

The term “failed state” is often used to describe a state perceived to have failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. Several attributes characterize a failing state; one of the most common and the one that most aptly applies to Somalia is the government's loss of physical control of its territory. In Somalia's case, although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia.

The Transitional Federal Government's control over the country is, at best, unstable. Its rule is constantly being undermined by radical Islamic groups such as Al-Shabaab, which controls areas in South Somalia. Those areas have been struck hardest by the famine as Al-Shabab continues to impede efforts by international aid agencies to reach suffering citizens.

Failed states cannot ensure economic stability or any reasonable distribution of social goods. Somalia's rate of unemployment is unknown and it has very few skilled labourers. In fact, according to the CIA World Factbook, quite a few economic figures normally used to measure economic health are unavailable for Somalia.

All these indicators point an accusing finger in Somalia's direction. However, the declaration that a country has ‘failed' is generally controversial and may lead to significant geopolitical consequences.

One may argue that labeling a country as such helps signal to the rest of the world that the country is much in need of assistance. But, as any careful reader of newspapers can discern, the international community has not, so far, proven to be particularly adept either at staving off state failure or at reconstituting failed states. Foreign states have played a central role in Somalia during the past two decades and in some cases that role has been destructive. The international community has veered between intense engagement with, and complete neglect of the country's problems.

The key event that led to the abandonment of Somalia to – as an overwhelming majority of North American and UK media labeled it – a ‘state of lawlessness' took place in 1993. From 1992 to 1995, a massive UN peacekeeping operation attempted to restore peace and to secure badly-needed humanitarian relief to Somalia. The intervention ended in total failure, brought on in part when US troops fought militias in the streets of Mogadishu, killing hundreds and losing 18 US Rangers.

In order to convey the effects this event had on US foreign policy, mentioned below are some quotes by US officials after the incident took place. The Somalis responsible for that act, said the Republican Senator Phil Gramm at the time, in a widely quoted remark, “don't look hungry to the people of Texas,” referring to the gunmen and completely ignoring the millions of victims. Former President Bill Clinton said, “I'm just not going to have those kids killed for nothing”—and by “kids” he meant American soldiers, not Somali children.

The repercussions of this incident were so severe that according to an ABC News poll in1993, four out of five of those backing a U.S. withdrawal favored it even if that resulted in another famine. And so, Somalis were left to fend for themselves. The shock of American casualties quelled any desire among Western powers to further intervene.

Somalia's tragic history paints an ugly picture of the country. The outside media's coverage of its situation over the years helped solidify this image of a failed, chaotic state unable to support itself, drowned in corruption. In his essay, Politics of Recognition, Charles Taylor, a Canadian philosopher, wrote, “Our identity is partly shaped by recognition or its absence. The misrecognition of others. A person or a group of people can suffer real damage, real distortion, if the people or society around them mirror back to them a confining or demeaning or contemptible picture of themselves.” He went on to explain that with the passing of time, people unintentionally could internalize “a picture of their own inferiority”.

The transitional federal government's current president, Sharif Ahmed, has argued in an article published in the Guardian in March 2010, that Somalia is not a failed state. “Somalis are resilient and committed to peace,” he wrote. He called on the international community to adjust its way of thinking, saying that “it must abandon the defeatist notion that Somalia's problems are insuperable, because this becomes a self-fulfilling expectation.”

What then must be done to prevent Somalia from fulfilling that expectation? Usually, when we perceive of something as failing or deem that something has already failed, it logically follows that we try to fix it, not change or replace it. The Failed States Index aims at explaining what ‘normal' states experience and what constitutes a ‘failed' state.

Applying those terms to Somalia leads to a series of assumptions about the country's situation and how to fix it, all of which are based on pre-defined, strictly conventional notions of what a properly functioning state should be. However, Somalia's reality provides a complex challenge to those notions. As mentioned earlier, there exists in the north, two functioning, state-like entities, Somaliland and Puntland, which have evolved as a result of Somalia's lack of government, while southern and central Somalia is still marred by violence and anarchy. So labelling the whole of Somalia a ‘failed state' would be inaccurate, at best.

The West's response to Somalia's constant suffering has been largely ineffective and at times counter-productive. Maybe it is time to seek novel and alternative approaches targeted particularly towards Somalia's situation. Maybe Somalia could flourish under different rules and in a different setting.

An article in the National Geographic provides examples of how Somalis have managed to survive and build on their own. One Somali businessman is quoted as saying, “Once there was no government, there was opportunity!” The article goes on to mention examples of businesses that have been flourishing in Mogadishu and elsewhere. The reporter then further probes into the matter asking the obvious question: where does all the money to support the economy come from? "We live off the international community—of Somalis,” explained another business owner. There are more than a million Somalis living and working throughout the world. These expatriates send back as much as 700 million dollars a year.

According to Sandra Adong Oder, Senior Researcher at the Peace Missions Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, regional and community-level initiatives do exist in Somalia. “In recent times, what has emerged along the coast could be likened to a loose bunch of city-states, where, for example, in Mogadishu, business interests are a key factor in interactions,” she wrote.

So, instead of trying to re-build Somalia as a state, it is high time to start considering a different approach by encouraging and further developing African-based grassroots initiatives and recognizing the legitimacy of alternatives to traditional “state” activities.

In order of appearance,
Photos courtesy of Andy Hall (Oxfam) and James Hooley
(flickr)