Somalia: How women and youth can use social media to promote peace

Somalia has been in a prolonged violent conflict that has eroded community trust and confidence, social harmony, a sense of activism, constructive dialogue, and solidarity. This has been worsened by unregulated social media widely used by young people. However, the country has been recovering slowly in the last few years. To address these social problems, the Talo Wadaag II Programme organised two days of workshops from 8-9 July 2023 for Benadir women and youth. Talo Wadaag II is a community programme jointly delivered by Interpeace, the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) in Benadir and Galmudug, the Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC) in Puntland, and the Academy for Peace and Development (APD), in Somaliland.

The HIPS’ two-day workshops discussed the role of media and activism in social change, peace, and community harmony. Media workshops emphasised the role of media, particularly social media, in creating a positive atmosphere for social change, promoting peace, diversity in views, and tolerance in the war-stricken Somali society. During sessions, participants elaborated on how youth and women can utilise social media to advance community harmony, peace, state-building, and good governance, and at the same time, how youth can be aware of the negative aspects attached to social media. The workshops also presented opportunities for participants and well-established local experts to interact with each other and have critical and frank discussions on issues concerning the community.

The main workshop objectives included assisting participants in discussing the impact of media on social change, peace, and stability; helping them become aware of the negative impact of social media on society; facilitating interactive discussions on the importance of activism for social change; helping participants advocate for human rights as well as responsibilities; urging them to participate actively in statebuilding, governance, and democratisation; and finally enhancing their critical thinking and questioning mass media information.

“The workshops have created a friendly, constructive, and community space for dialogue in which they exchanged their experience and insights. While young people’s knowledge and practical experience in social media were huge, older women also shared their living experiences and wisdom linked to social media,” stated Dr. Yusuf Sheikh Omar, the Director of HIPS’ Talo Wadaag II programme.

For instance, a woman named Farhia Ali Hajji from the Somali Women Development Centre expressed how social media has influenced her thoughts and feelings. She was inspired by the disheartening story of a young girl she saw on social media. This young girl was carrying a jerrycan of water because her family could not find an alternative water source. To help her, someone posted this young girl’s life difficulties on social media, a post that has finally changed the young girl’s life. People who watched that post offered a lot of support to the girl’s family, which enabled the girl to enrol at school and her family to build a house and start a small business. “That really touched me, and it clearly shows how social media is a powerful tool if used properly,” recounted Farhia.

Several young people also voiced the positive impact of the workshop on the participants. As Sumaya Mohamed from the Somali Youth Civic Organisation put it: “One valuable takeaway I gained from this programme is the ability to effectively advocate for diverse societal issues and represent the people's interests. Another aspect of the programme that greatly resonated with me was…the media's significant influence in driving social change.”

Sharing knowledge and experiences also helped participants increase their awareness of the enormous negative impact of social media on society, particularly youth. “I discovered that young people spend a lot of time on social media with the goal of merely scrolling and not learning or taking advantage of it. "They also post other people's private information without their knowledge,” said Abdirahman Mohamed Ahmed from the Somali Youth Development Network.

Dr. Yusuf Omar explained that the interactive workshop sessions have assisted participants in exchanging touching stories drawn from their everyday life experiences related to social media. Such shared knowledge has deepened their awareness and understanding of the power of media and the culture of activism as critical factors for social transformation. The workshops have also broadened participants’ perspectives and sharpened their skills in advocating for and promoting much-needed societal transformation. "I have learned so many things, such as being an activist and advocating for voiceless people... Social media can be useful with huge advantages, but sometimes it can have disadvantages,” said Aisha Yusuf Hassan from the Somali Youth Development Network. In another account, Ms. Magda Abdi from Benadir Women’s Human Rights and Development Organisation expressed her views regarding active citizens' role in social change by saying, “What interested me the most was that an active citizen is able to make a lot of positive changes in their country”.

Ms. Saida Hassan, a research assistant at Talo Wadaag, has confirmed the participants’ testimonials. "I felt that both women and youth have shown a lot of interest in civic education, activism, and social media workshops. Their body language and comments demonstrated how engaged they were. I have no doubt that these workshops have increased their awareness of women's and youth’s expected roles in statebuilding, politics, and social change in general. They have learned if there will be an election in the future, why they will vote, and the quality of whom they will vote.”

 

Promoting positive masculinity and parenting to build family cohesion in Rwanda

Poor parenting skills, lack of communication between family members and negative gender norms affect family cohesiveness and community cohesion. The baseline survey conducted by Interpeace in 2021 to inform its four-year holistic peacebuilding programme in Rwanda, revealed that they further contribute to exacerbating family conflicts and gender-based violence (GBV), thus tearing apart families.

The study identified four primary forms of GBV, including physical, economical, sexual, and psychological, experienced by both women/girls and men/boys across five districts, which cause family dysfunction and increase alcohol or drug abuse and delinquency among young adults. They also affect the socio-economic development of families and communities.

Interpeace and its partners, together with the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC), developed a curriculum that promotes positive masculinity and positive parenting norms and practices, targeting couples, older adolescents, and inmates as a contribution to existing efforts. More specifically, the curriculum targets parents, children between 12 and 24 years old, married couples and inmates nearing their release.

The curriculum proposes a gender-transformative approach in which the target population are encouraged to critically reflect on negative gender norms and stereotypes to challenge them and adopt more gender-equitable behaviours within families and communities.

The 2021 survey highlighted that more common forms of GBV identified are 10% higher in women than men. The curriculum will engage men and boys, alongside women and girls, to challenge rigid and negative notions of masculinity and negative parenting practices and adopt positive, nurturing, empathic, equitable, and caring ones.

If successfully implemented, it is expected to contribute to reducing sexual and gender-based violence and domestic conflicts, juvenile delinquency, fostering family communication and gender equality in families and communities.

“We decided to work on masculinities through engaging boys and girls to understand their vulnerabilities and resilience from a gender perspective and to address gendered drivers of family conflicts, to strengthen gender resilience and to promote women empowerment. We hope that this curriculum will improve knowledge and attitudes and practices on gender equality, positive masculinity, and parenting,” noted Frank Kayitare, the Country Representative of Interpeace, in his welcome remarks at the curriculum validation workshop on 5 October 2023 in Kigali.

The four-module curriculum will complement other existing tools and policies on gender equality and family. It is aligned with the National Policy against Gender-Based Violence as well as the revised 2021 National Gender Policy, especially its priority area four, which seeks to leverage positive cultural norms that support best practices for gender equality, as well as priority area five on engaging men and boys in gender advancement. The Guest of Honor at the curriculum validation event, Aline Umutoni, Director General in charge of Family Promotion and Child Protection at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), commended this initiative. “This curriculum is unique as it targets critical groups of people. It contributes to building a Rwandan society free from violence and conflicts,” highlighted Umutoni.

This curriculum will be implemented by various actors, including government structures and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from national to local levels.  27 people from those institutions have already been trained to train others for a quick and wide dissemination of the curriculum.

 

Structure of the curriculum

This preventive curriculum is made of four modules. The first two modules target couples within communities in both rural and urban areas. The first one targets couples with the main objective of improving equitable gender relationships between spouses and preventing or mitigating domestic violence, while the second targets couples as parents to encourage them to adopt positive and gender-equitable parenting and reduce harsh punishment towards children.

The third module targets adult male inmates in prisons to raise their awareness about positive masculinity practices to reduce the risk of committing GBV-related crimes once they reintegrate into their families and communities after release. The fourth module targets young people between 12 and 24 years old, in schools, within communities, and in rehabilitation centres to advance positive masculinity, healthy relationships and prevent GBV among young people.

Each module is meant to be delivered in a group setting, targeting groups of 24 people. It will be facilitated by two well-trained community-based volunteers (female and male). The latter will facilitate education sessions to be held once a week for six consecutive weeks.  Sessions should be interactive and must feature role plays, group works, case scenarios analysis, visuals, individual or in-pair reflection, as well as plenary discussions.

The curriculum was developed in partnership with the Rwanda Men's Resource Centre (RWAMREC), an NGO advocating for gender equality, positive masculinities, and engaging men to eliminate gender-based violence.Its implementation will complement other Interpeace’s interventions, such as Multifamily healing therapy, a community-based psychological intervention that addresses intra and extra-family conflicts and builds family communication and cohesiveness in safe spaces.

International Youth Day 2023

Remembering Champion of Peace Agnes Abuom

We have been deeply saddened to learn of the death on 31 May 2023 of Dr. Agnes Abuom.

Dr. Abuom was a member of Interpeace’s global Governing Board since December 2019. Prior to that, from 2014 to 2019, she was a member of Interpeace’s affiliated Board for Eastern and Central Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Born in Nandi Hills, northwest Kenya, in 1949, with family members who were Protestant, Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal, Agnes was committed throughout her life to ecumenism, economic justice, peace and reconciliation. She was President and subsequently the first woman Moderator of the World Council of Church’s Central Committee.

During the 1970s, Dr. Abuom studied in Sweden and was awarded a doctorate for her studies on the role of NGOs in development before she began working on refugee issues in Sudan. From 1989, after having been imprisoned for criticising the government, Dr. Abuom ran programmes on development and civic governance for the Anglican Church of Kenya. In 1997, she founded TAABCO, a research and development consultancy.

In Kenya and internationally, she championed cooperation and unity across religions, economic and gender justice for women, and peace.

“Agnes inspired a generation of peacebuilding by Interpeace, through her enthusiastic encouragement of our work and her wisdom and insightful advice,” said Simon Gimson, Acting President of Interpeace. “Her commitment to peacebuilding values, in word and deed, was always thoughtful and inclusive. Agnes was a powerful advocate for the voices of the voiceless in communities, and an enthusiastic supporter of practical peacebuilding action. Agnes is deeply missed and will always be remembered with warmth, affection and enduring appreciation by Interpeace.”

From everyone at Interpeace, we send our condolences to Agnes’ family, friends and colleagues across her many walks of life.

Traditional chiefs in Ituri province commit to peacebuilding efforts

In late April, traditional chiefs from the Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) gathered in Bunia to discuss effective strategies to curb rampant violence perpetrated by armed groups in the region. The two-day meeting was a productive forum for open and honest exchanges about each individual's role in restoring state authority and supporting the peace process. During the meeting, some chiefs expressed their belief that security in Ituri should come from the people themselves, while others called for an end to hypocrisy and a united effort towards peace. To demonstrate their commitment to tangible results, the traditional chiefs signed a commitment to working towards building peace at the end of the dialogue.

During the meeting, a representative of the customary chiefs acknowledged the challenging task. "We are committed to implementing all we have learned during these two days for peace in our dear and unique province. However, we are seeking the support of the political, administrative, military, police, and judicial hierarchy to accompany us in this difficult ordeal requiring the assistance of all.”

The Director of the Ituri Military Governor's Office echoed the call for collective commitment to peace. "All of us must commit ourselves to peace in Ituri and spread peace. Spread this hope so that Ituri can find peace. Pona paix toko lemba te..., Ju ya amani hatuta choka..., for peace we will never be tired...," emphasised Master Unega

" As leaders, we have the responsibility to ensure that the people we govern live in a state of total peace and tranquility. However, we must acknowledge that achieving peace often requires sacrifice from all parties involved. Therefore, I urge us to adopt a spirit of sacrifice, service, and selflessness towards others. By doing so, we can try to leave a more peaceful Ituri to future generations," urged Interpeace’s programme officer, Christian Vangazi.

The provincial coordinator of the Société Civile/Forces Vives of Ituri, Dieudonné Lossa, invited everyone to objectively reflect on the current situation, as he believed that without peace, progress was impossible.

The ongoing issue of civilian killings in this region continues to pose a significant obstacle. In response, the Congolese Head of State, Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, has extended an outstretched hand to promote peace. This message serves as a call to action for armed groups to fully commit to the peace process and work towards a resolution. "We strongly appeal to all armed groups to join the Demobilisation, Disarmament, Community Recovery, and Stabilisation (P-DDRCS) programme," the traditional leaders urged.

The meeting brought together over 100 participants, including customary chiefs from the five territories of Ituri, representatives of civil society, administrators of the territories, the P-DDRCS, the provincial inspectorate, and other actors involved. The discussion was part of a project supporting mediation and resilience for peace in Ituri and Greater North Kivu, implemented by the Mediation Consortium, composed of Interpeace, the Pole Institute, Action for Peace and Concord (APC), and New York University (NYU). This initiative was driven by civil society in collaboration with the provincial government through the technical support of Interpeace with funding from the European Union.

Simon Gimson to be Acting President of Interpeace

Geneva (15 April 2023) – As of today, current Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Simon Gimson will lead Interpeace as Acting President until the organisation welcomes its new President later this year.

An open recruitment process led by Interpeace’s Governing Board is underway to identify the next President.

Simon Gimson was appointed Vice-President and COO of Interpeace in October 2018, having previously served as Vice-President and COO of the International Crisis Group. Mr. Gimson has focused on multilateral diplomacy, peacebuilding and organisational management throughout his career, including in roles at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was formerly a New Zealand diplomat with appointments in Papua New Guinea, France and Britain.

“It is a privilege to bridge the leadership and enduring peacebuilding impacts of Scott Weber with those we anticipate from our next President. This is an important transition period for Interpeace as we approach our 30th anniversary year. The Interpeace team together will continue to innovate and respond energetically to new peacebuilding challenges, to deliver the results of our five-year Strategy, and to justify the confidence invested in us by the communities we serve and our generous financial supporters,” Mr. Gimson said.

Commenting on the transition, the Chair of the Interpeace Governing Board, Mr. Amre Moussa, said: “Scott Weber’s unwavering commitment and outstanding service to Interpeace over the last 23 years has transformed the organisation from an innovative start-up project of the United Nations to an established and significant international organisation creating positive change at the community level and in the international system. With Simon Gimson’s support, I am confident that Interpeace will continue to build on its vision and mission over the transition period.”

Mr. Gimson will work closely with the Governing Board and with the incoming President, once identified, to ensure a smooth transition.

Contact: Luvini Ranasinghe, Head of Communications, ranasinghe@interpeace.org and +41 794756495.