SIDRA

A vibrant civil society is essential to the sustenance of any nation’s development. In Puntland State of Somalia, the role of civil society groups has been vital in the political, social and economic development of the country. Civil society organizations (CSOs) have assisted in improving the life’s quality of the people of Puntland, ensuring good governance, developing the capacity of the government to apply the principles of accountability, transparency and openness; and working towards sustainable development of the region and state. The CSOs have also played an important role in delivering humanitarian assistance, while they fill the void created by the collapse of the government. The major objective of this study was to understand the current environment for civil society’s operations and to recommend actions for effective and coordinated work of CSOs in Puntland. Twenty three organizations in Galkacyo and Garowe cities participated in this study through in-depth interviews on issues of structure, functionality, goals and objectives to examine their challenges and strengths. The research sought to understand civil society’s creative power and collective action, while they attempt to stay sustainable and relevant to the needs of the citizens, who depend on their local CSO to solve their social problems.

This paper summarises the key lessons drawn from a study that examined how different people responded to and survived the recurrent shocks during the 2011–2016 period; the drivers of marginalisation or exclusion and how these are maintained; the influence that external actors had on the coping strategies used by different communities; and the apparent effectiveness of chosen strategies. The study sought to understand how livelihood and coping strategies are changing as a result of the frequency and severity of local conditions in Somalia, and local community perspectives on vulnerability and livelihood objectives. It also explored how access to aid and other external resources influenced livelihood and coping strategies, and how local communities’ resilience and livelihood strategies related to the objectives and practices of humanitarian agencies.

Through the support of Diakonia Somalia, this study was carried out in between December 2018 and January 2019 to assess the gender dimensions of climate change related projects in Somalia. The study was based on literature review and field data collection. The literature reviewed focused on Puntland and Somalia policy documents related to climate change supplemented by selected global literature that present the state of knowledge and best practice on gender and climate change. Field data was collected in six target districts (Bender Beyla, Dangorayo, Iskushuban, Harfo and Dhahar) through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Interviews were also organized with representatives of seven government ministries and four development organizations.

In the politically collapsed system of Somalia, the people have lent trust to the office of traditional leaders owing to the tradition’s respect to the office. In the light of this natural or circumstantial inclination, a lion’s role has been given to the elders’ office in the efforts of seeking solutions for the political problem throughout most of the last 27 years. The supposed institution is positioned today as the bedrock for improving governance and political systems in the country. But there are lingering concerns with the way in which the role is handled.

This study examined the extent to which gender mainstreaming was carried out in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy, programs and projects implemented by Puntland Ministries Education; Health; Labor, Youth and Sports; and Planning and International Cooperation. The study aimed to provide insight that can contribute to promote equality among women and men in Puntland. The main methods of the study were in-depth interviews with Ministers, Director Generals, Directors, Gender Focal Points and Technical Advisers and desk review of other secondary data.