In light of the context and gap
analysis, the proposed intervention seeks the support of the UN Peacebuilding
Fund to increase the inclusion of young men and women in state and
peacebuilding processes in Somalia. More specifically, since Somalia is in the process
of reestablishing legitimate State institutions and systems of governance at
the Federal Member State and District level, this intervention seeks to
capitalize on this in order to ensure these structures are including young men
and women and take their priorities into account. With the passing of the Local
Government Laws in South West and Jubbaland States in July 2017, both states
have launched their respective District Council formation processes. It is
vital that these governance bodies have youth representation and address the
needs of young Somali men and women for these new institutions to be
representative and perceived as legitimate by their constituents. While other
donor funds are supporting stabilization and peacebuilding efforts at the community
level, as well as the development of local government institutions and systems,
there is currently no intervention specifically promoting the inclusion of
young men in women in state and peacebuilding processes in South West State and
Jubbaland. An investment of the Peacebuilding Fund to support such an
initiative is anticipated to have a dual catalytic effect by changing the
attidudes of decision makers and their constituences in Kismayo, Baidoa and
Dollow in favor of youth inclusion and by improving the representativity of
district and state level governance structures. This expected outcome will have
a substantial impact of intergenerational relations, enabling young men and
women to become key agents of change in the peace and statebuilding processes
of Jubbaland and South West States. This proposal directly supports the
outcomes of the current Peacebuilding Priority Plan for Somalia (2016-19) which
aims to strengthen the demand for and offer of good governance – rebuilding the
social contract between Somali citizens and the Somali State. The proposed
intervention therefore also directly contributes to the implementation of the
Federal Government of Somalia’s Wadajir Framework for Local Governance and to
its Stabilization Strategy.
The Youth
Political Empowerment Programme
aims to provide young people and youth-led organisations, particularly young
women’s organisations, in Baidoa, Dollow and Kismayo with the tools and
opportunities to meaningfully engage in decision-making, including the
constitutional review process as well as state-building and reconciliation
efforts at the district level. The programme supports
the implementation of UNSC Resolution
2250 (2015), which recognises the important and positive contribution of
youth to the promotion and maintenance of peace and security. The proposed
intervention will enable marginalized youth in Somalia to engage in
state and peacebuilding efforts at the local and federal levels. This directly
supports the implementation of the UN Youth Strategy Principles which has
identified the political participation, empowerment, leadership,
protection of youth human rights, inter-generational collaboration as
priorities. The programme also supports the ongoing efforts
to develop a National Youth Policy for Somalia. The proposed intervention is
also aligned with the Federal Government of Somalia’s National Development Plan
which mainstreams youth as a cross-cutting issue throughout the nations
priorities in order to contribute towards stability, economic prosperity and
national cohesion.
The difficult security and
political context in Somlia, calls for innovative ways to reach-out, engage,
and mobilize youth. Therefore, the programme will facilitate the use of
innovative communication platforms including social media (Facebook, Twitter,
etc), radio podcasts, and web TV, to reach out to youth creating a channel for
young women and men to express their visions for the future of Somalia. By
amplifying young people’s voices, the programme will promote the exchange of ideas
among peers and communities at large, challenging negative perceptions and
fostering an intergenerational dialogue and trust. In view of the specific
needs of young women identified above, the programme will adopt a gender
responsive approach, mainstreaming gender issues in all activities and ensuring
equal access to benefits for both women and men of the different age groups.
The programme will particularly ensure the participation of young women, as
they traditionally suffer double discrimination (age and gender). Based on a
realistic assessment of the Somali context and the challenges faced by Somali
women, all capacity building workshops and councils will aim to have at least
40% young women beneficiaries. After assessing the needs of young women’s organizations,
the programme decided to employ a gender mixed approach to the different
initiatives, bringing young women and men together, enabling a collaborative
approach, while sensitizing young men in the process.
The programme will also provide
training and strengthen the institutional capacity of the local administrations
in Baidoa, Dollow and Kismayo to respond to the needs of young women and men.
By employing an area based approach to improve coordination amongst all levels
of government.
The programme provides a catalytic
opportunity to build on recent peace and state-building gains and builds on
recommendations from the Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and
security and the National Youth Conference held in 2015, which identified the
need for dialogue platforms at the local and regional levels.
The programme proposal was
developed in close consultation with Y-Peer Network, and other local youth
organisations in the target areas. Prior to implementation, further
mobilization of young women and youth organizations will take place. In August
2017, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports employed their national radio
programme “Ask Your Friend” to hold consultations with young women and men.
Over 450 young people engaged through radio call-ins and emails. The findings
from the radio survey highlighted that 55% of respondents emphasized there is a
dire need for youth to meaningfully engage in peacebuilding. They also raised
the need for more efforts to minimize or respond to clan disputes, tackle
illegal migration and prevent violent extremism. Moreover, 30% of the
respondents, underscored that youth-led community action should be prioritized
while 15% of the respondents underscored the need for increased youth
participation in political and governance decision-making processes.
