Northern Somalis for Peace and Unity, Come attend :)

[Gamadid.]

(NSPU)

P R E S S R E L E A S E III
on
2006 NSPU list of Invited Panelist for the Annual
Conference on Peace & Unity
For Immediate Release

November 23, 2006

As scheduled, the 2006 NSPU annual conference on Peace and Unity will take place on December 1-2 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) located at 1000 K Street, NW, Washington DC. The evening of December 1st would be only for Pre-registration and the main conference would take place on December 2, 2006.

The organizing committee herewith releases the official Draft version of its program (see below) and all invited panelists. In addition to the distinguished panelists, NSPU is delighted to have invited prominent dignitaries as well as pro-unity organizations and a cross-section of the Somali Diaspora community in North American.

For the convenience of out-of town panelists and participants, the organizing committee recommends Hyatt Regency Crystal City at 2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy Arlington, VA 22202 USA which is about three metro stops from the conference site (Foggy Bottom Stop). For those who wish to drive to the conference venue, a cautionary note is that parking in the vicinity is prohibitively expensive.

For further information on other accommodations, please contact NSPUÂ’s communication coordinator at kmhamud9@yahoo.com, or call directly Hyatt Regency Crystal City at (703)418 1234.


Please stay tuned. In the meantime, please follow the progress of the conference planning activities at our website: http://www.somaliunity.org/index2.htm

CONFERENCE PROGRAM


TIME SESSIONS
EVENT DESCRIPTION

AGENDA, FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2006

5:00 PM– 6:30 PM

Pre-registration and informal reception

6:30 PM– 8:30 PM

Preparatory meeting with elders, local organizing committee and Keynote Speakers

AGENDA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2006

08:00 AM– 09:00 AM

Registration

09:00 AM– 09:30 AM

Welcoming participants and Opening Address. Welcoming and introducing the Key Note Speakers.

09:30 AM-10:00 AM

General Jama M. Ghalib & Dr. Ali A. Hersi

10:00AM–
10:15AM
BREAK

10:15AM– 11:30AM
SESSION A
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND CHALLENGES TO UNITY

The Somali Democratic Republic has a defined territory (since 1960), which is recognized by member states of the United Nation (UN) Organization, by all member states and by all its neighbors. However, SomaliaÂ’s territorial integrity has been challenged by internal civil strife and/or by intermittent, quite threatening, foreign interventions from its neighbors. One of the most prevailing challenges to the Somali nation state is SomalilandÂ’s unilateral call for secession and its flirtation with Ethiopia, as well as EthiopiaÂ’s unbridled incursions into SomaliaÂ’s territory. Former President of Kenya, Mr. Daniel Arab Moi, has told U.S. leaders that Somalia is not stable mainly because the countries that neighbor it do not want it as a stable country. The Arab Moi comment, as unorthodox as it could be in the annals of diplomacy, underscored the degree to which neighboring countries have been committed to erode the territorial integrity of Somalia. These countries are doing so by arming factional groups, helping unilateral secessionist groups or smuggling illegal weapons into the country.

Some of the origins of the challenges facing the territorial integrity of Somalia can be traced back to (a) the 1980s clan based factions that decided to create fustian deal with Ethiopia in undoing Somalia; and (2) EthiopiaÂ’s foreign policy shift from one that merely challenged/contained SomaliaÂ’s territorial claims against it to one that seeks to completely undermine the existence of the Somalia state. With the potency of the combined pressures of these factors, SomaliaÂ’s territorial integrity has been tossed up in the twilight zone.

Participants of this Session are expected to not only highlight the manifestations of the challenges facing SomaliaÂ’s unity, but to reflect on the tools and strategies to cope with such challenges and chart recommendations to rescue Somalia.

Moderator: Ahmed Hamud
Former Prime Minster Ali Khalif Galaydh
Prof. Said Samatar
Dr. Ali Faqi
Dr. Ahmed Nasir Abdi
Abdulakar Adan Abdulle?
Dr. Abdi Kusow?

11:30-12:45PM
SESSION B
UNITY VS. SECESSION, The Case of Northern Somalia

The question of secession in the northern part of Somalia is an important feature of the multiple political problems that the country faces today. Of the many clans that inhabit in the north, only the elite class of one clan is known to strongly support the unilateral breakaway of Hargeisa from the rest of the country.

The unilateral call for session of the northern regions from the rest of the country by some leaders represents the achelehills of Somalia’s socio-political problems. It is an issue that both secessionists and unionists have been avoiding to face off with, mainly due to the potential conflict that it can have to their mutual peace and coexistence of the residents in the region. In effect, a sort of détente (secessionist in Hargeisa would limit their rule to the districts that they consider within their own sphere, and unionists would mind their own business and can be part of Puntland) has been established and a degree of coexistence has been so far maintained. Meanwhile, secessionists have taken maximum advantage of this détente and sold widely their idea that Somaliland and its residents are all behind the secession agenda.

In this détente and coexistence arrangement, a large section of the region’s residents of what is considered Somaliland has mostly been kept in the dark, possibly excluded from the discourse, if any, by design or otherwise.

Therefore, at the wake of this conference, the forces of unity that calls for a united and democratic peaceful Somalia are poised to rise to the occasion of upholding the cause of unity, and begin demystifying the assumptions behind said unilateral secession.

This session of the conference would air a more unionist view of Somalia and would give a voice to those northerners who support a united and democratic Somalia. The debate on secession has been so far been dominated by the voices of secessionist in Hargeisa, and the political landscape of the north has unfairly been colored by the messages of these [secession] forces. In this session, participants would (a) debunk the secession logic of dismantling Somalia in favor of a narrow agenda; (b) draw on examples and experiences elsewhere that secession is not a solution to the socio-economic problems that Somalia faces; and (c) dwell on ways to build and galvanize the constituents of united and democratic Somalia in the Diaspora.

Moderator: Faisal Roble
Dr Ali Hirsi
Hamud Maasheeye
Dr. Hodan S. Esse
Jamac Mohamed Qalib
Dr. Hussein Warsame?


12:45–1:30 PM
LUNCH/SALATAL DUHUR

Recognition of Dignitaries

1:45-2:45 PM
SESSION C
GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTION BUILDING

The primary casualty of SomaliaÂ’s long and protracted civil war has been the concept of good Governance. Additionally, all the countryÂ’s Institutions have been decimated. Any government that comes to assume power in Somalia has to face the difficult issues of (a) how to establish good governance, and (b) identifying the institutions that would support such as governance.

The Joint Needs Assessment (JNA), which the United NationÂ’s (UNDP) has recently commissioned, is the first face of reorganizing the countryÂ’s institutions. This panel will both assess and critique the works of the JNA and its findings. This session, staffed by members of the JNA as well as its critics, will try to assess methods and procedures used to gauge SomaliaÂ’s most pressing needs for institution building. Has all regions being assessed based on their needs, or some were given more focus based on their political muscle? These are some of the many contentious issues that the panel will take up.

At the end of the panel, participants are expected to draw a set of recommendations pertaining to what is considered to be good governance in Somalia; and what form of government is suitable to a united and democratic Somalia, as well as the right types and sizes of the institutions needed in post-civil war Somalia.

Moderator: Ahmed Hassan
Ambassador Abdullahi Said Osman
Dr. Abdiweli Ali
Buri Hamza
Khadija Ossoble Ali
Dr. Mohmud Abdi Noor?

2:45– 3:45PM
SESSION D
CURRENT AFFAIRS/ THE RISE OF THE ISLAMIC COURTS

Recent political developments in Somalia have steadfastly moved on to an uncertain future. Only two years after an inclusive, although not so perfect, government was established in Kenya, concluding exhaustive rounds of negotiations that took more than two year, a well organized, better financed and highly mobile Islamic militia, better known as the Islamic Court Union, is sweeping the land.

The ICUÂ’s quick and decisive victory over the notorious Mogadishu-based warlords, secretly financed by U.S. government, represented a welcome respite in and around the capital. However, maltreatment of the residents of the city and their harsh and orthodox application of the Islamic Sharia, have created a sense of uneasiness among many residents. Moreover, the ICU militias have reneged on their initial pledge that they would only go to places outside their jurisdiction, if and only when they are invited by the local clerics, or if there is lack of peace and order.
The recent attempt at the life of the president of the Transitional Government, Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has raised many eyebrows as to whether the ICU is connected to a larger web of international terror. Moreover, the ICUÂ’s military invasion of the port city of Kismayo has but shown that this organization wants to rule all of Somalia and apply a harsher form of Sharia.
EthiopiaÂ’s excuse of defending the TFG and its resolution to undermine any Islamic government is Somalia has also raised the stakes of uncertainty. Moreover, the role of Eritrea in supplying weapons to the ICU has transformed Somalia as the last theatre of the regionÂ’s proxy wars.
This panel would assess the advancing nature of the ICU militias and the role of SomaliaÂ’s neighboring countries in its virtual absence of peace and stability. It would further assess ways of trying to bring the ICU and the TFG leaders closer, and hopefully strife to find a common ground to rescue the nation.

Moderator: Ahmed Yusuf
Dr. Ali A. Hirsi
Dr. Ali Said Faqi
Said A. Salah
Abdinur Sheikh
Ambassador Dr.Elmi A. Duale
Abukar Arman?


3:45-4:15PM

POETRY READING
Said Salah and et al

4:15 5:15PM
SESSION E
PLENARY SESSION

This session will assess all the events at the conference, develop and organize emergent themes, and call for resolutions. It would set the agenda for action. It would reemphasize the commitment of the organizing committee to plan early on for its upcoming expanded national conference. This panel would also report on all those items that have been covered in the proceedings. Special attention would be given (a) to lessons learned so far politically or otherwise; (b) to assess the recommendations so far passed; and (c) to establish standing committee to prepare for next yearÂ’s conference.

Organizing Committee
Panelists

Key:

Blue: Confirmed
Pending


For further information, please contact:

(NSPU)
5470 Merivale Rd. Ottawa, Ontario. K2C 3M1 Canada


E-mail: info@somaliunity.org website: www.somaliunity.org
NORTHERN SOMALIS FOR PEACE & UNITY (NSPU) is a grass-roots Somali advocacy organization with Branches and Representatives in Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, USA, UK, and South Africa. We are dedicated to the promotion of peace and unity among the long suffering people of Somalia. We believe the ‘Somalia problem’ can only be dealt with within the framework of a holistic strategic approach aimed at the empowerment of a central government to rebuild national democratic governance institutions and restore law and order throughout the country. NSPU believes the balkanization of Somalia is a recipe for future conflicts and a bleak future for the Somali people, who are bonded by ethnicity, language, religion, and shared centuries-old culture and traditions.

Copyright © 2006 Wardheernews.com

http://wardheernews.com/NSPU_Conference ... rence.html

[GabadhWacan]

Salaamu calaykum

Too bad it is not in Toronto! But I am very much impressed with the agenda. Thanks I did not even know of the existence of this group and I am a Northerner living in Canada!

Gabadh Wacan

[Skippa]

Abdulakar Adan Abdulle?
Dr. Abdi Kusow?

These are northerners?

[Gamadid.]

Skippa, may be invited guests. There is nothing wrong with including others from other regions in political forums like this.

I am not a northerner yet I have posted this to spread the word for those who live in Washington area so they could attend. This is a group worthy of respect.



PS: Someone sent me two PMs as soon as I posted this Northern topic, I clicked on one and it took me to a link, fortunately, the network is clogged up and slow in here, Only thing I saw was "Nabeela... and Someone else's username I forgot is my bi-tch", right away I knew these links were being sent to other forumers and I had to close the link before I even saw anything unsightly.



It must be some somalilander upset with what I posted who sent me the links

[Intruder]

Conference????

A bunch of whining Dhilo-Bahante is more like it.

[Ugaas Diini]

Sounds interesting but I don't think it is worth the plane tickets. [/quote]

[COSTA]

What kinds of food they will serve?

if theres nice chicken tandoori i ll be there

[COSTA]

yaa

[Luckyy]

Gamdid

You should call this Fqash meeting or somaliland xaseddins meeting.. whom just want steal some cash miskininta Haweya like u.........send ur donation kualaa .they pretending they againist from somaliland n they r for Somalila.the truth is they dont give a shitt either.all theycare 2 steal some welfare checks from skinnies



Just bcz Somaliland organized best confrence in VA this year.......they just want copy that,............


Can they b original 4once? loozersssss

[Samatr]

[quote="Skippa"]Abdulakar Adan Abdulle?
Dr. Abdi Kusow?

These are northerners? [/quote]

[gurey25]

[Cilmiile]

some of the names I recognize:

Cabdilaahi Siciid(Geri Koombe), Former Somali ambassador to the UN, both in Geneva and New York at different times. Great Intellect. University of Hull trained lawyer who was called to the English bar. I met him in his office in New York. Cherish the memory of my exchange with him.

Jaamac Maxamed Qaalib(Ciidagale), One time Somali interior minister and Commander of the Police Force. British trained policeman, with expertise in law, its enactment, enforcement and adjudication.

Cali Khaliif Galaydh, Dhulbahante, Phd from Syracuse. Great Intellectual. Unprincipled, always with an eye on the main chance.

Dr Hussein Warsame, Phd from the LSE. Gadabuursi.

Siciid Samatar(Leylkase) Phd. Professor at Rutgers University.