Innovation Democracy Travels to Somaliland

[The_Emperior5]

Innovation Democracy Travels to Somaliland
A well known professor from Finland who visited to Somaliland a week ago has created an Article about her experience in Somaliland and urges the world to recognize Somalialnd.

December 17, 2010 – Landing at Berbera airport off the coast of the Gulf of Aden, we learn that its 4,100 meter Soviet built airstrip was used by the Kennedy Space Center for twenty years as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.

Disembarking from our African Express McDonnell Douglas aircraft we are treated to wonderful Somali hospitality in the first class reception area as we wait for our entry papers. We are introduced to the armed guard, who by Somaliland law has to accompany us in our drive from Berbera to Hargeisa on a very potholed but paved road. The speed limit is 80, we are told, to avoid the car from spinning out of control when hitting a pothole.

The two of us, Liisa Välikangas and Jaak Treiman, are visiting Somaliland on an invitation to celebrate the opening of The Institute for Strategic Initiatives, which seeks to support the Somaliland government in its reform and reconstruction work. The trip had its beginning about two years ago when Mr. Abdi Jama, a Somali-Finn with an impressive entrepreneurial and software background, walked into Liisa’s office at Helsinki’s Aalto University and shared his vision for an institute that would be instrumental in rebuilding Somaliland’s society after the brutal civil war, still going on in Somalia, south of Somaliland. Abdi said then and still says that his project “is Somaliland.” He has returned to Somaliland’s capitol, Hargeisa, with his family and now works with the Civil Reform Commission of the newly elected democratic government of Somaliland.

Somalis are an old culture with Egyptian and Arab roots. It is told that during the early years following the birth of Islam they left embattled areas for the Gulf of Aden to live in peace. More recently, in 1991, Somaliland severed its ties with Somalia re-established itself as the independent Republic of Somaliland having the same borders it had prior to 1960, while it was governed as a British Protectorate. Somaliland is a rare enclave of democracy in East Africa and has succeeded in attracting many members of the Somali Diaspora from Finland, UK, and Canada back to the country.

While “Somali” is too often used as an ethnic slur in many news reports (as in “Somali pirates” or “Somali terrorists”), we learn Somalis have a wonderful culture of oral poetry and tale telling. In one story, a lion steals a sheep. Only the person “who does not know the lion” can get his sheep back. It strikes us that the people of Somaliland now need so much courage that in this story’s terms, they have to go after the lion to get the sheep back even though they know how powerful an animal the king of the jungle is.

We wish the Republic of Somaliland and its wonderful people the best of success in rebuilding their ancient, strategically situated, country in the Horn of Africa. The country needs and deserves to be legally recognized by the world’s community of nations and should be privy to the world’s commendation and support for having accomplished three democratic elections. Unlike the Ivory Coast, for example, where the incumbent is currently refusing to give up power, in Somaliland this summer’s election, as its previous two elections, brought change without conflict and a seamless transition of power. More than that, there is a thriving opposition led by another Somali-Finn! (The speaker of the House of Representatives is also a Finnish citizen

Beyond statehood recognition, Somaliland needs to be able to employ its youth. In particular, people graduating from universities need a job to pay their debts to their family that has supported them. They also dream of a better future, of course. Here is where Innovation Democracy can perhaps help – work with graduating students to equip them with employable skills while also pooling their talent to address the country’s challenges entrepreneurially. How would the students solve the challenge of water shortage despite evidently abundant ground water resources? Or what could be done about the lack of sanitation? Currently donkeys carry water tanks around the city and goats serve as a waste management system, eating everything except plastic (which are ubiquitous, the blue plastic bags hanging on bushes, trees, fences and rocks being called the “flower of Hargeisa”). There are some entrepreneurial people filling in potholes in the road to Berbera as cars pass by. Why don’t we task the teams of university students with these issues and help them find beginning solutions for the persisting problems, in a modular and culturally appropriate way?

Contact:

Professor Liisa Välikangas, Aalto University

[XimanJaale]

I hear the great nation of puntland aka hartiland gave a big threat to Soomaliland. I hear siilaanyo is shitting his pants like 80 year old lady.

[The_Emperior5]

^^ ximaan xaare topica ga ha igaga xaarin hadad bintiland rabtid inad ka sheekeysid orod topic u fur

[XimanJaale]

^^ ximaan xaare topica ga ha igaga xaarin hadad bintiland rabtid inad ka sheekeysid orod topic u fur

Why aa topickeyga Sharia Law ku xaartay markaad bahaku ka hadleysay markaan ka hadlayay shareeca. Sxb Puntland has nothing on Somaliland.

[The_Emperior5]

^^ ximaan xaare topica ga ha igaga xaarin hadad bintiland rabtid inad ka sheekeysid orod topic u fur

Why aa topickeyga Sharia Law ku xaartay markaad bahaku ka hadleysay markaan ka hadlayay shareeca. Sxb Puntland has nothing on Somaliland.

Dee bahuku bahaka manu ahayn ki sharicga islamka ku xukumaye Soomaliya ,,

[XimanJaale]

^^ ximaan xaare topica ga ha igaga xaarin hadad bintiland rabtid inad ka sheekeysid orod topic u fur

Why aa topickeyga Sharia Law ku xaartay markaad bahaku ka hadleysay markaan ka hadlayay shareeca. Sxb Puntland has nothing on Somaliland.

Dee bahuku bahaka manu ahayn ki sharicga islamka ku xukumaye Soomaliya ,,

Waryee waad asluub xuntahay wana akhlaaq xuntahay, Bahaku waxa loo isticmala darbi mise khidaar sidaad uu taqniid u faham, markaas baad leedahay bahuko oo gaal bantu ah aaya shareecada islaamka ku faafinayo Somalia iyo constitutionka, sidaad uu hadleysiid waa bajak bajak, laa xowlaa wala kuwata ila bilah.

[The_Emperior5]

Waryee waad asluub xuntahay wana akhlaaq xuntahay, Bahaku waxa loo isticmala darbi mise khidaar sidaad uu taqniid u faham, markaas baad leedahay bahuko oo gaal bantu ah aaya shareecada islaamka ku faafinayo Somalia iyo constitutionka, sidaad uu hadleysiid waa bajak bajak, laa xowlaa wala kuwata ila bilah

Bal ii fahansti Bahuku bahaka al bantu manu ahayn taliyaha ugu sareye ciidamada Somalia eeh dawlada ilaaliyo hadu bahuku bahaka maanta ka tago xammar do u believe sh dalxiis iyo xaarmaaja jiraya

[XimanJaale]

Waryee waad asluub xuntahay wana akhlaaq xuntahay, Bahaku waxa loo isticmala darbi mise khidaar sidaad uu taqniid u faham, markaas baad leedahay bahuko oo gaal bantu ah aaya shareecada islaamka ku faafinayo Somalia iyo constitutionka, sidaad uu hadleysiid waa bajak bajak, laa xowlaa wala kuwata ila bilah

Bal ii fahansti Bahuku bahaka al bantu manu ahayn taliyaha ugu sareye ciidamada Somalia eeh dawlada ilaaliyo hadu bahuku bahaka maanta ka tago xammar do u believe sh dalxiis iyo xaarmaaja jiraya

Dee waa ku sidee, Bahuku fufu bantu waa general qaabilsan ciidamaha AMISOM, marka wuxu shuqul ku leyahay shareecada islaamka lagu xirgilnayo Somalia ma leh, marka arinta kale oo ah jiritaanka mudane shariff iyo Farmaajo waa mahad alle.

[grandpakhalif]

War bal dadkan Somaliland aan la yaabanahay qofkasta cadaan bay so dhowaadan hadu professor yuhay mise daboole. Ictiraaf wa arin khatar walle, sidee nin Jarman hablaha wasse ba la sii daya, subxanallah. Somaliland wa wax aan jirin wa dalka somaliya waxan ku oran laha dadkas ictiraaf doon joojiyo, diinta uma fiicno

[Ninxoon2]

[ahmad guray]

Liisa Välikangas is member of the gay community just like An openly gay elected president of Somaliland, .siilaayo http://www.strategypage.com/militaryfor ... -4794.aspx

[sarman]

Somaliland belongs to Somalia look for another real...estate fadlaan

[The_Emperior5]

Dee waa ku sidee, Bahuku fufu bantu waa general qaabilsan ciidamaha AMISOM, marka wuxu shuqul ku leyahay shareecada islaamka lagu xirgilnayo Somalia ma leh, marka arinta kale oo ah jiritaanka mudane shariff iyo Farmaajo waa mahad alle.

Dee ninka meesha ka taliya uun baa sharci ama wax ku xukumi kara ileen buhuku bahaka ba meesha hasyta adigu ha cayin madaxweynahaga bahuku bahaka hadu ka tago waleh jiri meysiiin

[ahmad guray]

Somaliland belongs to Somalia look for another real...estate fadlaan

[Somalian_Boqor]

Dam! You guys paid another old lady to write you guys an article. When will this sickness and Madness stop?





























































The_Emperior5 how about your iidoor rebel group paid me and I will ask Faroole to recognize iidoorland?