Prof. Abdi Ismail Samatar On How To Rebuild a ''Somali Civic Identity''


Prof. Abdi Ismail Samater highlights the unprecedented challenges facing the Somali people, describing the collapse of the state and the disintegration of the nation as a situation not seen in the past 500 years. He notes that external forces are working to ensure Somalia never recovers. Samater identifies the erosion of a common identity, particularly among the youth who are no longer taught their history, as a critical issue. He emphasizes that Islam, a faith shared by most Somalis, should serve as the foundation for rebuilding a cohesive civic identity.

Prof. Samater proposes that religious leaders and cultural figures should be distanced from politics to focus solely on addressing collective societal issues and fostering national unity. He points out the stark contrast between Somalis' success in business and their failures in politics. To address this, he advocates for the establishment of a fund to support individuals who would travel across the country, promoting the values of unity and civic reconstruction, free from government influence
 
Before some of you flood this thread with cynicism or skepticism.

Take a look at the conclusions of this study and survey that was conducted a couple of years back cross regionally inside Somalia about the political understanding and on knowledge about federalism of the ordinary Somali populous and the dire need for civic education, because it is inline with the solutions that Prof. Samatar gives in that lecture.

Federal Somalia: Not If but How​


• A substantial majority still views the current federation process as deeply flawed, because it is a largely elitedriven and externally facilitated scheme that promotes clan identity at the expense of citizenship.

Despite significant support for a federal form of governance, the Somali people’s understanding on the intricate and the nuanced nature of federalism remains extremely low. This highlights the need for a robust civic education campaign.

• Fourth, a robust civic education campaign is needed. Federalism is deeply misunderstood. Even those who vigorously support it have their own interpretations, including the widely held view that it means total autonomy for their clans. Those who oppose federalism view it as a tool to divide Somalia and as an externally imposed arrangement. Both sides should be helped to understand the nuanced and complex nature of federalism

• As with other cities, the majority (56 percent) considered the current federation process flawed, because it lacks transparency and inclusivity.

• One of the most surprising outcomes of this study is the desire for social reconciliation across Somalia. From Kismayo on the far southern tip of the country to Garowe in the northeast, participants highlighted the need for direct, community-to-community reconciliation. It was abundantly clear that what people wanted was not political accommodation but genuine national recognition that heals the scars of the civil war.
 
In line with the study i shared just now, i have been echoing the same thing on this site for a while , that we have externally manipulated foreign political actors and traitors that have hijacked the Somali political process. That they are not the reflection of the Somali will.

The ordinary Somalis are literally kept hostage inside their country and discriminated against by elitist thugs in suits, pretty much kept in the dark about how things work and the dealings that happen. This is why there is no revolution or rising up are anything happening, because they are being robbed blind. Rather than fully supporting the current system , they lack understanding of it.

The pre-cursor to a reform/revolution in our past history was a robust educational and civic compaign by the Somali Youth Movements and later Kacaan regime. There was a grassrots civic rebuilding campaign with the Islamic Courts Union, before it was dismantled.

So this solution sounds practical and correct, even more so the extraction away from the political process. Study qoute: ''what people wanted was not political accommodation''

Unlike our parents generation who had some semblance of understanding of their traditions and history, the ones who grew up in Somalia post civil war are not taught anything like Prof-Abdi Samatar said ''Wether its cruel history or good history or both'' they are not being taught anything.

Now it's even worse they are flooded with social media garbage pre-occupation and misinformation.
 
Last edited:

Trending

Top