Nonprofits Should Share Their Data, Too

BY David Eaves | Thursday, January 24 2013

Whenever I'm at a hackathon — or any discussion about open data, really — I'm always disappointed to see that there are few people there from the non-profit sector. Obviously this is a sector with limited resources and capacity, but not without a history of effective open data use. For example, some nonprofits — particularly those that provide housing for the elderly, or engage in advocacy around homelessness — are big consumers of census data as it helps them either plan or spot longer term trends that impact their core issues. Such analysis can help ensure scarce resources are allocated more effectively, enhancing the organization's impact.

Environmental advocacy groups also come to mind. At one point, "anthropogenic disturbance footprint within boreal caribou ranges across Canada" was one of the top 10 most-downloaded data sets from the Canadian government's open data portal over a 30 day period. In part, this is because it is useful to environmental groups, who can use it to help assess the range of woodland caribou, a species at risk. Indeed, saving this species is at the core of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA), an unlikely partnership between environmental groups and the logging industry designed to improve logging practices to minimize the negative impact on species like the woodland caribou. Indeed, the CBFA is an example of how open data can play a small role in helping drive policy recommendations.

And yet, despite these examples of data literacy in the non-profit sector, organizations rarely seem to know that there is open government data they could use. And they are even more conservative than governments about publishing their own data so that other organizations can leverage it or insights gained that might advance their mission.

There are a few exceptions. The Water and Environmental Hub appears to be trying to serve as a platform where nonprofits and universities can share environmental and water data with one another, but I've yet to see similar efforts in other sectors, particularly ones more related to social policy. Less ambitious, but perhaps more necessary, are sites like Markets for Good. That one appears to be an effort to engage the non-profit sector in this discussion. And, while not a nonprofit per se, the UNs Global Pulse initiative is potentially an example of data being used to gain insights in the realm of social policy that may ultimately provide lessons and insights to the non-profit sector.

But I'm left thinking that there is a tremendous opportunity in the non-profit space around not just using data, but also sharing data, to better understand some of the world's toughest challenges. I'm also left acknowledging that even where data usage is strong — such as in the environmental community — few stakeholders in these sectors see open data as something relevant or meaningful to their organizations and their strategies.

I'm not sure how to change that, but it seems like a huge opportunity.

http://techpresident.com/news/23412/nonprofits-should-share-their-data-too

KAMPALA: Launch of New Programme for Improved Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Africa [press release]

Hassan Shire Sheikh Executive Director EHAHRDP  

Kambala: Marking the commencement of support from the European Commission under the global fund of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network (PAHRD-Net) today officially launches a 3-year programme totalling 1.8 million Euros to promote a safe legal and working environment for human rights defenders (HRD) across Africa.

“The tireless and innovative work done at utual support and reinforcement,” said Hassan Shire Sheikh, Chairperson of PAHRD-Net and Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP). Today’s launch marks the fruition of a process set off in 1998 at the Johannesburg All-Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference and renewed in 2009 at the Johannesburg +10 Conference in Kampala where the need for such a protection programme was discussed.

As stated in European Union Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, “the EU acknowledges that the activities of human rights defenders have over the years become more widely recognised. They have increasingly come to ensure greater protection for the victims of violations. However, this progress has been achieved at a high price: the defenders themselves have increasingly become targets of attacks and their rights are violated in many countries. The EU believes it is important to ensure the safety of human rights defenders and protect their rights.”

The secretariat of PAHRD-Net hosted by EHAHRDP coordinates the implementation of the programme with the ultimate objective of improving the quality, capacity and consistency of protection support available to the most-at-risk HRDs across the continent. PAHRD-Net brings together the five sub-regional human rights defenders networks in Africa (the Central African HRD Network, the East and Horn of Africa HRD Network, the North Africa HRD Network represented through the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Southern Africa HRD Network hosted by the International Commission for Jurists and the West African HRD Network) to meet the protection needs of human rights defenders and especially to address the needs of the five groups of most-at-risk HRDs: journalists fighting to end impunity and corruption, women human rights defenders, defenders working on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, HRDs working under oppressive regimes or in armed/post-conflict areas, and HRDs engaging with the resource extraction industries.

Human rights defenders are individuals working alone or through organizations under the goal of promoting respect for universal human rights norms. Frequently HRDs come into conflict with the entrenched local power structures of state and non-state actors through their activism. This conflict can put in jeopardy the security of the HRD and their work and family networks. HRDs are often the victims of harassment, threats, assault, injury, and death across Africa, and many are forced into exile, a move which may effectively end their advocacy for human rights. The consolidation and growth of protection mechanisms within the sub-regions will improve the responses available to mitigate these threats and develop HRDs’ ability to manage their own security effectively.

Participants at today’s launch event include representatives of the five sub-regional HRD member networks, members of the PAHRD-Net Steering Committee, the EU Ambassador to Uganda, the EU Delegation to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, HRDs who have benefited from the EHAHRDP protection programme, and other members of the diplomatic and NGO community in Uganda.

For further information please contact:

Hassan Shire Sheikh – Chairperson, Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network: Tel +256-772-753-753, or executive@defenddefenders.org 

Joseph Bikanda – Coordinator, Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network: Tel +256-312-202133, +256-312-265825, or panafrica@defenddefenders.org

Rachel Nicholson – Advocacy Officer, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project: Tel +256-312-265-824, +256-778-921274, or advocacy@defenddefenders.org

Somaliland: Abaarso School’s Student Gains Full Scholarship to Historic US University

Somaliland Minister of Education: H.E Zamzam Abdi Aden

Nimo Ahmed Ismail, 4th year student at Abaarso School of Science and Technology, just received her acceptance letter to Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. In the acceptance letter, Oberlin noted that Nimo’s “intellectual curiosity, social conscience, and personality made her stand out as a particularly impressive and well-rounded student-citizen.” Oberlin’s tuition, housing, food, student activities, and health insurance, normally costs a student $60,000 per year for a total of $240,000 over the 4 years needed to graduate. Nimo will be getting all of this for free.

In its most recent rankings, US News and World Report ranked Oberlin the 26th best National Liberal Arts College in America. Oberlin was established in 1833 and its famed history includes being the 1st American university to integrate black and white students, as well as the 1st American college to teach male and female students.

Jonathan Starr, Abaarso’s Headmaster and Managing Director, said, “Nimo’s acceptance and $240,000 scholarship to Oberlin is a great success for Nimo, her family, her school, and her society. Without Nimo’s hard work and that of Abaarso’s current and former staff, this would not be possible. Nimo is a wonderful person who continues to make us all proud.”

In addition to Nimo, Abaarso has high hopes for a number of its other students being admitted to strong international universities and provided with scholarships.

TO:  Managing Director,
         Abaarso School of Science and Technology

         Abaarso, Somaliland

Sub.: A Letter of appreciation

The Ministry of Education is writing this letter as a sign of appreciation for the good news of Ms. Nimo M. Ismail for her hard and diligent work to receive full scholarship to Oberlin College, USA. This is an indicator that Abaarso School of Science and Technology is really competitive in educating Somaliland youngsters and at the same time, the knowledge offered here is accepted by International universities.

May I take this opportunity to express my thanks to the Oberlin College and Abaarso-Tech. In this regard, I would welcome if more similar scholarships are offered to the girls in Somaliland in the future.

Zamzam Abdi Adan
Minister of Education & Higher Studies

Malala, teen champion of girls' rights, nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Pakistani Teen Girl Nominee for Nobel Peace Prize 20013

By Kari Huus, Staff writer, NBC News

Malala Yousufzai of Pakistan leaving Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Britain, on Jan. 4 after she was discharged. She will have to undergo specialist cranial surgery at a later date.

Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani girl who rose to international fame after the Taliban nearly killed her for her efforts to promote girls’ education, has been formally nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

Her name was put forward by three members of the Norwegian parliament from the ruling Labor Party on their website Friday, which was the deadline for nominations.

Malala’s name was put forward because of "her courageous commitment to the right of girls to education. A commitment that seemed so threatening to the extremists that they chose to try and kill her," said parliamentarian Freddy de Ruiter on the Labor party web site.

De Ruiter made the nomination with fellow members of parliament Gorm Kjernli and Magne Rommetveit.

Malala was attacked in October with two other girls while traveling home from school in Pakistan’s Swat valley.  The gunman boarded the van and asked for her by name before firing three shots at her — singling her out for writing a blog that criticized the Taliban for barring girls for getting an education.

A week later, Malala was flown to a hospital in the UK for treatment. She is now facing a final major surgery to place a titanium plate over the hole left in her skull. While in the hospital she has received thousands of messages from well-wishers around the world, and continued to speak out on behalf of her cause, becoming a global icon.

The Norwegian MPs said they believed that Malala was "a worthy winner for many reasons. She has become an important symbol in the fight against destructive forces that want to prevent democracy, equality and human rights."

She was also reportedly nominated by members of parliament in France, Spain and Canada. NBC News has not confirmed that information.

To be sure, it is very early in the Nobel process, which culminates with a winner in October.

The Stockholm-based Nobel Foundation, which has been awarding Nobel awards for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace since 1901, said 231 names were submitted for the Peace Prize last year, including 41 organizations.

Nominations can be made only by a select group of people worldwide, including national lawmakers, university presidents and previous Nobel winners

.

VIDEO: Djibouti's First Lady H.E Khadra Mohamoud Hayd Paid Warm Welcomes to the Somaliland's First Lady, H. E. Amina- Waris Sh. Maxamed Jirde

Djibouti's First Lady H.E Khadra Mohamoud Hayd Paid Warm Welcomes to the Somaliland's First Lady, H. E. Amina- Waris Sh. Maxamed Jirde

Marwada Koowaad ee Qaranka Somaliland: Marwo Aamina Xaaji Maxamed Jirde (Aanina Waris) oo Jid Cusub Xadhiga Ka Jartay

Somaliland's First Lady H.E. Amina Haji Mohamed Jirde (Aamina Waris)

Marwada Koowaad Somaliland Marwo Aamina Xaaji Maxamed Jirde (Aanina Waris) ayaa maanta xadhiga ka jartay waddo laami ah oo dhan 1 km iyo badh oo isku xidhi doonta xaafadaha Sheekh Mubaarig iyo Sheekh Nuur ee Degmada Gacan Libaax Ee Magaalada Hargeysa. Munaasibad balaadhan oo xadhiga lagaga jarayo wadadaasi oo lagu qabtay goobta wadadan laga hirgaliyey ayaa waxa ka qayb-galay Wasiir ku xiggeenka Amniga ee Wasaarada Arimaha Guddaha, Badhasaabka Gobolka Maroodi-jeex, La Taliyaha Madaxweyanaha Ee Arimaha Bulshada ,Xoghayaha Dawlada Hoose Ee Hargaysa, Taliye Ku Xiggeenka Ciidanka Bilayska, Xildhibaano iyo dadweyanaha xaafadaasi.



Wasiir Ku Xiggeenka Amniga ee Wasaarada Arimaha Guddaha C/laahi Abokor Cismaan oo halkaasi ka hadlay ayaa ka waramay maaraaxilkii kala duwanaa ee hirgalinta wadadani ay soo martay isaga oo sheegay in guud ahaanba wadadu ay dhan tahay 1 km iyo laba boqol oo mitir balse hadda la dhamaystiray 1 km , waxaana uu halkaasi mahadnaq uga soo jeediyey cid kasta oo gacan ka gaysatay hirgalinta wadadan halka dadweynaha xafadana uu ku booriyey in ay ilaashdaan wadadan.

Marwada koowaad ee Somaliland Marwo Aamina Xaaji Maxamed Jirde(Aamina Waris) ayaa geesteeda xustay sida ay ugu faraxsan tahay hirgalinta wadadan iyada oo ku tilmaantay in wadadani tahay mid muujinaysa faa’iidada iskaashiga iyo waxa wada qabsiga iyadoo si gaara ugu mahaqnaqday cid kasta oo ka qayb-qaadatay wadadan gaar ahaana guddida xaafadahaasi oo u guntaday sidii wadadan laamiga ah u hirgalin lahaayeen.

Geesta kale waxa halkaasi ka hadlay Badhasaabka Gobolka Maroodi-jeex Axmed Cumar Xaaji C/laahi (Xamarje), xildhibaano iyo cuqaal waxaana dhamaantood iftiimiyeen qiimaha wada jirka iyo wax wada qabsigu leeyahay.

'Egyptian police did not beat me,' says victim, changing story

 

---

CAIRO //  Egyptians were fired to a new level of outrage when live television on Friday showed a demonstrator stripped naked, dragged across the ground and beaten with truncheons by helmeted riot police.
But the anger was compounded with disbelief on Saturday when the prosecutor’s office released a statement saying Hamada Saber, 47, had exonerated the police and denied they had assaulted him. He said his clothes had inadvertently come off while police were shielding him from protesters.
While his daughter told a television station that her father was coerced into changing his testimony, the contradictions illustrate the confused atmosphere in Egypt more than a week into a political crisis in which lawlessness has prevailed and more than 50 people have been killed.

“This shows that state institutions are collapsing, as is the rule of law. We are living in chaos,” said lawyer Achraf Shazly, 35.

“Next thing you know, the martyr killed yesterday will rise from the dead and say he wasn’t shot.”
Late yesterday, Mr Saber again changed his account when prosecutors showed him the video footage, the official Mena news agency reported.

The office of the president, Mohammed Morsi, promised an investigation into the incident, which followed the deadliest wave of bloodshed of his seven-month rule. His opponents say it proves he has chosen to order a brutal crackdown like that carried out by Hosni Mubarak against the uprising that toppled him in 2011.

“Morsi has been stripped bare and has lost his legitimacy. Done,” tweeted Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 youth movement that helped launch the anti-Mubarak protests.

Yesterday, a sense of calm prevailed across Egypt with no reports of major protests or clashes with the police. But the damage to the country’s political fabric has already been done and there is no sign yet of whether Mr Morsi will be able to regain his footing in the weeks ahead.

The umbrella opposition movement, the National Salvation Front, has vowed to boycott parliamentary elections scheduled for April unless the president appoints a “unity” government and amends the newly ratified constitution. Mr Morsi, on the other hand, has said he would agree to a national dialogue with the opposition only if there were no “preconditions”.

The violence over the weekend proved that neither political parties nor the government could prevent groups of young men from attacking government buildings and police.

The fighting in front of the presidential palace, where one was killed amid firebombs, tear gas and rock throwing, came a day after a broad spectrum of parties, religious leaders and officials agreed to renounce violence in a special meeting convened by Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayyeb, the head of Al Azhar – the 1,000-year-old mosque and university.

Opposition leaders have maintained that they condone only peaceful protests, but members of the Muslim Brotherhood have increasingly blamed them for instigating violent protests.

“As demonstrations lost their peaceful nature in form and substance, it is no longer sufficient for opposition leaders to watch and condemn,” the Brotherhood said on Friday, after the fighting near the walls of the presidential palace. “It is time they took practical action on the ground and stopped giving political cover for acts of violence and lawlessness that we all renounce.”

Friday’s events were captured by Egyptian TV stations, which zoomed in on details of the fighting as the night progressed. The footage showed a small group of young men throw Molotov cocktails and shoot fireworks over the walls of the presidential palace. They managed to set a small fire next to a tree. In the background, a phalanx of police moved slowly down the road and began firing tear gas. A fire lorry inside the presidential palace walls shot water at the protesters and doused the flames they had ignited.

Echoing the dark tones of a military statement warning of the collapse of the state last week, Mohammed Ibrahim, the minister of the interior, said in a news conference yesterday that, if the police collapsed, Egypt would become a “militia state”.

Why Police Lie Under Oath

Opinion

By MICHELLE ALEXANDER

THOUSANDS of people plead guilty to crimes every year in the United States because they know that the odds of a jury’s believing their word over a police officer’s are slim to none. As a juror, whom are you likely to believe: the alleged criminal in an orange jumpsuit or two well-groomed police officers in uniforms who just swore to God they’re telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but? As one of my colleagues recently put it, “Everyone knows you have to be crazy to accuse the police of lying.”
Enlarge This Image
Wesley Allsbrook

But are police officers necessarily more trustworthy than alleged criminals? I think not. Not just because the police have a special inclination toward confabulation, but because, disturbingly, they have an incentive to lie. In this era of mass incarceration, the police shouldn’t be trusted any more than any other witness, perhaps less so.

That may sound harsh, but numerous law enforcement officials have put the matter more bluntly.  Peter Keane, a former San Francisco Police commissioner, wrote an article in The San Francisco Chronicle decrying a police culture that treats lying as the norm: “Police officer perjury in court to justify illegal dope searches is commonplace. One of the dirty little not-so-secret secrets of the criminal justice system is undercover narcotics officers intentionally lying under oath. It is a perversion of the American justice system that strikes directly at the rule of law. Yet it is the routine way of doing business in courtrooms everywhere in America.”

The New York City Police Department is not exempt from this critique. In 2011, hundreds of drug cases were dismissed after several police officers were accused of mishandling evidence. That year, Justice Gustin L. Reichbach of the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn condemned a widespread culture of lying and corruption in the department’s drug enforcement units. “I thought I was not naïve,” he said when announcing a guilty verdict involving a police detective who had planted crack cocaine on a pair of suspects. “But even this court was shocked, not only by the seeming pervasive scope of misconduct but even more distressingly by the seeming casualness by which such conduct is employed.”

Remarkably, New York City officers have been found to engage in patterns of deceit in cases involving charges as minor as trespass. In September it was reported that the Bronx district attorney’s office was so alarmed by police lying that it decided to stop prosecuting people who were stopped and arrested for trespassing at public housing projects, unless prosecutors first interviewed the arresting officer to ensure the arrest was actually warranted. Jeannette Rucker, the chief of arraignments for the Bronx district attorney, explained in a letter that it had become apparent that the police were arresting people even when there was convincing evidence that they were innocent. To justify the arrests, Ms. Rucker claimed, police officers provided false written statements, and in depositions, the arresting officers gave false testimony.

Mr. Keane, in his Chronicle article, offered two major reasons the police lie so much. First, because they can. Police officers “know that in a swearing match between a drug defendant and a police officer, the judge always rules in favor of the officer.” At worst, the case will be dismissed, but the officer is free to continue business as usual. Second, criminal defendants are typically poor and uneducated, often belong to a racial minority, and often have a criminal record.  “Police know that no one cares about these people,” Mr. Keane explained.

All true, but there is more to the story than that.

Police departments have been rewarded in recent years for the sheer numbers of stops, searches and arrests. In the war on drugs, federal grant programs like the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program have encouraged state and local law enforcement agencies to boost drug arrests in order to compete for millions of dollars in funding. Agencies receive cash rewards for arresting high numbers of people for drug offenses, no matter how minor the offenses or how weak the evidence. Law enforcement has increasingly become a numbers game. And as it has, police officers’ tendency to regard procedural rules as optional and to lie and distort the facts has grown as well. Numerous scandals involving police officers lying or planting drugs — in Tulia, Tex. and Oakland, Calif., for example — have been linked to federally funded drug task forces eager to keep the cash rolling in.

THE pressure to boost arrest numbers is not limited to drug law enforcement. Even where no clear financial incentives exist, the “get tough” movement has warped police culture to such a degree that police chiefs and individual officers feel pressured to meet stop-and-frisk or arrest quotas in order to prove their “productivity.” 

For the record, the New York City police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, denies that his department has arrest quotas. Such denials are mandatory, given that quotas are illegal under state law. But as the Urban Justice Center’s Police Reform Organizing Project has documented, numerous officers have contradicted Mr. Kelly. In 2010, a New York City police officer named Adil Polanco told a local ABC News reporter that “our primary job is not to help anybody, our primary job is not to assist anybody, our primary job is to get those numbers and come back with them.” He continued: “At the end of the night you have to come back with something.  You have to write somebody, you have to arrest somebody, even if the crime is not committed, the number’s there. So our choice is to come up with the number.”

Exposing police lying is difficult largely because it is rare for the police to admit their own lies or to acknowledge the lies of other officers. This reluctance derives partly from the code of silence that governs police practice and from the ways in which the system of mass incarceration is structured to reward dishonesty. But it’s also because police officers are human.

Research shows that ordinary human beings lie a lot — multiple times a day — even when there’s no clear benefit to lying. Generally, humans lie about relatively minor things like “I lost your phone number; that’s why I didn’t call” or “No, really, you don’t look fat.” But humans can also be persuaded to lie about far more important matters, especially if the lie will enhance or protect their reputation or standing in a group.

The natural tendency to lie makes quota systems and financial incentives that reward the police for the sheer numbers of people stopped, frisked or arrested especially dangerous. One lie can destroy a life, resulting in the loss of employment, a prison term and relegation to permanent second-class status. The fact that our legal system has become so tolerant of police lying indicates how corrupted our criminal justice system has become by declarations of war, “get tough” mantras, and a seemingly insatiable appetite for locking up and locking out the poorest and darkest among us.

And, no, I’m not crazy for thinking so.

Michelle Alexander is the author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.”
A version of this op-ed appeared in print on February 3, 2013, on page SR4 of the New York edition with the headline: Why Police Lie Under Oath.

Editorial: The West Needs Somaliland More Than Somaliland Needs The West

Republic of Somaliland 

In the last few weeks, western governments changed the balance of power between Somaliland and Somalia to the detriment of Somaliland. They did this when the US recognized the government of Somalia without Somalia’s government rescinding its claim that Somaliland is part of it. They also did it without taking any meaningful diplomatic gesture toward Somaliland. US action has incensed the people of Somaliland and to many Somalilanders this action by the US is seen as a blow to their interests.  

Having not yet absorbed the shock-effect of this reckless action by the US, a step which will most likely come back to haunt it, the British government issued a warning to its citizens alerting them of a potential terrorist threat in Somaliland without consulting, or even informing, the government of Somaliland about it. These two steps plus many previous slights have incensed the people of Somaliland. Feeling the rising anger of his people toward the US, Britain, and Western countries in general, the president of Somaliland, Ahmed Sillanyo, tried to re-assure his citizens in his speech to the joint session of parliament and the Upper House, that he had received assurances from the Obama administration that their policy toward Somaliland has not changed and that both their engagement with Somaliland and their programs in Somaliland will continue. 

And this is precisely the problem. For although President Ahmed Silanyo considers US re-assurances as a positive thing, they really are not, because once they raised the status of Somalia’s government, the only way in which such a move would not be to Somaliland’s disadvantage is by also raising Somaliland’s status, and the fact that they didn’t raise Somaliland’s status means they weakened Somaliland’s position despite their insistence that their policy toward Somaliland has not changed. Furthermore, the US move is not just about recognition, it is also about putting the government of Somalia on a trajectory that promises more US backing and sends a signal to other western powers to do likewise, which means further chipping away at Somaliland’s position. This is the reality of the Obama administration’s policy which sets the tone for the policies of other western countries, and no amount of sweet words or after the fact explanations can change it.
 
This being the situation, the question is: what can Somaliland do about it? The answer is: a lot. And the reason we say this is because when all is said and done, the fact remains that the US and western countries need Somaliland more than Somaliland needs them. This may seem like an odd or counter-intuitive thing to say but it is true, and here is why. The main reason that the US and western countries are involved in Somalia is because they see Somalia as a security threat. That same security threat to western countries potentially exists in Somaliland but until now has been contained because of the efforts of Somaliland’s government and its people. The west needs the cooperation of Somaliland to prevent security threats coming from Somaliland, whereas Somaliland does not need western cooperation to exist. This is the other reality that favors Somaliland. The problem is that Somaliland has always approached western governments from the position that it needs the west more than the west needs it rather than the other way around, and in order for western policies to change, Somaliland’s attitude must first change.
 
The fact of the matter is that the attitudes of Somaliland’s people toward Western governments are already in the process of changing. Many people in Somaliland are reaching the conclusion that these governments are pursuing ruthless policies that hurt and endanger the interests of Somaliland. What has been lagging behind is the attitude of Somaliland’s government which until has not yet pursued policies based on the position that the west needs Somaliland more than Somaliland needs the west. Somaliland’s government must change their attitude and policies so it would be more in line with the wishes, interests, and conclusions of its own people. 

As part of this change, Somaliland’s government must establish some markers or red lines which it will not accept from western and foreign countries to cross. One of these markers is the arming of Somalia’s government. Somaliland government should also make it absolutely clear to western countries that although it has no objection to helping the people of Somalia, their efforts to change the playing field in favor of Somalia’s government and to the detriment of Somaliland are unacceptable; and that most certainly Somaliland will not attend a conference chaired by the President of Somalia whether it is in London or on March. 

William Hague: Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan is where the threat to the British homeland is coming from

William Hague

 James Forsyth

On the Sunday Politics, William Hague confirmed that the greatest terrorist threat to the British homeland come from Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. But he argued that without intervention, the Sahel could become as dangerous to Britain.

Those hoping for Hague to put flesh on the bones of the government’s European strategy will have been disappointed. The Tory leadership remains determined not to give out anything akin to a renegotiation scorecard. When pressed by Andrew Neil on whether he would advocate leaving if only the status quo was on offer, Hague said that the government would have to ‘use our judgment at the time.’

On gay marriage, Hague reiterated his support for it. Interestingly, he argued that if gay marriage was not being addressed in this parliament it would be ‘a big issue at the next election’ with MPs forced then to declare where they stand.

Somaliland: Denmark Allocates $8m towards Economic Growth

The Danish government is an active player in promoting improved livelihoods. 

Said Mr. Zorem Rasmussen, head of the Danish International Development Agency-DANIDA Somaliland 

The Somaliland Business Fund-SBF is beneficiary to $8 million contributed by the Danish government.
This was revealed by Mr. Zorem Rasmussen, head of the Danish International Development Agency-DANIDA Somaliland during an interview with reporter Mahmud Walaleye of Hornnewspaper in Hargeisa where he also informed that the UK Travel ban for Somaliland has not affected their operations.
Said he “Only Copenhagen has the authority to advice Danish citizens and my participation in this interview, in Hargeisa, means we are neither bothered nor affected by the recent UK travel advisory”
According to Mr. Rasmussen DANIDA which opened its Hargeisa program office last August, has already allocated $8million to SBF, an amount to be increased gradually over the coming years.

“The allocation of this fund is geared towards fulfilling Denmark’s intentions for promoting local economic growth and creation of employment opportunities.

In response to the when of grants disbursement for the Somaliland business fund that DANIDA is co-funding with the World Bank, Mr. Rasmussen said, “the first phase mostly for small grants applicants shall start next month (March), while phase two applicants screening would be commenced in May, this year.

Apart from promotion of economic growth DANIDA, which comes under the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also engaged in the development of several other sectors among them; Security, Anti-piracy, Governance, and livelihoods throughout Somaliland and Somalia, with over $80million allocated for these activities during a four year plan ending in 2015.

DANIDA, who have above forty partners in Somaliland composing government ministers, local as well as international organization, also supports local council projects called JPLG, Gender, and Democratization process, needed to envision engagement his office doing Somaliland.

On his perception of the local environment for both donors, expatriates and investors, the DANIDA program manager said a conducive environment exists where all stakeholders have a single target, “that is attainment of local development while pursuing the quest for international recognition.
He praised the over 40 local partners that DANIDA is working in diverse sectors among them Government ministries and Civil Society Organizations for their relentless efforts in achieving set objectives.

On Denmark’s participation in the internationally fronted dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia, Mr. Rasmussen said, “Although we are not currently involved at any level, the government in Copenhagen is closely following proceedings and will not hesitate to provide assistance if deemed necessary or upon request”

In Conclusion the top Danish representative in Somaliland thanked the Geeska Afrika media Group and reporter Mohamud Walaleye, for being the first to ever interview him since arrival in the country.
He promised to ensure that the media group is first to receive support from DANIDA if and when it initiates, in Somaliland, a media capacity building program the Agency currently implements in over 20 countries worldwide.

XIGASHO: WARGEYSKA GEESKA AFRIKA

Somaliland: Shed More Light on DL issue: Private Firm Awarded Contract to issue National Driving Licenses

Perhaps the Public Works Minister ought to shed more light on the matters of the issuance of driving licenses in the country before it boomerangs in the future.

Somaliland  Public Works Minister Ahmed Abdi Haabsade

This appeal is logical given that matters of personal, national and inter-national privileges, security or rights to private information may be infringed or, largely, put in a precarious situation.


If given the similitude of Hon. Habsade equating the private company’s issuance of DLs to that of the vehicle number plates, does he mean that the agent would ONLY supply the driving licence books (or cards) whether digital or not?


If so, it is well and good. If not, then we should not succumb to hasty decision whose most probable future may have in store serious security and legal repercussions for the country.


This is because we believe that those who supply the number plates are not privy to personal information hence do not hold the log-books to vehicles nor process their application forms.


It is clear that the registration of motor vehicles are sensitive since the applicants have to supply information on their personnel selves (e.g. IDs etc where necessary).


This should be things to be entrusted only upon the state alone.
Given that the national identification system is still absent, how should the DL issuance be placed in private hands?


Worse of all is that absence of the personal identification national index makes it difficult for the criminal investigations department to issue fool proof certifications of good personal conducts for lack of standard and proper finger-printing system and allied systemic data banks, how can the state relieve off its watch over such a core department? More light should be shed on the issue since significant and important line departments have to be established before hand, serious future repercussions notwithstanding.

M A EGGE
opinion published: somalilandpress

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN - Conclusions on Somalia

Brussels, 31 January 2013

EUROPEAN UNION

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

1.      The EU welcomes the end of the transition in Somalia as a historic opportunity to leave
behind two decades of conflict. Adoption of a provisional Constitution, the selection of a
Federal Parliament and the election of a new President bring new prospects for lasting peace
and prosperity to Somalia. The visit of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the EU is a sign
of its recognition of the new political setting in Somalia and of a strengthened partnership
between the EU and Somalia.

2.      The EU stresses the importance of Somali ownership and underlines the primary
responsibility of the Somali authorities to re-build a country free from the threat of violence
and organised crime, economically viable, engaged with its neighbours and the international
community. Reflecting a shift of paradigm in EU-Somalia relations and consistent with its
comprehensive approach, the EU is committed to supporting the new Government's vision
and priorities. It undertakes to sustain its collective efforts to support Somalia's transformation
and to engage more directly with the Somali people and institutions. In this context, the EU
encourages the accession of Somalia to the Cotonou Agreement.

3.      The Council welcomes the announcement by the High Representative/Vice-President
(HR/VP) and the Somali President that Somalia and the EU will host a Conference in
Brussels that will focus on medium- and long-term priorities and needs of Somalia and its
people. The aim of the Conference will be to endorse a Compact between Somalia and the
international community that will guide the reconstruction of Somalia, based on the Busan
New Deal Principles for Fragile States. The Conference will focus on building a new political
order in Somalia, promoting its socio-economic development and establishing the rule of law
and security. The EU also welcomes the UK initiative to host a Conference that will focus on
the immediate priorities of strengthening security, justice, public financial management and
supporting the political progress of Somalia. The EU welcomes the engagement of the Somali
Federal Government in co-hosting the two conferences.

4.      The EU supports the Somali President's immediate priority of extending security in the
country. On the basis of a revised National Stabilisation and Security Plan (NSSP) and related
security sector reform strategies, the EU will continue to help develop Somali security
capacity accountable to political authority as well as rule of law capacity across the country,
providing protection for the population and respecting human rights. The EU highlights the
importance of international coordination and complementarity in support of Somalia's security
sector development.

Since 2010, the EU Training Mission (EUTM) Somalia has successfully trained nearly 3,000
Somali soldiers, which now constitute the core of the Somali National Armed Forces.
Building on its success and responding to the evolving needs of the Somali authorities, the
Council decided on 22 January 2013 to extend the mandate of the EUTM Somalia until 31
March 2015 and to appoint Brigadier General Aherne as the Mission Commander. The
mission will provide training as well as advice to help building effective, well-integrated, self-
sustainable and accountable Somali National Armed Forces in continued close cooperation
with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Uganda and the US and other
partners. As the security situation allows, EUTM will gradually transfer its activities from
Uganda to Somalia.

The EU has also supported the rule of law sector. It has supported judicial capacities and the
training and payment of stipends of Somali Police Forces, in close cooperation with the UN.
In addition, its EUCAP NESTOR mission will assist Somalia and states in the region to
develop self-sustainable capacities to enhance maritime security and governance, including
judicial capacities.
 

1.       

2.       

3.       

4.       

5.      The EU commends the efforts of the AMISOM and welcomes the completion of the AU
strategic review. AMISOM can be expected to continue to play a vital role in bringing
security to Somalia while the capacity of Somali security forces develops. Considering that
support to AMISOM remains one of the EU's priorities in Africa, the EU reiterates its
readiness to continue to provide significant support to AMISOM through the African Peace
Facility. It also calls upon other donors to ensure predictable and sustainable funding for
AMISOM.

6.      The EU welcomes the completion of the United Nations (UN) strategic review of its presence
in Somalia, and looks forward to an enhanced UN role in Somalia, including in relation to the
effective coordination of international engagement, in support of peace- and state-building.

7.      The EU underlines the importance of reconciling the nation and of building accountable and
transparent institutions at local, regional and national levels, through an approach inclusive of
all clans and social groups. The EU will support the Government's efforts to promote
democracy, the rule of law and strengthen the respect of human rights. The EU stresses the
importance of adopting a final Constitution by referendum, reflecting the will of all Somalis,
of encouraging dialogue and peaceful interactions between the centre and the regions, and of
preparing for elections. It will also support inclusive local development and reconciliation
efforts. The EU underlines the critical role of civil society and the media in the process of
transformation.

8.      The EU also undertakes to support the socio-economic recovery that is needed to improve the
welfare and livelihoods of Somalis. It will support basic service provision, strengthen public
finance management and support the country's re-engagement with the international financial
institutions. The EU will help to build resilience, including through linking relief,
rehabilitation and development in delivering EU assistance to Somalia.

9.      The EU will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to meet the most urgent needs of the
people of Somalia, in full respect of the humanitarian principles of neutrality, humanity,
impartiality and independence. It calls on all parties in Somalia to ensure safe and unhindered
access to humanitarian aid and to comply with their obligations under international
humanitarian law.

10.   The EU notes that improved conditions on land will also contribute to tackling the root causes
of piracy off the coast of Somalia. It commends the success of the EU’s naval operation
EUNAVFOR ATALANTA in the fight against piracy. The EU aims to consolidate the
containment of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean through ATALANTA, while limiting the
ability of piracy groups to operate from land by building Somali law enforcement capacity,
including through EUCAP NESTOR, and disrupting the piracy networks including its
financiers and logistics. It will do so together with the Somali authorities, taking in to account
their evolving needs as well as the political and security situation on the ground, and using its
Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations and other EU instruments in a
coherent and mutually reinforcing way.

11.   The EU remains concerned about the continuous threat which terrorism poses to Somalia
itself, the wider region and at a global level. The EU has committed to help build regional
capacities to tackle the threat of terrorism, to support regional law enforcement cooperation
and counter violent extremism, including through the work of the Global Counter-Terrorism
Forum, working with regional bodies, national governments in the Horn and in Yemen, and
with key partners such as the UN and the AU. The Council therefore notes that Member
States have endorsed today an EU Counter-Terrorism Action Plan for the Horn of Africa and
Yemen within their sphere of competence.

The EU recognises that a precondition for peace, security and prosperity in Somalia is
stability in its wider neighbourhood. It emphasises the need for the countries of the region to
step up efforts to build good neighbourly relations, develop regional capacities and forge
regional cooperation and integration, in particular in the economic field, and to lay the
foundation for a regional political, economic and security framework. As a first step, the EU
urges Somalia and its neighbours to reach a good neighbourliness agreement under the
auspices of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and with the support
of its partners. It further encourages Somalia's active engagement in IGAD and urges all
countries of the region to demonstrate their willingness to settle bilateral disputes in its
framework. As set out in the EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa, the EU stands
ready to facilitate and to work closely with the AU and with IGAD and its member states to
achieve these objectives, including through the efforts of the EU Special Representative for
the Horn of Africa.

The EU emphasises the importance of peaceful and credible elections in Kenya in March
2013 for the country's security and prosperity and that of the wider region."

Saraakiisha Ciidamada Somaliland ee ku guulaystay darajooyinka ugu sareeya

Ismaaciil Shaqalle Taliyaha ciidanka Qaranka ,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo u gartay Sareeye Gaas beeshiisa Sacad Muuse

Cabdilaahi Fadal Iiman Taliyaha Ciidanka Booliiska derejaduu Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye guuto,Beesha Arab.

Maxamed Xuseen Xiirane Taliyaha Ciidanka Asluubta Derejada madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto Beesha Dhulbahante

Axmed Cismaan Xasan Taliyaha ciidamada Ilaalada Xeebaha ,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Admiral guuto,Beesha Ciidagale

Cabdilaahi Calas Abaandulaha koowaad ee ciidanka Qaranka Derjeda Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto Beesha Dhulbahante

Libaax Rayaale Abaandulaha labaad ee Ciidanka Qaranka Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto Beesha Gudabuursi.

Maxamed Adan Saqadhi (Dabagale),Hogaanka Hawl-gelinta Ciidanka Qaranka,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Gaashanle Sare, beesha Habar Yoonis.

Cabdiraxmaan Fooxle ,Taliye xigeenka Koowaad ee Booliiska ,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto Beesha Ciise Muuse.

Daahir Cali Wacays,Taliye ku xigeenka Labaad ee Ciidanka Booliiska,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilayo siiyey Sareeye Guuto,Beesha Ciise

Xasan Cali Dheere Taliye ku xigeenka koowaad ee Ciidanka Asluubta,Derejada M.Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto Beesha Habarjeclo

Cali Cumar Axmed Taliye xigeenka labaad ee Ciidanka Asluubta ,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo siiyey Sareeye Guuto, Beesha Warsangeli.

Taliye xigeenka Ciidanka Ilaalada Xeebaha,Derejada Madaxweyne Siilanyo u Gartay Admiral Guuto,Beesha Dhulbahante

US not going to suspend drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, Somali

The file photo of a US drone

Despite worldwide condemnation, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Washington is not going to suspend its drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.

Panetta said on Friday that the US needs to keep up an open-ended drone war against what he called militants not only in Pakistan, but also in Yemen, in Somalia and I think it ought to continue to be a tool we ought to use where necessary.

The US defense secretary said that the airstrikes are necessary to prevent an attack on America.

He went on to say that CIA might widen the scope of the drone strikes depending on the nature of the threat that we re confronting. We are in a war.

Washington uses its assassination drones in Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia, claiming that they target terrorists. The attacks, however, have mostly led to massive civilian casualties.

Rights groups and the United Nations have censured the US drone attacks as targeted killings, stressing that the raids flout international law.

Pakistan's tribal regions are attacked by US terror drones almost regularly, with Washington claiming that militants are the targets. However, casualty figures clearly indicate that civilians are the main victims.

Despite Pakistan's repeated calls on the US to end the drone attacks, the US government continues its deadly strikes on the country's tribal belt.

Over the past few months, massive protests have also been staged across Pakistan to condemn the United States for violating the country's sovereignty.

Washington also regularly carries out assassination drone attacks in Yemen, which is located on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula and is among the poorest countries in the region.

Yemenis have held several anti-US rallies across the country over the past months and have called on their government to cut all ties with Washington over the deadly airstrikes.

Djibouti: China Donates Military Vehicles to Djibouti

Djiboutian Defence Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed on Sunday (January 27th) received a donation of about 50 military vehicles from the Chinese government, Djibouti's La Nation reported.

Chinese ambassador Zhang Guoqing presented Djibouti with tanker trucks, transport vehicles and cranes intended to strengthen Djibouti's armed forces.

"This is a testament to the excellent relations between our two countries, especially between our two armies," Mohamed said at a ceremony attended by several of Djibouti's top military officials.

The vehicles will increase "the operational capacity of our forces participating in peacekeeping missions in Somalia, as well as in the fight against international terrorism and piracy", he said

U.N. chief suggests review of 21-year-old Somalia arms embargo

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS

(Reuters) - The Security Council should consider lifting an arms embargo on Somalia to help rebuild the country's security forces and consolidate military gains against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon suggested in a report Friday.

The council imposed the embargo in 1992 to cut the flow of arms to feuding warlords, who a year earlier ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and plunged Somalia into civil war. Council diplomats said the arms embargo was "under discussion" as the delegations have not reached a final agreement.

Somalia's president and prime minister were elected last year in the country's first national vote since 1991.

"Enhanced efforts are ... urgently needed to develop the Somali National Security Forces," Ban said in the report to the 15-member council. "In this regard, the Security Council may wish to consider the repeated request by the government for lifting the arms embargo."

Somalia wants help strengthening its poorly equipped and often ill-disciplined military that is more of a loosely affiliated umbrella group of rival militias than a cohesive fighting force loyal to a single president.

There are 17,600 U.N.-mandated African Union peacekeepers helping battle the Islamist rebels in Somalia. The African Union has also appealed to the Security Council to review the arms embargo on Somalia.

"Although security has improved considerably in Somalia, the struggle is far from over. The insurgents continue to carry out their attacks using terrorist attacks and targeted assassinations," Ban said.

"These spoilers will seize any opportunity to reverse the gains," he said. "We must continue to stay alert and deny them the space they seek. We should continue to explore the measures already identified, such as travel bans and asset freezes, as we determine when and to whom these must be applied."

Ban also recommended in the report that a new U.N. assistance mission to deliver political and peacebuilding support be established in Somalia and that the Security Council consider a U.N. or joint U.N.-AU peacekeeping mission once the combat operations against Al-Shabaab come to an end.

He said planning for the deployment of the new U.N. assistance mission should take place as soon as possible and that it be based in Somalia instead of neighboring Kenya, now that security has improved.

The Security Council needs to renew the mandate for the AU peacekeeping force in Somalia, known as AMISOM, by early March.

The council is also considering a call to permit the export of stocks of charcoal. It banned the sale abroad of Somali charcoal in last February in an attempt to cut off al Shabaab's funding.

The Security Council's Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, an independent panel that reports on compliance with U.N. sanctions, says charcoal exports from southern Somalia in 2011 generated over $25 million for al Shabaab.

Somaliland: Ciidamada Amniga iyo Sirdoonka Somaliland oo gacanta ku dhigay Lix qof oo lagu xidhiidhinaayo inay ka tirsan yihiin ama gacan saar la leeyihiin Alshabaab

Ciidamada Amniga iyo Sirdoonka Somaliland (Intellegence unit) ayaa maanta Jimcihii gacanta ku dhigay ilaa Lix qof oo lagu xidhiidhinaayo inay ka tirsanyihiin ama xidhiidh dhow la leeyihiin Kooxda Alshabaab.

Sida ilahaasi sheegeen dadka la qabqabtay ayaa waxaa ka mid ah Nin ay walaalo yihiin Amiirka Kooxda Alshabab Axmed Cabdi Godane, ninkaas oo xoguhu sheegayaan in beryahan Sirdoonka Somaliland ku dabajiray balse ugu danbayn Duhurkii lagu qabtay badhtamaha magaalada Hargeysa.

Sidoo kale dadka la qabqabtay Maanta waxaa ku jira laba nin oo laga shakiyey inay xidhiidh dhow la leeyihiin kooxda Alshabaab oo la qabtay maray ka soo baxeen Masaajid ku yaala badhtamaha suuqa weyn ee Hargeysa.

Ku darsoo waxaa isla maanta Kantaroolka Bariga Hargeysa isna lagu qabtay qof kale oo looga tuhunsan yahay inuu ka tirsan yahay Alshabaab.

Tu kale waxaa magaalada Berbera Maanta lagu qabtay Qof isna la sheegay inuu awel hore ka tirsanaan jiray kooxda Alshabaab balse shaqo ka helay hayada Sirdoonka Somaliland hase yeeshee aakhirkii dib ugu biiray Alshabaab.

Warar iyagana naga soo gaadhaya magaalada Burco ayaa sheegaaya in maanta halkaas ciidamada Amniga Somaliland ku qabteen nin looga shakisan yahay inuu haystay walxaha qarxa ama laysku qarxiyo kaas oo la sheegay inuu ku jiro gacanta ciidamada Booliiska.

Dhinaca kale Taliyaha ciidanka Sirdoonka Somaliland Jaamac Maxamed Bootaan oo maanta u anbabaxay dalka Itoobiya ayaa xogaha Qarannews heshay tibaxayaan inuu xilkii ka qaadey Taliyahii Sirdoonka Gobolka Hargeysa Muxsin Aw-cali.

Taliyaha Sirdoonka Somaliland ayaa xoguhu sheegayaan inuu maanta u dhoofay dalka Itoobiya si uu halkaas kulamo khaasa ugula yeesho Saraakiil ka tirsan Sirdoonka Ingiriiska si ay u siiyaan xogo dheerada oo ku saabsan tuhunada iyo xogihii sababay digniintii ay u jeediyeen muwadiniintooda ku sugan Somaliland.

Isku soo wada duuboo waxaa isa soo taraaya xogaha u garaabaaya digniintii dawlada Britain u jeedisay muwaadiniinteeda ku sugan Somaliland iyo kuwa quudaraynaayey inay u socdaalanba,waxaana taas xoojinaaya in durbaba isla maanta oo qudha ugu yaraan lix qof oo lagu xidhiidhinaayo kooxda Alshabaab lagu qabtay gudaha Somaliland.

Qarannews

Human Rights Watch Released: World Report 2013 Somaliland

This 23rd annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2012. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.

Somaliland

The Somaliland government frequently and arbitrarily arrested and detained journalists—mainly those reporting on sensitive political issues such as the self-proclaimed Khatumo State—and clamped down on opposition protests. In April 2012, the government responded to a series of protests that opposition party members organized after being disqualified from local elections by temporarily arresting and detaining supporters. On March 8, 2012, the police also arbitrarily detained 71 people, including children, from Las Anod for peacefully protesting in support of the Khatumo State. Due process violations, including lengthy remand detention and the detention of children, remain a concern. On May 17, 2012, the military court sentenced 17 civilians to death.

On at least two occasions, the Somaliland authorities deported large numbers of Ethiopians, including refugees and asylum seekers. On August 31, Somaliland forcibly sent up to 100 Ethiopians, mostly women and children, back to Ethiopia, including refugees and asylum-seekers. This followed police raids on August 30 and 31, 2012, on an informal settlement in Hargeisa. Police fired live ammunition during the raids, wounding at least six Ethiopians, and then arrested and detained 56 Ethiopians.