GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST SMALL ARMS
(From 6th 12th June 2005)Mogadishu Somalia
1. INTRODUCTION
Nothing that, the universal declaration of human rights Art. 1 proclaims, all human being are born free and equal in dignity and rights, they are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brother hood.
Nothing that, the universal declaration of human rights Art. 2, which proclaim that, every one is entitled with out distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political, or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Considering that, the universal declaration of human rights Art. 3 proclaims, Every one has the right to live liberty and the security of a person
We are putting forward that we established a Organization, which will be speaking up for the Democracy & Human Rights particularly the rights of women, minorities and children, which we named SOMALIAS GREEN LEAF FOR DEMOCRACY.
SOMALIAS GREEN LEAF FOR DEMOCRACY GLED is the result of 8 days workshop & debates about HOW THE DEMOCRACY IS IN SOMALIA, which was organized by a Forum called Y.D.M.F (Youth For Democratic Movements Forum).
72% of the participants of that workshop suggested the need of a system that bases democratic environment to set up Justice, equality, gender balance and good governance through youth organizations and younger generation.
This organizations mandate include to promote Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for Children & youth of the World, to protect human rights violation principally; women, children, minorities and weak people whose rights had been destroyed by the different administrations, military regime and the warlords in the conflict period.
From the time established up to date this organization stands to transform the violating culture of the young generation into Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. And mechanically use as tool for the developments of youth organizations/networks/groups in the country.
Week of action Somalia 2005
The Global week of action against small arms is the first time to organize in Somalia since the week of action was started in 2003.
Green Leaf for democracy-GLED organized wider campaign on small arms, in the events of the week of Action in Somalia from 6th 12th June 2005.
Since 1991, there is no central government in Somalia for more than 14 years, when the military regime led by Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted from the authority by disgruntled rebels.
From that time up to date, the country is in critical situation and wider unrest of clan related conflict and confrontations, those engulfed the lives of more than five hundred thousands (500,000) people with in the past 15 years of the civil war.
From 1992, the frontline states and the countries of Yemen, Libya, Eritrea, Egypt, Ukraine, Former Soviet union and Former Yugoslavian countries send weapons and military means to Somalia and broke down the United Nations arms embargo on Somalia for the resolution number 733 (1992) January 23, 1992.
When the military equipments in the country inserted the hands of the civilians, wider destruction started, People were massacred, all human rights violations started to happen in Somalia.
Innocent killing, kidnapping for Ransoms, raping, looting, harassment, land confiscations, robbing, hijacking and other abuses become the daily events that every person in Somalia worrying to meet, when experiencing traumatic events met in the past time the number of displaced people increase continually, street children child soldier and children who lost parents increase as the result of the weapons flooding in Somalia is the fighting that is going in Somalia now in the regions of Hiiraan, Mudug, Galgalud, Bakol, Bay, Gedo, and so on that twenty people die per day, while the number of the casualty is more than that and the displacement and ethnicity revenge are also difficulty issues against the well being of the people in Somalia, because when a militia man is killed, the revenge is to kill useful person from the other side like; mullah, intellectual, civil society activist, for ethnicity only but not committed crime.
2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION
SOMALIAS GREEN LEAF FOR DEMOCRACY (GLED) is a local non-governmental Organizations, which is aimed to guide the people a democratic environment to reach sustainable Life and has integrated people-centered development strategy. The concept of sustainable Life and Democracy has been a central matter in development strategies since the establishment of GLED 2001.
GLED is geared towards the improvement of the living standards of the concern for the long-term realism of development programs, the health of the environment and people's control over the processes that affects them such as Policy, Education, sanitation, and mobilization of HIV/AIDS.
In Somalia the term "Democratic" is completely miss-understood. It's seen an outsider driven forces or ideology, which the outsider himself has deep interest to change the people from their culture to his believes, so that GELD met difficulties from the stakeholders that they believe GLED is changing the culture of the people into foreign cult, but GLED achieved to influence the people the exact meaning of the democracy at least some percentages in its live time.
The background of this Organization goes back to the year it was established in Dec. 2001.
3. THE TYPE OF THE ORGANIZATION IN DETAIL
Democratic and human rights organization led by youth, particularly to sound up the rights of women, children, and the minority people and it is also non benefit and non governmental organization.
4. VISION OF THE ORGANIZATION
The solution of the basic problems facing the lives of the youth, women, children and vulnerable people who are the most damaged society in the countrywide problems.
The achievement to integrate the people specially youth through democracy and pluralism is good beginning from the families, communities, societies and governments to establish well-integrated and equal right citizenship nation.
The realization of peace and democracy in the country is to launch good Life from the bottom line of the society to the community Elders and the CBO and CSO.
The direct philosophy of GLED is to encourage the four freedoms by establishing group:-
I. Freedom of speech.
II. Freedom of worship.
III. Freedom from want.
IV. Freedom From Fear.
5. MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
To form a reformation campaign that transforms the young generation from violence into culture that promotes peace and democracy.
To empower youth, children and adolescents those are the cornerstones of the population to prepare peaceful democratic leaders in the coming future, with internship programs.
To form strong base for women and children rights by uplifting their living standard of socio-economic and education.
To eliminate any form of discrimination among the people.
To improve the living conditions of the Somali youth & rest of the population through education/skills empowerment, job creation and raising systematic advocacy to influence government, political parts, Community, local and international Organization policy to support Youth groups attain the leading role of the future.
To fight against poverty, Tropical diseases and HIV/Aids.
6. ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES
1) Raise awareness about the need of a Culture of Peace and non-violence with socially and politically.
2) Youth empowerment, gender promotion and child protection
3) Developing the ICT Environment and the information exchange between youngsters and business people.
4) Fighting against HIV/Aids and epidemic and tropical diseases creating campaigns and activities to decrease their scale.
5) To reach Justice, Equality, Democracy and equal citizenship.
7. COMMITMENTS
a. Commitment & Trusteeship
b. Networking & Transparency.
c. Performance & team working.
d. Peace culture and Pluralism.
8. PRINCIPLES.
Justice, Equality, Democracy & rights protection
9. DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY
So most of the people in general want every dignity and prosperity for themselves and their families, we have to remember that every body in the universe has as much rights to the happiness and good effects of this world, as every body does. We should all try to bear one another burdens by acts helpfulness when the need a rise In the eyes of Allah all people are equal
Every person regardless of his position in life has a dignity and importance for greater than the lower animals, he/she is human being and should be heated as such.
10. VALUE FOCUS
To be created awareness by informing that every one is entitled to all the rights and Freedoms, with out distinction of any kind such as Race, Colors, Sex, Language, Political, Or Other Opinion, National Or social Origin, Property, Birth or other status, through mass Media and providing seminars and workshops and E.T.C.
To be eliminated and protected that no one should be subjected to torture or to cruel, in human or degrading treatment or punishment by introducing the people that all people are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law
To be encouraged that every person has the right to live liberty and the security of the person, as well as introducing that every one is entitled in full equity to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him, from the government, political parties and politicians and ETC.
Strengthening of education, including health education with special emphasis on the dangers and undesirability of female circumcision through Somali regions and districts.
And intensification of especial education programs for Traditional Birth Attendants (T.B.A) and midwives, healers, and other practitioners of traditional medicine to demonstrate the harmful effect of female circumcision with a view to enlarging their support for general efforts to abolish the practice of FGM.
Training and development of female surveyors to asses the current status and urgent concerns of women specially those who have been subjected to violence and trauma and establishment of a trained and qualified network appropriate service provides who will create support group and individual counseling for women.
To support privately owned business in pluralism and creating new jobs for the young generation and households, to reduce unemployment problems.
To encourage the children to take an active part in schooling and the other technical institutions, particularly for them since they are the most backward element in the Somali society and to abolish the child abuse including (Child Labor, soldier and slavery)
To be created skills for orphans, street children, drug addicted children and who miss their parents in the civil war; those are escalating a day after a day in the streets so as to integrate them in the society with safety and good life.
To create campaigns that to be reduced the crisis, catastrophes and political disturbances those are the most setbacks of African nations and the worst decease of African leaders.
11. WEEK OF ACTION OBJECTIVES
1. To mobilize the people about the risk of small arms.
2. To raise the awareness of the people and the government officials to the rules of the arms and Universal conventions on arms.
3. To promote the parliament officials to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty.
4. To encourage the peace activities in Somalia specially the security of the capital city.
12. ACTIVITIES DONE
6th June 2005: Press conference was held in BYC conference room, and press statements about the situation of Arms in Somalia (when, where and how) weapons reach in Somalia was given to the Media.
7th June 2005: Debate about the hazards of small arms LIVE in local Radio, a military expert was sitting in the studio and the people was asking him about the arms.
8th June 2005: Participation of the removal of the roadblocks in Mogadishu, the capital city, GLED Somalia published and scattered on the roads slogans in small papers No roadblock, No extortion, at least 7 main roadblocks out of 43 roadblocks in Mogadishu were taken.
9th June 2005: Live radio program, Abukar Albadri, the week of Action coordinator was sitting in the studio room and explained the risks of the arms, the importance of peace and the UN firearms protocol, the people was asking live questions and he was answering.
10th June 2005: The LIVE program of the 9th June was revised.
11th June 2005: Soccer Game between SOS vs. TOP.
The game was going on 90 minutes, the intended time ended 2-2 but the referee added more time to give the teams to start free shoots.
SOS football team won 4-2 on the TOP football team.
Hassan Ali Gessey From Benadir Radio was reporting the game.
12th June 2005: the Closing ceremony
GLED coordinating team invited 200 people from the different parts of the community, civil society organizations, education sections, child protection organizations/networks, human rights organizations, media and military experts in SAHAFI Hotel International; the invitees included government officials and the speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aadan.
The ceremony was going on two hours starting from 10:00 am upto 12:00pm.
Abdulahi Ahmed Hassan, a producer from Banadir Radio was coordinating the ceremony.
1. Abukar Albadri, The Coordinator of the week of Action in Somalia first was welcomed to the microphone.
He explained the information about the Global week of Action against arms 2005 and the situation of the weapons and when, where, and how weapons reach in Somalia.
He also explained the Arms Trade Treaty ATT and requested the Parliament officials to promote the ratification of the ATT.
Albadri Finally gave his thanks to the participants and special gratitude to the speaker of the parliament then suggested to the people of Somalia to Put the Guns and change them into PENS.
2. Abdulkani Said Arab, the secretary general of Somali football federation SFF was also welcomed to the microphone.
Arab encouraged the peace and supported the suggestion of Albadri about the ratification of ATT.
3. Drs. Asha Ahmed Abdalla, a Member of the Parliament and security committee of the capital city addressed how the activities of her committee are going on and explained how the risk of the arms effected her family, while she was out of the country for 30 years.
Asha supported the initiative to ratify the ATT and pledged that she will support the ATT lobby if starts.
4. Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, the speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament finally was welcomed to the microphone.
He spoke in his many parts of the live of the community, like: security, socio-economy, politically and the ATT.
the speaker promoted the ratification and supported the initiative to promote the ATT.
The speaker relinquish the institutions those participated the activities of the WOA, honor Certificates signed by the Coordinator of the WOA Abukar albadri, to reward for their efforts during the activities.
1. Somali Football federation-SFF was given honor certificate, Abdulkani Said Arab; the secretary general of SFF received of behalf of them.
2. Banadir Youth Council-BYC was given Honor certificate, Omar Jeloa Gazi, deputy of BYC received the certificate on behalf of BYC.
3. Banadir Radio was given certificate, Hassan Ali Gesey, a producer from the radio received the certificate on behalf of them.
4. Ayaamaha Printing and Publishing House APPH was given certificate and Abdulahi Mohammed Hassan (Black) Editor of Ayaamaha News paper received the certificate on behalf of Ayaamaha.
5. SOS Football team was given the cup of the WOA by the Speaker after they won the soccer game.
Both teams were given Honor Certificates for their participation of the Global week of Action against small arms 2005 in Somalia.
13. ACTIONS TAKEN
Posters:
Two hundred Posters were sent to the safety places, the posters were containing Slogans and Images showing the dangers of the guns, those adopted the peoples opinion well.
The slogans on the posters include:
· Lets see Somali free from Gun.
· No one has right to own his Gun, but has right to live in peace and security.
· The one who are giving us Guns are killing us whole.
· The risk that damaged your self is in your hand.
· Remove the arms from the community.
Stickers:
The stickers contained slogans and images those are directly affecting the live of the people.
The images on the stickers were AK74 guns, Pens and balls and the messages they give were:
1. PUT THE GUN, TAKE THE PEN with its meaning of Somali language
2. PUT THE GUN, TAKE THE BALL with its meaning of Somali language
The stickers and some posters that were printed as stickers were laminated on the doors of the schools, public places, hotels, cars, walls.
The intended posters were 200 pieces, but when the need of the people increased, GLED increased the number of porters into 100 more pieces.
14. MEDIA PARTICIPATION ON WOA:
Media participated the WOA 2005 in Somalia widely and, a Radio and Newspapers was publishing daily article about the Global week of Action against small arms Somalia 2005, and other media were participating all the events of the WOA.
Benadir Radio was working with the coordinating team and was broadcasting 7 minutes program daily, also made two interviews about the program, two LIVE Debates and aired the speech of the speaker of the parliament totally.
The media those participated or reported the programs of the WOA are:-
A. Radios:
Banadir Radio, Shabelle Radio, Horn Afrik Radio, Capital Voice Radio and BBC Somali and Arabic Services.
B. News Agencies:
The Middle East News Agency-MENA published the program to its customers, because its reporter in Mogadishu interviewed Abukar Albadri and reported the event.
C. Newspapers:
Ayaamaha newspaper, Codka Xuriyadda, Mogadishu Times, Bilan Newspaper, Qaran Newspaper are all the local newspapers those published articles about the global week of action against small arms Somalia 2005.
D. Online Newspapers:
www.markacadeey.com, www.puntlandpost.com, www.somaliweyn.com, www.mudugonline.com, are also the online Somali media those published the programs and articles about Global week of action against small arms in Somalia 2005, to promote the Somali people in Diaspora.
E. Experts:
Two military experts from the former Military of Somalia, Col. Hassan Jumale and Col. Ibrahim Mohamoud was leading the role about the small arms and its risk inside the community.
They made LIVE debates and answered the people about the knowledge of the small arms.
They made comments about the formal images on the Posters and the stickers.
15. OUT COME:
The outcome of the WOA 2005 in Somalia is good indicator of the need of the programs to mobilize the community safety.
1. Percentage of the people in Somalia particularly in Mogadishu raised their awareness about the small arms, that they keep in their houses to keep their security but vise versa.
2. Media got information about when, where, and how arms reach in Somalia, the resolutions of United Nations on Somalia and the countries those broke down the UN arms embargo on Somalia (resolution 733 (1992) Jan. 23 1992. and also they got copy of the Arms Trade Treaty-ATT.
3. Somalia neither signed nor ratified the Arms Trade Treaty, so that the speaker of the parliament promoted the ratification of ATT.
4. Members of the Transitional Federal Parliament got also copies of the ATT and pledged that they will give their vote when GLED starts to lobby the ratification of the ATT and the local constitutional rules on the arms.
16. ORGANIZATION THOSE PARTICIPATED THE PROGRAM:
GREEN leaf for democracy GLED Somalia organized the campaign but the following organization gave hand to facilitate the activities.
A. Mogadishu:
1. Somalia Football Federation SFF.
2. Ayaamaha Printing and Publishing house APPH
3. Banadir Radio
4. Benadir Youth Council BYC
B. Hodur- Bakol Region:
Center for Peace and Human rights CPHR
C. Bosaso:
Puntland Students association PSA
Talowadaag Voluntery Organization TVO
17. RECOMMENDATIONS
The coordinating team of global week of action against small arms 2005 in Somalia, after committing the activities practically and seen the need of the people in Somalia about the disarmament and reintegration. After having seen the suggestion of the people in Somalia about the need of the campaigns on small arms, after having seen the comments from the GLED boards of Directors about the possibility to run projects about the safety of the community recommend the following articles.
Somali Government to prohibit the individual or group ownership of arms and any kind of weapon and prohibit all kind of arms in the community and safety areas.
Civil society organizations to take multilateral campaigns against arms and fulfill projects relating DDR (Demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of the Militias) in the people and create them skill to manage them-selves.
International community to support the safety programs on Somalia people, to reduce the risk of small arms in Somalia.
18. CONCLUSION
GLED Somalia hopes that the Global week of action against small arms 2005 was good initiative and historical event concerning the most problems that the people have in Somalia, which existed in the past 15 years and made Somalia no mans land that no body controls.
With references to the week of actions there are mobilization programs that are relating to the safety of the people and their properties.
The campaigns that can be taken to restore the safety of the people include:
PUT THE GUN TAKE THE PEN.
SPORTS FOR PEACE.
LOBBY AND ADVOCACY FOR THE PREPARATION OF LOCAL CONSTITUTIONAL RULES ON ARMS AND RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNIZED CONVENTION ON ARMS AND ARMS TRADE TREATY.
________________________________________________________________________
Abukar Albadri
WOA 2005, Country Coordinator
Mogadishu Somalia
Tel: +2521 572300
Email: gled_som@yahoo.com
_______________________________________________________________________
Abukar Albadri
P.O.Box: 205 Mogadishu, BN03040 Somalia
Tel: 002521 271535, Mobile: 002521 572300
Email: albadri10@yahoo.com
Mogadishu - Somalia.
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