Opening Remarks to the NPGM '06

Abdi Yussuf Duale (Boobe), APD Programme Coordinator

The Vice-President of Somaliland Republic Mr. Ahmed Yussuf Yassin, representatives from the three branches of government: the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary, leaders of the three political parties, other dignitaries and all the participants, we welcome you to the National Project Group meeting.

In November 2004 we had a similar National Project Group Meeting, during which the Vice-President was present, in which we presented four short reports and documentary films on four different research themes or topics. In that meeting, the participants after two days deliberation, with the exception of the Constitutional Reform, selected the following three themes as entry points for further in-depth research:

• The Parliamentary Election
  
• Decentralisation
  
• Resource Based Conflicts

Today, we are going to present to you the products of the two year research on these themes, which are three reports and six documentary films: three in English and three in Somali. The Academy for Peace Development (APD) was conducting this participatory research through the project "Dialogue for Peace", which was funded by our international partner WSP International, now known as Interpeace. You can also see at the back of these three publications the other contributors to our work.

Mr. Vice-President, we would like to present you the reports and the three documentary films in Somali.

In the course of the two years we were conducting the research we travelled throughout the country from Borome to Ceerigaabo, because our research is participatory and requires public participation. We have worked and consulted the government, which included the President, Ministers, and the Parliament, the leaders of the three political parties, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), civil society, traditional elders, business community, religious groups, media, and all other segments of the Somaliland society: Pastoralists, farming and fishing communities. These documents and films contain their views, analysis and way forward on these pressing issues. So, in this meeting, which will last today and tomorrow, we expect you as the participants to give us your recommendations on the future engagement of the Academy over the coming two years. For that, we will divide you into four working groups to identify the areas in which the Academy can do further in-depth research.

Finally, speaking on behalf of the Academy, I am thanking all the participants and those who helped in organising this event.

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