Salado Mohamed is a prominent negotiator in Puntland, Somalia, a deeply patriarchal society where women’s literacy is half that of men’s and their presence can rarely be found in the public arena. Through a process of community dialogue and advocacy, Salado is instrumental in re-establishing measures of peace in Puntland, the semi-autonomous northeastern zone of Somalia.
When the central government of Somalia collapsed in 1991, chaos ensued, resulting in much violence and destruction. Families were left vulnerable to roaming clan militias. Looking back, Salado comments, “The militias were so notorious and inept, fighting everyone, raping women and taking away properties in the name of defending Puntland. We were outraged by these activities and so we went into the regions and districts throughout Puntland, meeting with elders and local community leaders, trying to convince them that unless the rule of law is respected and a government with representative institutions is agreed upon, Puntland will never experience long-term stability and progress.”
Salado heads the conflict resolution department at the We Are Women Activists (WAWA) Network [10], a women’s umbrella organization in Puntland and IREX partner, established in 2000. WAWA advocates on behalf of women, provides skills trainings, and overall support to its members from over 46 women civil society organizations across Puntland. WAWA’s vision is to enhance women’s empowerment and increase their participation in decision-making.
Through IREX’s Uniting Communities to Mitigate Conflict (UCMC) [11] program, WAWA members, including Salado, are integrating media into peace promotion activities in order to increase the reach of their advocacy. Moreover, they hold series of community conversations, bringing community members together to consider peaceful approaches to clan-related conflict.
Salado utilizes these new skills by identifying media messages and tailoring them for promoting dialogue and peace. For example, in addition to organizing a meeting for government officials and conflicting clan members to peacefully resolve land disputes, Salado also invites media houses to report out the outcomes to the larger community.
When asked about the progress of her conflict mitigating efforts, Salado describes, “much was achieved (by WAWA and others).” “However,” she continues, “conflicts and disagreements still arise and we remain ready to work for peace.”
UCMC is funded by USAID and administered by IREX.