2009 annual report

Somalia

Brothers Relief and Development Organization (BRADO)*
$37,720
To assist minority farming communities to advocate for their rights and enhance coordination between communities. BRADO will conduct five field trips to 30 villages to sensitize them about democracy, decision-making processes in modern political structures, and the value of associations. BRADO will establish six associations to represent farmers from the villages, conduct four civic education and organization building workshops, two forums with local officials, and develop association by-laws.

Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDHR)
$38,520
To strengthen civil society to play a more effective role in democracy and peace building in Somalia. CDHR will hold five three-day workshops in Mogadishu for judiciary, police, local councils, community activists and civil society on conflict management, negotiation, human rights and sustaining democratic institutions. These topics will revolve around a central theme of conflict sensitive development.

Dr. Ismail Juma’le Human Rights Organization (DIJHRO)
$53,500
To advocate for effective law enforcement institutions, enhance law enforcement personnel’s respect for human rights and the rule of law, and investigate, document, monitor, and advocate against human rights violations, DIJHRO will conduct four human rights workshops, four forums, two radio talk shows and a public symposium. It will continue to investigate, document, and monitor human rights violations, produce IEC materials, and will hold four events commemorating various international human rights days.

Gashan Human Rights Organization (GAHRO)
$31,030
To protect girls in Gal-Mudug state from female genital mutilation (FGM) and establish committees that work to abolish FGM, GAHRO will conduct four three-day workshops for 120 participants to review factors that perpetuate FGM and develop strategies to combat FGM. Each workshop will produce a committee comprised of members from local government, traditional leadership and community based organizations and will promote the adoption of anti-FGM legislation at the state and national levels.

Kaalo Relief and Development Organization
$53,500
To promote public input to the Puntland constitution in preparation for the 2010 public referendum and enhance the capacity of journalists to understand and present complex issues, Kaalo will conduct five radio panel presentations and discussions per month for four months at three radio stations in Puntland. Kaalo will also deliver intensive training for 20 journalists through a one-year training course at Puntland State University.

Mudug Peace and Human Development Organization (MPHDO)
$38,500
To enhance human rights knowledge among journalists, law enforcement, and the public in south Galkayo. MPHDO will conduct four workshops to educate the media, police, and prison guards about the rights of prisoners, role of the media in human rights protection, and journalism ethics. MPHDO will broadcast daily peace and human rights messages through Voice of Mudug to sensitize the public on peace and human rights and encourage dialogue between north and south Galkayo.

National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
$61,695
To strengthen professional solidarity among journalists, define basic principles of the profession, and increase media focus on violations of human rights and press freedoms. NUSOJ will hold 11 workshops, a national convention on ethical journalism, and monitor, investigate and report on violations of press freedoms. NUSOJ will build solidarity through debates and trainings with media professionals that will enhance their capacity to provide the objective, independent and credible information essential for building a democratic society.

Radio Banadir Broadcasting*
$41,078
To improve the connection between civil society organizations, district officials and individual leaders and enhance their effectiveness. Radio Banadir will conduct a series of recurring seminars, radio programs and discussion groups that provide opportunities for these stakeholders to learn new strategies for effective interaction and coordination of activities.

Radio Daljir
$41,000
To enhance the skills of women reporters at the Daljir Women’s Desk (DWD) to develop radio programs and to link them to civil society leaders. The DWD will hold ten community meetings in five towns, provide legal counsel to women in crisis, develop radio dramatizations on gender issues and conduct on-air interviews with local politicians. They will also conduct one advocacy campaign to discourage underage marriage and another to promote equal partnership in marriage based on the Qu’ran and modern legal codes.

Radio Garowe
$33,408
To enhance the capacity of Radio Garowe staff and develop Radio Garowe into a leading media organization in Puntland, Radio Garowe will install a new audio work station, produce a weekly program, the “Community Talk Bar,” and conduct intensive internal training for staff on radio programming development, process management, and technical skills with equipment. Radio Garowe will continue to maintain and improve the quality of its online content.

Sharmarke Peace Foundation
$20,900
To promote professional journalism and expand the role of media in advocating for peace. Sharmarke Peace Foundation will conduct four three-day workshops for 30 different journalists and media professionals at each workshop. They will look at how the Djibouti peace process has been covered in the media, ways to identify key actors in the process and how to construct stories and interviews that provide a varied and balanced current and historical perspective of the process.

Somali Association for Rehabilitation and Development (SARD)
$29,000
To educate and organize individuals and organizations about human rights and the impact they can have on reducing the climate of impunity and enhancing democracy. SARD will extend its activities to seven new villages in Afgoye and Awdhegle districts and conduct seven one-day workshops on international human rights instruments, the Somali social contract, Heer, techniques in documenting human rights violations, and how human rights advocacy promotes democracy.

Somali Family Services (SFS)
$36,427
To build relationships between stakeholders crucial to the democratic process and establish Neighborhood Colleges to forge strong government-citizen relations, SFS will deliver three civic engagement workshops to civil society, government, and religious leaders to educate and mobilize them as advocates for democratic processes. SFS will also establish Neighborhood College centers where parliamentarians, government officials and citizens can engage one another to explain their various roles and needs.

Somali Peace Line (SPL)
$44,040
To promote public awareness of democracy and the electoral procedures of the Coalition Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. SPL will hold a series of four, five-day workshops with 30 participants. Each workshop will focus on democracy, elections and electoral procedure. SPL will also organize four debates and prepare eight radio programs for broadcast that include excerpts from the debates as well as material from the workshops.

Somali Women Journalist Association (SOWJA)
$28,130
To enhance the organizing capacity of women entrepreneurs and journalists and assess the impact of NGOs in south-central Somalia. SOWJA will conduct two workshops for women journalists to improve their professional skills; two trainings for 30 women entrepreneurs on management, recordkeeping, and negotiation; and one workshop for professional women on strategies for forming professional organizations and networks. SOWJA will also conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of local NGOs in the region.

Tanaad Relief and Development Organization (TARDO)*
$24,860
To enhance the capacity of local administrations in Gal-Mudug state and promote a culture of transparency and accountability. TARDO will conduct four trainings for government officials and leaders in civil society that build the capacity of the administrators to manage daily affairs and deliver services that build public confidence. TARDO will develop ‘charters of service delivery’ that identify and guide service goals and activities for the local administrations.

Voice of Democracy Radio (VOD)
$45,757
To create a media environment in which information flow strengthens democracy by enabling more informed citizen participation. VOD will conduct a wide range of activities to open space for democracy in Somalia, including a public symposium and action theater event, four workshops, two forums, three radio talk shows and an ongoing episodic radio drama taken directly from the action theater production.

Women Association for Relief and Development Actions (WARDA)*
$24,990
To revive the Birimigoydo code of conduct used during conflict in Somali society. WARDA will conduct three two-day workshops for journalists, civil society, traditional leaders and youth about this traditional mechanism and ways to make it operational. WARDA will produce five different radio announcements about Birimigoydo and air each one six times on radio stations in Mogadishu.

Yamayska Foundation*
$37,000
To enhance the capacity of the peace committee and strengthen peace in the Mudug region of Somalia. Yamayska will conduct a one day workshop for the committee, four workshops for 35 participants comprised of the committee, local officials and CSOs, and produce five Youth Journals and six radio programs. Yamayska will facilitate eight committee meetings to ensure that it pursues steps to bring north and south Galkayo closer together.

* Indicates Department of State funding beyond NED's annual appropriation