- July 10, 2024
- Posted by: Muctar Hersi
- Category:
In Garowe, from September 21st to 23rd, 2023, the Puntland Development and Research Center (PDRC) hosted its first annual Peace Learning Conference, a distinguished gathering leveraging over three decades of expertise in Somali peacebuilding. This significant event aimed to foster vibrant discussions, facilitate the exchange of profound ideas, and share invaluable experiences. Its primary objective was to invigorate locally driven methods for conflict resolution and peacebuilding championed by enthusiastic stakeholders, practitioners, and community leaders. This summit provided a unique opportunity to establish vital networks among unsung community heroes and fervent peace-building advocates while serving as a platform for the voices, hardships, and sacrifices that have remained unheard of for decades. The Peace Learning Conference, spanning three impactful days, aimed to recognize and bolster ongoing efforts toward peacebuilding and reconciliation within Somali communities. Its core objectives included facilitating dialogue and sharing strategies to resolve internal conflicts, conducting scholarly analyses to offer evidence-based solutions to underlying issues, highlighting the stories and practices of peace practitioners, and reinforcing community peace structures through exchanging experiences and establishing supportive mechanisms. Through these initiatives, the conference sought to amplify the voices and efforts of those working towards harmony and understanding within Somali society. The conference convened approximately 200 participants, comprising academics, researchers, dedicated actors, supporters, and seasoned peacebuilding practitioners. The conference was organized under the overarching theme of “Building Communal Peace and Reconciliation in Somalia.” This document consolidates seven (7) compelling Policy Briefs Series, carefully chosen from a pool of 17 submissions and presented during the conference. Independent researchers were responsible for writing the papers. They shed light on their experiences and offer illuminating lessons from the dynamic field of peacebuilding in Somalia.