STORY: Somali women rally for peace at a two-day forum

in the capital Mogadishu

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI/NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE:28/NOVEMBER,MOGADISHU SOMALIA

SHOT LIST
1. Wide shot, women mingling outside Royal Palace Hotel
2. Med shot, men playing drums
3. Wide shot, women entering the meeting venue
4. Wide shot, women singing and dancing outside the venue
5. Med shot, women singing and clapping
6. Med shot, women singing
7. Wide shot, women dancing to the music
8. Close up shot, woman singing
9. Med shot, women singing on the podium
10. Wide shot, lady talking on the podium
11. Close up shot, lady listening
12. Med shot, Osman Adan Dhubow, the Federal Deputy Minister of Religious
Affairs at the function
13. Wide shot, Osman Adan Dhubow, the Federal Deputy Minister of Religious
Affairs and other guests at the function
14. Med shot, group of women listening
15. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) OSMAN ADAN DHUBOW, FEDERAL DEPUTY
MINISTER OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
“It is our God given right to resist what divides us. It is imperative that as
women, you hold up to values that build, instead of values that destroy”.

16. Wide shot, group of women applauding

17. Med shot, women following proceedings during the forum
18. Med shot, women following proceedings during the forum
19. Wide shot, women listening during the forum
20. Med shot, women dancing to music
21. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) MS. FARTUN ABDISALAM ADAN, THE DIRECTOR OF
ELMAN PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION
“Women really want to have peace; but to have reconciliation, is also very
important. As women, when it comes to reconciliation, we are not in there.
We might just talk but we are never involved. This is certainly a new
beginning for Somali women to really be part of the reconciliation and to
actually have peace in Somalia”
 22. Wide shot, women singing and dancing
23. Med shot, women singing and dancing
24. Med shot, women watching
25. Med shot, women singing and dancing
26. Wide shot, women singing on stage
27. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) MS. BATULA SHEIKH AHMED GABALLE, THE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE SOMALI NATIONAL WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION
“The objective of this forum is to come up with a strategy to prevent and
stop those spreading and harboring extremist ideologies; to conduct
awareness campaigns, hold consultations and meetings and clearly show that
Somali women are no longer spectators and occupying the backbench in
peace initiatives. Our efforts would not be possible without the unrelenting
support of the UN”.

28. Med shot, woman performing on stage

29. Close up shot, a man following the proceedings
30. Wide shot, group of women dancing and singing
31. Med shot, group of women dancing and singing
32. Med shot, women looking on
33. Wide shot, group of women dancing and singing

Somali women rally for peace at a two-day forum in the capital Mogadishu

Mogadishu, 29 November 2018 - Hundreds of women from across Somalia gathered

on the Somali capital Mogadishu on 28-29 November to reaffirm their position and
recommit themselves for peace, reconciliation and prevention of violent extremism.

The mood at the two-day Women’s Peace Forum was electric with peace songs and
dancing taking centre stage, as participants from Galmudug, Puntland, South West,
Jubbaland and HirShabelle states and Benadir region deliberated on ways of
advancing peace efforts, reconciliation and defeating extremist elements in the
country.

“It is our God given right to resist what divides us. It is imperative that as women,
you hold up to values that build, instead of values that destroy,” Osman Adan
Dhubow, the Federal Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs asserted, during the official
opening of the forum on Wednesday.

Participants at the Forum discussed ways of preventing and countering violent

extremism, women’s role in it, and strategies that would enhance women’s
participation in peace, security and reconciliation efforts.

The Forum is a culmination of the country-wide consultations undertaken between

July and November to determine ways and strategies to enhance women’s role in
peace, reconciliation and the prevention of violent extremism consistent with the
national PCVE strategy and national reconciliation framework.
“Women really want to have peace; and to have reconciliation is also very
important. As women, when it comes to reconciliation, we are not in there,”
remarked Fartun Abdisalam Adan, the Director of Elman Peace and Human Rights
Foundation.

She underscored the importance of women taking a front seat in reconciliation

efforts. “When it comes to reconciliation, women might just talk, but we are never
involved. This is certainly a new beginning for Somali women to really be part of the
reconciliation and to actually have peace in Somalia,” Ms. Fartun noted.

Batula Sheikh Ahmed Gaballe, the Chairperson of the Somali National Women’s
Organization, delivered a keynote speech at the forum, where she underscored the
important role women play in the prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts.

“The objective of this forum is to come up with a strategy to prevent and stop those
spreading and harboring extremist ideologies; to conduct awareness campaigns,
hold consultations and meetings and clearly show that Somali women are no longer
spectators and occupying the backbench in peace initiatives,” she stated.

The consultations and the peace fora have been women’s initiative led by Somali
National Women’s Organization with involvement and active engagement of women
peace activists and advocates from across the country.

At the closing ceremony of the Forum on Thursday, The Deputy Special

Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia and Resident and
Humanitarian Coordinator Peter de Clercq emphasized on the vital role of Somali
women in securing and maintaining sustained peace in Somalia. He stressed
however, that their role in making peace often goes unrecognized.

“Somali women play a key role in supporting their families and communities and
keeping the society together during conflict. However, women are often excluded
from the formal peace processes; their role in peacebuilding, as peace-makers and
agents of change is not fully recognized, hence the importance of this Forum as a
step towards ensuring women have a place at the table,” he stated.

He also reiterated that the United Nations will continue to support initiatives of
women to materialize the commitments and decisions of this Forum.

The Forum is supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the United Nations.

“Our efforts would not be possible without the continuing support of the UN,” said
Ms. Batula.

In 2000, the United Nations recognized the vital role that women can play in peace
and security with the UN Security Council’s adoption of Security Council resolution
1325, which reaffirmed the important role of women in the prevention and
resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping,
humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction.

END