Qormadii 3, aad. Managing Failure on the Road to Success • Section on Strategic Planning for Social Leadership A requisite component of the proposed bottom-up approach to nation building is a basic social inter-connectedness between the different clans that, until now have been mutually estranged. This brings us to another radical proposal; the formation of: The House of Honor. This house will host the most respected, accepted, and recognized clan elders of all the traditional resident groups of the state. They are the Islans, Garads, Ugases, Boqors, and Suldans, etc. of the highest stature. This house will not be involved in government or legislative work. Its role is to connect with the public and construct a sense of citizenship and solidarity among the people. The importance of including the clan leaderships in the social discourse cannot be ignored. Much of the civil strife that has enveloped Somalia is not about land, economy, ideology or religion but, rather, the shocking inability of the various clans and their leaders to comprehend the very idea of nationhood. There is a failure across the board by the clans to realize that their basic challenges and struggles are mutual among all Somalis; no one group lives in a vacuum and their fates are intertwined. With no two clans being able to identify a mutual concern the same way, the result is utter chaos, mistrust and war. The members of the House of Honor, if chosen wisely, would be at the forefront of a grassroots effort to unite the purpose of the various clans and forge a collective conscience. This house will hold regular meetings to discuss social issues with the explicit aim of unifying their responses. The idea is to impress upon the various clans that their needs and concerns are mutual and the solutions can only be obtained together as a nation. At the end of these meetings, they will recommend actions to improve inter-clan relations and social cohesion both to the public and the government. They will assess the government’s direction on social issues and produce a statement of approval or disapproval. None of their statements or recommendations, however, will be legally binding on the government. Rather, these publications are meant to call the state’s attention to some issues that might not have been adequately dealt with. The government should consult with this house about matters pertaining to reconciliation and inter-clan harmony. Besides regularly meeting with their own clans, the House members will be required to go on regular, collective tours-each time to a different community- to preach unity and brotherhood among the clans. On these tours they would also promote the rule of law and other government initiatives. At the end of their meeting, they would read a prayer asking Allah’s forgiveness and protection for the leaders and the public. Seeing the elders of previously warring clans walking hand in hand, campaigning together for mutual issues, will have a radical impact and constitute a paradigm shift in the social discourse in Puntland. The creation of this house will give the government more legitimacy. It will also give the people a refuge: a place to call home whether they live within the physical boundaries of the state or as far as Gedo and the lower Juba. It will make the status of the genuine clan leaders clearer and more definable too. There will certainly be other good leaders, who will remain respected even if they are not permanent members of The House of Honor. Following a unanimous vote in the House, these good leaders can be called to the house and be consulted, with the final word belonging to the selective group of fifteen to twenty members that make up the House of Honor. The House of Honor should be able to hold emergency meetings as many times as needed. The state leader or the state legislators may request them to do so, or they may initiate it by themselves. All the expenses of their meetings would be covered by the state. The government would give monthly salaries to the permanent members of the House and provide them with residence in the Capital city in order to display unity. When they are in the capital, they should be accorded with security entourage if necessary. Donations from the native clans of the state would be used to build a unique and historic structure where the House members can congregate. Each member should have his seat and desk decorated, named, and titled. The state should assign a professional meeting planner for them, because keeping appearances matter does matter in their duties. The place should symbolize the unity and harmony that it sponsors. Aside from their ceremonial role, this House may rightfully be called upon by the government, following a positive vote in Parliament, to render their judgment on a given social issue to break an impasse in the legislature. In this case the House’s ruling will be legally binding on the government and any legislative opposition to it will be deemed null and void. In consultation with the House of Honor, the government should ordain one or two rural chiefs for every county. These chiefs cannot come from the existing tribal leaders as they have no legitimacy. They should be appointed on a geographical, rather than clan basis. They will represent fresh change and accountability. Their job is to help the counties communicate with the rural communities better. The rural chiefs should be seen as an important pillar of the county level administrations. They would be paid well and be required to attend all the significant county meetings. These chiefs will play a tremendous role in connecting the government to the pastoral communities. Functions of the rural chief are primarily social. They are individuals with a nomadic background which gives them a thorough understanding of the geography of their county as well as the migratory patterns of its inhabitants. The rural chief would constantly be in touch with countryside inhabitants, particularly the nomads in order to keep the county administration in step with.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 01:23:01 +0000
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