CONSULTATION MEETING AMONG WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS & WOMEN GROUPS OF BAY REGION

The Center for Research & Dialogue has been undertaking peacebuilding, conflict resolution and reconciliation activities among the communities of south central regions of Somalia in the latest years for post-conflict recovery objectives and to develop peace sustainability among neighboring inhabitants, in order to share resources as water and cattle grassing peacefully, as well farmers to farm in wisdom.

Strengthening women in peace building and encouraging them to have full participation in these community peace perspectives is part of those on going peace activities. CRD held consultation workshops on peace building at the south central regions of Somalia for women Organizations and groups in connection of follow up workshops for sustainability of women's understanding towards the experiences and skills they acquainted from those workshops into practical peace adjustment for community benefits. The follow-up workshops demonstrated well the importance of linkages and work relations among women organizations/groups from district to regional level by means of working committees form. Although such activities started at interregional stage, it would convince linkages and work relations among women organizations to share peace building and reconciliations in the neighboring regions.

Bay region was the first place held follow-up workshops, so in order to monitor and assure how the linkages and the agreed work commonalities by women organization was implemented, CRD research team had consulted with women organizations in Baidoa. The outcome of these discussions showed, women structured groups and women organizations in Baidoa district have linked and collaborated well. They shared peace activities undertakings. In reference of CRD's capacity building processes, they held peace-building workshops for a suitable number of young women, who lately distributed to the villages of the district to spread peace building, networking, conflict resolutions and reconciliation skills to the women of villages to share peace-building activities, with women organizations, the aim was also to agitate and capacitate women villagers consciousness's towards peace achievements. Also Women In Baidoa held a ground for reconciliation to settle and mediate disputes between Digil and Mirifle. Discussions succeeded to nominate 5 committees and each committee was included one woman to show women's priority and their participation. All such peace achievements are testifying how women organizations and women structured groups benefited CRD's efforts on strengthening the role of women in peace building & reconciliations.

CRD research team from consulting women in Baidoa about the follow-up context came across the importance of broadening follow up working committees down to district level, as women organizations and groups in the meeting expressed, in order to reach a full inter regional women linkages.

Therefore, a two day meeting consultation was held in Baidoa and was participated by members representing the 5 districts of the region. The agenda was to review the follow-up activities and to re-improve the committee on district level to have linkages and work collaboration among all districts of the region. The meeting was concluded in success with the following out comes:

•  A six member of working committee consisting of all district women organization members was democratically elected.

•  Code of conduct of the working committee was developed

•  Common activities were developed, as:

•  To struggle to share and cooperate how road blocks could be removed.

•  To cooperate to convince free lancers to put the gun and take the pen

•  To search both local and international institutions to assist demobilization program.

•  To have relations and cooperation with different social divisions, as women, scholars, traditional leaders, intellectuals and other important persons for the achievement of the above said program.

•  Women in the districts of the region to have cross visit and so on.

The meeting was concluded in a good atmosphere with mutual understanding. Participants promised that they would bring and discuss those meeting outcomes with their district counselors, traditional leaders, youths, district intellectuals, etc. Ms. Dahabo Haji Hassan said “We see very crucial to have linkages from district to regional level, and we would bring back to our locations what we have benefited from this meeting organized by CRD and we hope such meetings and follow-up capacity building CRD to offer us repeatedly, until we become mature of the subject”.

The meeting was concluded by Farah Abdi Hassan, CRD Regional Director Office of lower and middle jubas in comprise of Gedo regions on behalf of Youssuf moalim amiin, CRD regional director of Bay/Bakool regions, who was busy on that time. Mr. Farah, forced women organizations of Bay Region to strengthen their linkages and work relations. He also emphasized, when they return to their districts to implement practically the advantages and the skills and experiences they shared. He highlighted that CRD always would be with them.