Mogadishu (Alshahid)-Alshahid Centre for Research and Media Studies Tuesday concluded in the Somali Capital of Mogadishu a symposium titled: Taking advantage of international attention to Somalia’s recent famine to find solution to the country’s problem.

The two day symposium opened at the conference hall of Safari hotel with the participation of politicians, intellectuals and prominent figures from the Somali community.

The Alshahid Director General Mohamed Amin Al-Hadi talked about the Center’s history since its establishment in early 2009.

Mr Al-Hadi elaborated Alshahid’s objectives, saying that the Center is working towards resolve the current problems in Somalia by holding symposiums, seminars and workshops to enable the Somali intellectuals express their views. He added that the Center seeks to make the Somalia future better than its past.

On his part, Dr Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali (Dodishe), Alshahid’s Regional Director, explained that the Center is interested in conducting Symposiums to gather information from the Somali intellectuals to correct previous mistakes in various fields. He added that the Center is a meeting point for Somali intellectuals.

The Center Mogadishu office head, Abdirahman Tuuryare, said that Alshahid continues to put more effort in getting solution to the Somalia’s long existing problems.

The following is the final statement issued from the symposium.

Based on the objectives of Alshahid Centre for Research and Media Studies especially on conducting of research, studies and hold symposiums on topics of interest to public affairs and affect the future of the Somali people politically, socially and economically, the Center held a two day (16^th  and 17^th  July 2012) symposium entitled: Taking advantage of international attention to Somalia’s recent famine to find solution to the country’s problem, to clarify details of interest to international efforts and examine the opportunities that can benefit solving the roots of the Somali crisis. The symposium participants ranged from politicians, intellectuals to officials of international agencies operating in Somalia.

The participants discussed 4 papers presented in the symposium and they were:

Types of international attention to the famine in Somalia by Dr Mahad Mohamed Hassan

The relationship between famine and instability and the need to stabilize Somalia by Mr Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir

Ways to take advantage of international attention to solve the Somali problem by Mr Abdulkadir Mohamed Osman

New actors attracted by the famine to the Somali delivered by Mr Abdirahman Tuuryare

Recommendations

• Developing a strategic plan to take advantage of international attention and the formation of a committee or a specialized body to coordinate with the Somali government that provides advice in dealing with countries interested in Somali affairs.
• Studying and understanding the reasons and motives of interest in each country, the kind of attention, and directing their attention to the root cause of the problem rather than symptoms.
• Categorizing of countries interested in collaborating with Somalia, especially new actors who are attracted by the famine in Somalia, in regard to their interests in Somalia.
• Educating the Somali population to have positive perception about individuals and groups so as to facilitate the process of taking advantage of international attention to Somalia.
• Working towards finding a true partner able to deal positively with the countries that rushed to the rescue of Somalia so that it can make its needs thoughtfully take into account.
• Comparing between the long-term plans and short-term plans. That is receiving international attention and aid to the Somali famine, or solving the country’s problem.
• Putting effort in solving the basic problem rather than creating more problems for the Somali community through the provision of inappropriate solutions.
• Focusing on the importance of having a government in control of the whole country, because it is only such government which can be capable of solving problems in cooperation with its people.
• There must be a psychological or intellectual study on the Somali society because of the war and chaos that engulfed the country in the past two decades.
• Proper administration has a unique role in ending the Somali problem, while its absence leads to failure in taking advantage of international attention to the country.
• Local media should play well its role by portraying to the world not only the negative side of Somalia, but also the positive things happening in the country.
• Coordinating between civil society organizations and government institutions as well as international organizations on receiving international aid for Somalia and issues of interest to the region.
• Giving attention to the hidden objectives of humanitarian actors that come to assistance and there must be  the government and civil institutions to distinguish between evil and good things that may meet at the same time under the banner of international attention to the issue of Somali.