Many Muslims, Arabs, and other minority communities in Canada experienced the backlash of the September 11, 2001 events. Although these groups were discriminated against in a number of institutions, ...Muslim children in secondary schools in particular experienced different types of discrimination and violence. In order to help reduce incidents of discrimination in schools, with the help of academics at the Ontario Institute for Studies of Education (OISE), the Classroom Connections (non-for profit organization) developed a peace education program, the Cultivating Peace. Using qualitative methods, this paper examines the perceptions of teachers who used the Cultivating Peace program. Four themes emerged from the data collected for this research: flexibility, utility, relevance, and challenges. The findings reveal that educators believe the Cultivating Peace program promotes a culture of peace in Canada. Teachers find the Cultivating Peace flexible in that it fits well in the curriculum. In particular, teachers believe the program fits well in a social science and humanities curriculum. In addition, educators perceive the program is useful in teaching conflict resolution, communication, and problem-solving skills. They also find that the Cultivating Peace program is relevant to students’ lives because it teaches values that promote a culture of peace. Teachers mentioned two major challenges: lack of time and distribution problems.
Unlike many African populations, the overwhelming majority of the Somalis are part of a single, homogeneous ethnic group. All Somalis are Muslim and share the same language and culture. Nevertheless, ...one of the most terrible civil wars in Africa has been waged in this country for more than two decades. Somalia has been without a functioning central government since the late dictator General Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991. This essay examines the root causes of the Somali conflict and analyses some of the obstacles that have plagued peace efforts for the last fourteen years. Finally, it identifies peace-building strategies that could help establish durable peace in Somalia. We argue that competition for resources and power, repression by the military regime and the colonial legacy are the background causes of the conflict. Politicised clan identity, the availability of weapons and the presence of a large number of unemployed youth have exacerbated the problem. With regard to the obstacles to peace, we contend that Ethiopia's hostile policy, the absence of major power interest, lack of resources and the warlords' lack of interest in peace are the major factors that continue to haunt the Somali peace process. Finally, we propose ambitious peace-building strategies that attempt to address the key areas of security, political governance, economic development and justice in order to build a durable peace in Somalia.
Unlike many African populations, the overwhelming majority of the Somalis are part of a single, homogeneous ethnic group. All Somalis are Muslim and share the same language and culture. Nevertheless, ...one of the most terrible civil wars in Africa has been waged in this country for more than two decades. Somalia has been without a functioning central government since the late dictator General Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991. This essay examines the root causes of the Somali conflict and analyses some of the obstacles that have plagued peace efforts for the last fourteen years. Finally, it identifies peace-building strategies that could help establish durable peace in Somalia. We argue that competition for resources and power, repression by the military regime and the colonial legacy are the background causes of the conflict. Politicised clan identity, the availability of weapons and the presence of a large number of unemployed youth have exacerbated the problem. With regard to the obstacles to peace, we contend that Ethiopia's hostile policy, the absence of major power interest, lack of resources and the warlords' lack of interest in peace are the major factors that continue to haunt the Somali peace process. Finally, we propose ambitious peace-building strategies that attempt to address the key areas of security, political governance, economic development and justice in order to build a durable peace in Somalia.
Identity, in general, can be defined as a ‘self-locating device in an uncertain social world’.² Amartya Sen, in his recent book on identity and violence, argues that identity is a ‘double-edged ...sword’ and that individuals can have multiple identities.³ Sen rejects the argument that places one specific identity over other identities and he also rejects any ensuing claims that individuals helplessly act on one overarching identity. Sen contends that, albeit constraining, individuals have agency over the importance they attach to a specific identity. Although Sen warns against the idea that a singular identity overrides human agency, many scholars repeatedly put
During the Cold War, the United States supported Somalia’s military government that had led the country into its protracted civil war. After the regime was overthrown and the state collapsed, US ...interest in the country was sporadic. However, after the attacks of 11 September 2001, the Bush administration showed a keen interest in Somalia and argued that Somalia’s collapsed-state environment constitutes a security threat to the United States and its interests. This chapter examines US policy toward Somalia, with particular emphasis on US policy after 9/11. It argues that the US approach toward Somalia has often been flawed and counter-productive,
Introduction Afyare Abdi Elmi
Understanding the Somalia Conflagration,
11/2015
Book Chapter
Somalia is a small state in the Horn of Africa. While the country is extremely poor by any world standards, the Somali people, who are largely homogeneous, have a long history and rich language. ...Although a significant number of Somalis are farmers, most are considered to be nomads. With the onset of unorganized mass urbanization, however, many Somalis, farmers and nomads alike, have lost their basic livestock resources in the countryside. Somali people continue to be resilient in the face of economic poverty and civil wars that have been so much a part of their history. Many authors classify Somalis
Islam has a long history in Somalia. As some scholars argue, Islam came to Somalia through peaceful means long before it reached Medina, the first capital of Islam. It is said that some of the ...companions of the Prophet, who were fleeing persecution in Mecca, visited the city of Zaila and shared the message of Islam with the people there. As a result, Somalis are considered to be 100 per cent Sunni Muslim. Somalis also largely follow the Shafi’i school of thought, one of the four jurisprudence schools of thought in the Sunni sector of Islam. However, ‘Islamism’ is a
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