LPI Somalia Programme 2020 - 2023

The longstanding collaboration with Life&Peace Institute (LPI) has delivered relevant results in the area of operation. This is clear from both reporting, an evaluation and on-site visits. The programme has focused on addressing persistent or recurring local-level clan conflicts in South-Central Somalia. The primary ambition has been to influence collective behaviours to address the conflicts and also to facilitate agreements between conflicting parties in order to achieve sustainable peace. LPI has gather results through traditional follow up and through Outcome Harvesting methods. Others have been verified through an external evaluation. Below are some of the main results summarised per outcome area: Outcome 1: Conflict stakeholders at the community level use structured, nonviolent and collaborative ways of addressing conflict issues, thereby creating preconditions for peaceful coexistence LPI conducted a total of 17 inter-clan and 11 intra-clan dialogues in Jowhar, Mataban, Kismayo, Balambale, Guriel and Dusamareb during the programme period. According to the final report, these dialogues resulted in peace agreements, which in turn led to demobilisation of clan militias, improved diya payment practices and resource sharing arrangements, particularly over water points and grazing land. The report specifically brings up that there has been a "notable improvement" in upholding and honoring peace agreements. The inter- and intra-clan dialogues were complemented by a number of other interventions during the programme implementation, for example: - Creation of 17 intersectional peacebuilding platforms for the support of community peace efforts. - 45 peacebuilding initiatives - e.g. awareness raising activities, support to peace agreement implementation. - A trauma healing and psychosocial support forum (integrated with the established sustained dialogue groups). - 13 crisis interventions, including facilitating the release of hijacked items and humanitarian support benefitting 4,175 households during the drought. - 8 outreach activities for rural youth to increase community engagment for peacebuilding. - 27 advocacy meetings and town hall meetings for community cohesion and peace. However, the report states that despite these arrangements there have been incidents of violence, but practices of nonviolent conflict resolution are more frequently used. Overall, there has been a reduction in tensions and killings. Other results reported are: - Enhanced inter-community trust - Better inter-community relations - Increased peace advocacy - Increased movement of goods and people - Long-term engagement and relationship-building A quote from the evaluation underpins these results: "The Herale District Security Chief reported that residents in the town are now collecting water from the same well and feel safe travelling on roads between different clan areas due to the improved relations built by the programme. In Guriel elders and youth (men and women) respondents reported that their relationship with their neighbouring community to the north had improved and that this has increased business and trade between the two communities." The results also include a number of trainings on issues like strategic thinking, advocacy and negotiating skills conducted by LPI and partners. The programme has established a number of so called Sustained Dialogue initiatives, mainly for youth, in Baidoa, Jowhar and Abudwak. These structures have also managed to de-escalate conflicts. LPI has reported on how these structures have managed to e.g. facilitate return of stolen camels and release of two kidnapped individuals and two vehicles among other things. One platform also managed to successfully address political tensions between conflicting groups and managed to make the political administration appoint a new district commissioner, which led to restored stability in the town Mataban. Outcome 2: Increased inclusion and participation of women, youth, and other marginalised groups in peacebuilding processes. During the programme period, LPI and partners have engaged a total of 540 youth (270 female and 270 male) as part of Sustained Dialogue initiatives in Baidoa, Jowhar and Abudwak. Through interactive dialogues in town hall meetings and other spaces, opportunities were created for women and youth to "showcased their skills and commitment to peacebuilding". As a result of this, the council of elders in Abudwak allowed 12 youth members (6 women and 6 men) to participate in their weekly meetings and in intra- and inter-clan dialogues. This approach paved the way for political careers, even as far as participants being elected mayors and members of parliament. Other results that shows that the model has had an impact beyond the individual level. Women and youth are to a greater extent involved in political and peace dialogues in the programme areas and new structures have been established without the involvement of the programme. This was confirmed by the evaluation of the programme. And in a survey 70 % of the participants in Sustained Dialogue platforms reported a hightened sense of agency. Outcome 3: Local authorities proactively support peacebuilding processes. LPI has reported that local authorities have supported peacebuilding activities. It is not always clear exactly what roles LPI and their partners have had in these activities, even if LPIs reports indicate that the authorities have collaborated with peace platforms and describe how LPI has engaged with local authorities, line ministries and leaders of the Federal Member States to inform about the peace platforms, sustained dialogue initiatives and other activities. According to LPI, the interventions have led to involvement in creation of new district administrations and mediation activities which has laid the foundations for sustainable peace and governance structures. Outcome 4: Policy Actors' actions create a more conducive environment for peace. Within this outcome, LPI and partners has lobbied for increased engagement between local authorities and civil society organisations in peace and political processes, for increased inclusion of women and youth in peacebuilding and state formation processes and coordination of civil society organisations in the Somali National Reconciliation Framework. Research reports have been produced and policy knowledge shared. Evaluation findings The evaluation was in general positive to LPIs work. Below is a summary of the evaluation findings: The programme was found to be relevant in Somalias complex and dynamic conflict system. It is delivering interventions that are well suited to achieve its objectives in the local context and is meeting community peace and security needs. However, in some areas, socio-economic needs may have hampered peacebuilding gains, raising the need to adopt a Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) triple nexus approach. Overall, the programme made considerable progress towards its intended outcomes, with considerable evidence that target communities are cooperating to manage and reduce conflict, women and youth are participating more, and that local authorities are more engaged. The programme has supported clans to engage in dialogue, reach agreements, and implement those agreements through the support of intra- and inter-clan peace committees. Women and youth, through their own committees, have been highly active, often catalysing dialogue processes which have stopped violence from escalating. Local authorities have become increasingly engaged in community-led efforts, often buttressing, and helping to legitimise and enforce agreements. The programme had a positive impact in target locations, changing attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours towards non-violent conflict management and peaceful co-existence. The programme has contributed to reducing intra and inter-clan violence and increasing security in target communities; increased participation and self-confidence among women and youth; peaceful interactions and coexistence between groups; and improved community perceptions of and interactions with local authorities. The evaluation found evidence that elders were increasingly seeing the importance of women and youth participation in local peacebuilding. However, it also found that despite progress, women and youth still face immense social and cultural barriers to be able to influence dialogues and negotiations meaningfully. Most community leaders and programme participants believe the peace agreements and peace platforms will endure without external support. A key reason given is the improved skills of key community leaders and members, with community leaders and programme participants reporting that they and members of their communities have the skills and experience required to keep the platforms operating. However, several programme participants expressed that the peace agreements and platforms will end without support as community members lack the financial means to undertake activities and attend meetings. Overall, the programme was delivered on schedule and within the agreed project budgets as LPI followed important good practices, including Good working relationship with the donor; Effective delivery chain, with strong local partners and a community-led approach; Flexible and adaptive approach; and Effective communication with programme participants.

The LPI Multi-Level Conflict Transformation initiative aims at contributing to a stable and peaceful Somalia by supporting inclusive reconciliation processes that address local grievances and root causes of conflict. South Central Somalia continues to face substantial obstacles in the nations quest for peace and stability. The targeted conflict systems are not only hotspots of historic and recurrent violent clan-based conflict but have also been negatively impacted by top-down state-building processes and contribute to instability in South Central Somalia. In this light, LPIs programming will focus on addressing persistent or recurring local-level clan conflicts. LPIs partnership with wellconnected and experienced civil society partners will seek to create space for dialogue, negotiation and, ultimately, agreements as well as new collective behaviour to address clan-based, local level conflicts that receive little or no attention in the global and regional policy narratives, yet nevertheless are intricately connected to these other layers. LPIs three organizational strategic priorities include civil society support and inclusive engagement for peace, policy engagement and awareness-raising, and knowledge and learning to enhance practice, will function as an overarching framework for programming. The programme will build upon results achieved under the previous phase of the programme implemented between 2017 to 2019. The overall objective of the programme is to: contribute to a stable and peaceful Somalia by supporting inclusive reconciliation processes that address local grievances and root causes of conflict. LPI proposes to allocate funding for Phase 2 for the next four years from 2020 - 2023 according to 4 outcome areas: Outcome 1: Local conflict actors collaborate and nonviolently on conflict Outcome 2: Strengthening meaningful inclusion and participation in peacebuilding Outcome 3: Local authorities as peacebuilding supporters Outcome 4: Policy actors actions to create a more conducive environment for peace