In the country of “I have been a mujahid”,
what Somaliland people need is good governance, not reiteration of ill-will and illusions that born out of politics in the days when people knew even less than what they
do know now.
One of the things wrong with today’s Somaliland politics is there is too much rehashing of old ideas spun as new. If
the way our country is run does not
serve greater goals and does not show a
roadmap for the future, our destiny will
turn into a nightmare rather than a
mission fulfilled.
As the outgrowth of staple food can be
good for making another, reiteration of
self-enrichment only breeds more
greed-driven attempts than the preceded
one. A policy based on useless routines
cannot meet a public need, solve a social problem, resolve a political cinflict and
make constructs that can be a catalyst
for transformational opportunities.
Hanad was walking proof that humans
can take not only on the look of what
they can do, but also on the look of what
they can be. He argued that our views
cannot be valid at all the time, but can be anything different, and so our attitudes
towards whatever life throws at us.
In the light of this, Hanad has vividly
observed that Somalilanders are just
playing the political game as it has been
since independence and no one is ready
to change that political course. If those
who govern are just copycats, how
seeing things in new ways will come
into Somaliland politics?
The message Hanad brings to public
forum is that Somalilanders should
not just play the political game, but
change the game, so that the goal of
the country’s political course is to
move on, improve on, and innovate
around old political practices in order
to find better practices and principles.
How Hanad will tackle that initiation
depends on how he defines the
problems his country faces, how he
gathers information, formulates
thoughts, generates new questions,
analyzes and evaluates evidences and
shares the resultant information with
the people.
The bad system Hanad hates most is
national, a matter that needs a wider effort to shake things up and hold rallies in which he could speak to the largest crowd of citizens, in order to entice, inspire and encourage them to ensure they should not do what of course causes damage to their culture. But one thing became clear to Hanad.
Hanad realized that mass mobilzation
was not possible since Somaliland
people had long been battered by bad governance and the politicians are
more often than not inclined to see the opportunities in which people disregard integrity, transparency, responsibility, accountability and even pledge.
Hanad knows that virtues can even
induce some bit of backlash and people
must pay the price. People cannot erase tragedies of the past or deny their consequences, when there is merit in
public acknowledgement of a grievous
error.
Somaliland people cannot erase from
their history the ghosts that have been
hanging over all Somaliland houses
for almost thirty years. The ghosts were
a growing threat to Somaliland country,
but there was no enough power to
exorcise them, until the ghosts finally
turned into real monsters.
Interestingly, the ghosts-turned monsters
just waited for Somaliland people to goof
up. And of course Somaliland people
goofed off, by doing less than their fair
share of work, until monsters-turned into
mujahids, who conquered Somaliland
territory.
People can heal themselves when they
are sick. Sickness is a disease that
comes from a harm that causes pain
which irritates humans. If Somaliland
people cannot protect themselves
from a threat they know it is coming
to them, they cannot protect themselves
from its consequences.
Paying the price of that particular consequences is part of what really
pushed Hanad to make a game changer: Somaliland will be history, sooner or
later, if the monsters won’t be laid to
rest. If Hanad and his likes would think
about that work, Somaliland territory
would be saved from further ruin.
To envision how he can do things
differently was not a problem for Hanad.
That was professionally the easiest part
of his research studies. How Hanad would really approach the mujahids, the kind of
bridge-building-inquiry-based conversation between him and the mujahids, was the
difficult part of his observational work.
Thinking how he would have interviews
with untamed mujahids was a question
of strategy for Hanad, because he knew
that the only means the mujahids used to defend their positions of being heroes
who deserve homage was bragging and bullying that meant to wear down one’s
best knowability until whatever one once reflected is utterly lost.
Hanad is not a sleeping hyena who has
been awakened by a thunnder. He knows
well that the mujahids will fight to the
ground even if their posts and privildges
are lawfully contended by oppenents and
that they don’t know anything other than
playing tribal card and conflict provocation.
If anything Hanad is reluctant to do, it
Is friction, any form of conflict that might
trigger an armed clash between clans.
The mujahids don’t care about even if
armed conflicts happen and all people
could die.
Paradoxically most of the mujahids in government offices are semi-illiterate
with the exception of the two elders,
who majored in tribalization. For them, tribalization is just like blood running into human body. They can’t live without it. It
is their only technique to defend their
posts and privileges.
Nearly all other mujahids have no proper background education. Very few of them could read and write Somali language. Non of them is skilfull. The only thing these mujahids are excellent at is to build a kiosk and dismantle another kiosk on the same street at the same time.
The reason they do that is that they get a bribe from the woman who owns the kiosk that they build, while the lady who owns the kiosk that they destroy refuses to pay a bribe, for she cann’t.
Watching what the mujahids lack, the
things wrong with their behavior, what
they are cynical about and what the
present situation requires, Hanad finally
figured out that every mujahid knows
how to cheat, how they can construct
their behavior in accord of their own
personal and private needs, but no one
cares about common interests.
Hanad became acquainted with some mujahids, probably Hargeisa city
councilors before having interviews
with them. He met them in qat chewing
places, areas where heated arguments
regarding with the things wrong with Somaliland government system
mostly take place between citizens.
To secure a channel through which a
two-way flow conversation could start
between him and the mujahids, Hanad
did not stop to go to Qat chewing areas,
but he continued to visit them on a daily
basis.
After becoming well acquainted with
many citizens from all walks of life and
had many low profile discussions with
most of them, Hanad came to know many things he didn’t know about Somaliland citizens, particularly those who hold
positions in the government and those
who don’t but ready to hold positions,
if indeed appointed.
The two groups always use to take
different stances in how Somaliland government system works: One group
argues that Somaliland cannot flourish
under the existing system and needs
cultural revolution, radical reformation,
a reform that should begin from under
the carpet and another group that
always sings in chorus, “In our land,
prosperity lies.”
At the time of discussion, Hanad always sided with the group that criticizes and condemns the incumbent administration’s failure to improve the system, considering this group as intellectuals and the other group as ignorants who don’t really have no idea about what societies require in this time and age.
The manner in which government
employees, those who hold political
posts in particular always behave and
argue is a way not too critical of the government’s actions and decisions.
They show the tendency to take pro-government stand and the audacity to
hold the views that there is nothing
wrong with Somaliland government
system, with the courage to state clearly
that the Somaliland government system
is the most effective and efficient
system that Somaliland may ever have.
After spending a lot of time with them, Hanand then came to know, aside from tribal prejudice, that the position a citizen stands in how every incumbent administration handles the country’s
affairs just depends on holding a post or not holding a post, or having or not having a privilege. That is, supporting the government can only be evident when the citizen holds a government position or gains a benefit through other means. Without privilege and position, most civilians never support government
actions.
Hanad was flabbergasted when he met
with many persons who changed their
minds when the incumbent administration appointed them for government positions
and others who turned into radical anti-government activits after being
discharged from government posts by the incumbent administration.
The upshot of that discussion struck that criticizing or consolidating Somaliland democracy just depends on conditions,
but not on concern and cause for good governance. And that was an awful
outcome that didn’t really match up to Hanad’s expectation, but it determined his plan to proceed anf meet the most active and influencial Hargeisa city councilors.
Hanad planed the interview in a precise
way, prepared formal questions in advance and kept them mostly relevant to interviewees’ job. He even censored the questions before meeting the city councilors, making sure no warp to occur.
Generally, Somaliland government officials don’t entertain interviews. They hate them and try to avoid as far as they could, even
if the interviewer informs them in advance. Hanad knows that certain areas of government are sensitive to interviews and Hargeisa local government is one of them.
Hanad introduced himself to some councilors he already selected them as his interviewees as one who wants to write a story about why people do what they do, which is a broad and diverse field that encompasses the study of human thought, behavior, development, personality, emotion, motivation, building blocks of social life, work ethics and many more social issues.
The councilors have never seen or heard anyone who writes a story that relates to “why humans do what they do or what motivates them to do what they do”. They thought that Hanad was a paranoid, but his story sounded to them so attractive.
“His story needs looking into,” said the councilors, looking at each other in astonishment.
It was 10:30 am when Hanad had conducted the interviewing meeting. He didn’t take the councilors by surprise, but met them prepared. The stage was already even.
“How are you today, Mr councilor?”, Hanad said.
“I am fine”, replied the councilor.
“I am pleased to meet you, Mr councilor”.
“Thank you.”
The interesting part of the interview begins when Hanad asks the councilors this question: “At what point in common good that limit your rights?”
To be continued
By : Jamafalaag
jamafalaag@gmail.com
Hargeisa, Somaliland
As per usual the opinions expressed in this articale are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of qarannews.com
