Transition Initiatives for Stabilization Quarterly Report April - June, 2013

To ensure lasting stabilization, TIS promotes Somali-ownership and aims to build confidence between government institutions and citizens by improving public services. The program is implemented by Development Alternatives Inc (DAI) in Somaliland, Puntland, along the Somali border, and in central Somalia. As of June 2013, TIS-DAI implemented a total of 205 grants valued at $14,264,758, with 38 completed, 27 closed, and 121 cleared/ongoing. Key activities included engaging 161,601 Somalis in peace and reconciliation activities, creating 161 local employment opportunities, awarding 17 construction contracts to local companies, and facilitating 7 community consensus building processes. These processes resulted in the design of 16 peace dividends worth $1.2 million. TIS facilitated five stabilization planning sessions to identify stabilization projects, two stakeholder consultation meetings to identify alternative stabilization projects, six anti-piracy awareness raising workshops to reduce the appeal of piracy among youth, and supported social integration by organizing exposure visits among communities in Somaliland. The program also facilitated five planning sessions for districts in the Galgaduud region, bringing together over 67 participants from a wide cross-section of society, including representatives from the Somali Federal Government, local administration, youth, women, religious leaders, elders, minority groups, and the private sector. The planning sessions gave communities the opportunity to discuss the main drivers of conflict and instability in their area and collectively prioritize strategic quick-impact projects that could help transform conflict and contribute to peace and stability. The weeklong planning sessions culminated in the design of 16 peace dividend projects worth $1.2 million. TIS also facilitated two consensus building meetings in Xafuun and Eyl in Puntland, resulting in the substitution of earlier unfeasible projects with more feasible ones. Anti-piracy activities reached 300 youth, with six community-led anti-piracy sensitization workshops held to help youth resist piracy. The Mayor of Jariban described piracy as misfortune disguised as fortune, while a community elder stated that piracy has damaged the social fabric and moral values of society. A 16-year-old youth cited peer pressure as a reason for joining piracy, highlighting the need for community-led sensitization sessions to prevent youth from engaging in piracy. The TIS program has made significant progress in promoting peace and stability in Somalia, with a total of 204 activities implemented for $14,233,151.37. The program's focus on community-led initiatives and social integration has helped to build confidence between government institutions and citizens, while its anti-piracy efforts have reached 300 youth and helped to reduce the appeal of piracy among young people.