About MoveOnSomalia Coalition

MoveOnSomalia Coalition is grass roots Somali organization with membership inside the country and also in the Diaspora. It is a coalition of workers, intellectuals, women’s groups, religious leaders, students, writers, poets and artists. MoveOnSomalia Coalition, as the name suggests is committed to moving Somalia from the present state of anarchy, lawlessness and instability towards peace, stability and economic and social development so that it takes its rightful place among the community of nations. Towards that goal, MoveOnSomalia Coalition will engage in a grass roots campaign anchored around the following core values and principles:

1. Ongoing commitment for the territorial integrity and unity ofthe Somali nation.

MoveOnSomalia Coalition is committed to the sanctity of the territorial integrity and unity of the Somali nation and is of the opinion that all the stumbling blocks on the road to peace and stability can be dealt within the framework of a national conversation in a united state. Our position is the same as the position of the African Union whose founding objectives which are still valid were “ inter alia, to rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.” It is also the position of the all the important international and regional forums and organizations such as IGAD, League Of Arab Nations, The EU and the United nations etc. Indeed, UN Security Council Resolution SC/9221 dated as recently as December 19, 2007 clearly and unambiguously states “ The Security Council reaffirms its respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of somalia.”

2 . Ongoing support for the Federal Transitional Government.

MoveOnSomalia Coalition supports this nascent institution as it is the only choice left for Somalia. We will support it for the simple reason that it is a conscious choice between a glimmer of hope and a total chaos and anarchy, considering that since the onset of the civil war, all of our fundamental institutions collapsed; institutions such as the central government, regional institutions, municipal institutions, health,education, legal and commercial institutions. The TFG represents an institutional memory bank that can be built upon for a future reconstitution of the Somali state, not to mention all other contingent institutions thereof. This does not mean that our support will Benin-critical blind support; where necessary, we will offer constructive criticism on such issues as human rights and governance issues.

3 . Ongoing support for The National Reconciliation Congress.

MoveOnSomalia Coalition supports the ongoing reconciliation conference because it is the first broad based reconciliation conference inside Somali soil since all previous conferences were held outside the country, and also because a significant number of traditional elders from a broad spectrum of the Somali community is attending it. If there is any hope of any genuine reconciliation after 17 years of conflict and bloodshed, it is these elders who have the moral authority to sign on to the dotted line of any lasting reconciliation document.

4. Human Rights and Transparent governance structures.

MoveOnSomalia Coalition is of the opinion that the root causes of the Somali conflict stem from repeated violations of the human rights of the Somali citizens who today do not enjoy even the most basic right of all rights, The right To Life since most Somali lives are at risk of being snuffed out at whim by those strong enough to carry a gun. As such, it is our organization’s opinion that any lasting peace agreement and reconciliation should come with an added price tag, a sturdy commitment to human rights by all levels of governments and institutions. We shall work to campaign for the standardization of all Somali laws to acceptable levels of international jurisdiction, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5. Democratization, Political Parties and Free Elections.

MoveOnSomalia Coalition will campaign for and encourage the democratization process of Somalia, including the formation of political parties, not based on clan or ethnicity but on values anchored on political, social and economic platforms. Ideally, these political parties ought to have broad based support in all regions of Somalia for them to be registered as legitimate and legal parties, and they must forswear and undertake that they will not be narrow and sectarian parties that do not appeal to the emotive powers of religion or Ethnicity towards that goal, Move On Somalia Coalition will organize capacity building seminars and workshops on party organizing, civic education etc, and will also hold periodic public forums on civic participation. Additionally, the organization will liaise with international democratization institutions for advice and logistical support for the Somalia democratization process.