Somaliland: Study of Youth and Propensity towards Violence

Mercy Corps published in November 2016 the results of a recent study in Somaliland titled "Critical Choices: Assessing the Effects of Education and Civic Engagement on Somali Youths' Propensity towards Violence."

The study sponsored by USAID and conducted at 60 schools in Somaliland concluded that giving youth the ability to participate in civic engagement activities alongside formal education fulfilled a common desire to do something positive, meaningful and impactful. Addressing this need is one way to steer youth away from a path towards violence. What matters to youth is not just having an opportunity to learn, but also being able to use their capabilities to achieve their ambitions and shape their future and the trajectories of their communities and nation.

The Political and Civic Engagement of Somali Women

The Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies published in April 2015 a study titled "The Political and Civic Engagement of Somali Women."

It concluded that Somali women engage in a wide spectrum of civic and political activities ranging from holding political office to performing community-based activism and taking care of extended relatives.  Given that the Somali region is undergoing rapid social and political transformation, Somali women's contributions are crucial to development, healing, and peace building at all levels of society.