Somali Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy
(SIDD)

In 1991, two Somalis of different clans, Ahmed Hussen Egal and Hassan Mohamud, who were refugees in Sweden, became reconciled as a result of their encounter with Initiatives of Change (IofC).

In this new spirit, at IofC's international conference centre at Caux, Switzerland in 1993, Egal and other Somali participants drew up a list of potential peace-makers from different clans. Thanks to the support of the Swedish Nordic Africa Institute and IofC, nine of them met in January 1994, and committed themselves to work for a long term process of reconciliation and forgiveness. They included General Abukar Liban, Dr Yusuf Omar Al-Azhari, Osman Jama Ali, Omar Osman and Mrs Anab Hassan. During subsequent years some of them kept in touch with each other and gradually created a network of senior Somalis committed to national reconciliation.

One of them, Osman Jama Ali, after serving for three years as Deputy Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government (2000-2003), decided that he wanted to give the rest of his life to reconcile Somalis and their neighbours and to end clannism. Basing in London, he began to meet regularly with Dr Ahmed Sharif Abbas, Chairman of the UK United Somali Benadir Council and a former Director General of Preventive Medicine in Somalia, and Abdi Afrah Gure, founder member and Secretary of the Harrow Association of Somali organisations in West London (the first umbrella group of its kind in the UK).

Early in 2005, they invited a number of senior Somalis, former government ministers, civil servants and journalists, representing all the clans, to a workshop on 'The future of Somalia - Building trust and confidence'. In fact they met three times, and a broad consensus was achieved on the causes of the collapse of the Somali state, the reasons for the failure of successive peace conferences, and the priorities for the future. A decision was taken to create an organisation to carry forward the recommendations, which became known as Somali Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy (SIDD).

Ten of the participants were selected for a programme of training in Conflict Transformation, Dialogue and Reconciliation in the context of a conference. 'A world in crisis - learning from one another how to be peace-makers, 13 - 19 August 2005, at the IofC International Conference Centre at Caux, Switzerland. They were joined by a delegation of six nominated by Hon. Ali Mohamed Ghedi, Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, and three participants from the Somali Diaspora communities in Sweden and Switzerland.

One significant development was a conversation that developed between prominent figures who had been supporters of the United Somali Congress (USC) and leaders of the Benadiri people. This led to an apology being offered by the former, which was accepted by the latter.

Dr Cornelio Sommaruga, Eng. Osman Jama Ali, HE Mohamed Sahnoun

We are honoured that Dr. Cornelio Sommaruga, former president of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of IofC-International, and Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun, a distinguished international diplomat, until recently UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on the Horn of Africa and immediate past-President of IofC-International, both accepted to be international patrons of SIDD. Both gentlemen have earned the respect and affection of Somalis for their efforts during the dark days of 1992-3.

At the first meeting of trustees on 28th November 2006, it was agreed that the two principal objectives would be the 'reconciliation and integration of Somali Refugees' in the UK and elsewhere, and 'enabling skilled Somalis in the Diaspora to return to Somalia and contribute to national reconstruction (in collaboration with other organizations)’.

Osman Jama Ali (Chairman)
Former government minister, Deputy Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government of Somalia 2000-2003, Presidential Candidate 2004

Sir Jim Lester
Former Conservative Member of Parliament and longtime member of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Dr Ahmed Sharif Abbas (Secretary)
Former Director General of Preventive Health in Somalia; Deputy Minister of Health, Transitional National Government of Somalia; Chairman, UK United Benadir Council

Abdi Afrah Gure (Treasurer)
Secretary and founder member of the Harrow Association of Somali Voluntary Organisations

Zahra Ali Hassan
Community development worker

Peter Riddell BA, ARCM
Convenor of Initiatives of Change's Agenda for Reconciliation team

Falastin Yassin BA
Coordinator of Brent Refugee Forum

INTERNATIONAL PATRONS

HE Mohamed Sahnoun
Distinguished international diplomat and former UN Special Representative to Somalia, former President of Initiatives of Change-International

Dr Cornelio Sommaruga
Former President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, former President of Initiatives of Change-International

Registered address: 382 Craven Park Road,
London N15 6AG
Registered charity no. 1116372

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