Governance, Peace and Security (GPS)

As CoDHNet, we support peacebuilding initiatives, promote good governance, and foster community resilience. Our GPS programs focus on reducing conflict, promoting gender equality, and supporting local governance systems.

CoDHNet directly works with and involves the local community in peacebuilding, conflict mitigation, early warning responses, peace forums, reconciliation, intra and inter community dialogue, healing and justice. The shared border areas of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, also known as the Mandera Triangle, have experienced armed conflict, violent crime, extremist attacks, political instability and state failure for years.

The aim is to promote the knowledge skills and attitudes that will help people either to prevent the occurrence of conflict, resolve conflicts peacefully, or create social conditions conducive to peace and also to reduce pressures generated by resource-based and Political and inter clan-based conflicts in Somalia. The main purpose is to strengthen conflict-management systems and build the capacity of regional and national institutions to stem conflict by using through systemic solutions that address root causes of cross-border conflict.

Core values of nonviolence and social justice are central to peace education in Somalia. Nonviolence is manifested through values such as respect for human rights, freedom and trust. Social justice is realized by principles of equality, responsibility, and solidarity.

CoDHNet works with various community groups, traditional peacemakers and governmental agencies to transform social conflicts into opportunities for peaceful change. CoDHNet work in Somalia is fostering justice as well as peace and reconciliation among historically divided groups, improving people’s security and quality of life both within the country and in neighboring countries.

CoDHNet provides practical support to help people affected by violent conflict achieve lasting peace. We encourage inventive and collaborative programming that strengthens peacebuilding practice. We draw on our shared experiences to influence policies and improve peace-building practice in Somalia and it’s cross-boarder neighbouring countries through tested participatory best practices that not only aim at resolving conflicts but also supporting sustained peace among previously warring communities. CoDHNet has undertaken peace forums in Mogadishu and Gedo, South Central regions of Somalia and North Eastern Kenya (Somali inhabited area) and has established strategic links with like-minded organisations.

CoDHNet organises peace week festivals to celebrate signing of community accords, doing inter and intra dialogues among communities among other initiatives. Peace projects and forums aims to contribute to creating conditions for durable peace and secure livelihoods among communities and strengthen cross border linkages between the communities.

Promotion of good governance and advocacy.

Participation in governance/democratization processes, access to justice, civic and voter education processes, fostering social/cultural change, human rights education. The main focus here is the full participation of women, children, agro pastoralists, youth in all mainstream community activities vulnerable and marginalized people so that the voiceless can be heard.

CoDHNet Peace building methodologies.

Our peacebuilding methodologies based on four pillars are: –

Assessments and conflict analysis: before, during and after our time of intervention, informing the design of our projects, providing information and insight, aiding all who are helping to transform conflict. CoDHNet has significant experience using applied research, assessments and learning to inform adaptive programming.
Conflict prevention and peacebuilding: We have developed tailored approaches to implementing cross-border peacebuilding programs, including training and mobilizing networks of change agents to monitor and mitigate conflict tensions and design community-level messaging campaigns to mitigate violence. We recognize that women and youth are critical stakeholders who meaningfully advance conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities, and we prioritize their engagement and leadership in formal and informal community structures.
Facilitating dialogue: We support cross-border intergovernmental meetings where stakeholders develop joint action points to manage the conflict and mitigate its consequences. between groups affected by conflict, building trust and confidence, creating a shared vision for the future and laying foundations for the restoration of peace. We facilitate interest-based negotiations where communities in conflict can address land and resource-based disputes.

Building resilience, Environment, natural resources and climate security beyond our time of intervention, by equipping local people with skills needed for peacebuilding, giving a voice to people who aren’t normally heard (including women and youths), communicating and advocating recommendations from dialogue processes to policy makers, and sharing our lessons learned with others.

Soccer tournament.

We cultivate innovation by accelerating and integrating new concepts and approaches to peace and security. Our programming engages local government agencies, women, religious leaders, security forces and people vulnerable to engaging in conflict and violence. We push the boundaries of traditional peacebuilding, and pioneer new connections across sectors in related fields. Across our work, we build strong links with key stakeholders in the policy, academic, media, arts, business, government and non-governmental circles. CoDHNet provides an opportunity of a soccer tournament for young boys and girls to realize and enhance their sporting and cultural talents, using it as a tool for community mobilization and awareness of health, education, peace and nonviolence. Starting in 2015, the tournament has attracted teams of different age groups and from different gender, political and religious backgrounds. It has gained a highly accepted status in the community, becoming an annual event with community teams participating every year.

Women and youth empowerment development.

CoDHNet aims to develop the leadership skills of women, youth at risk and children to access education and life skills, enabling them to become ambassadors and agents of change in their communities.

Our theories of change.

Our theories of change, developed for each project are built around the premise that informed dialogue between influential people on different sides of conflict:-