The
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980 to honour and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today". It has become widely known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' and there are now 133 Laureates from 57 countries. ____________________________________________________________
The
Right Livelihood Award 2008
ASHA HAGI - SOMALIA
Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC)
Link to Award Acceptance Speech by Asha Hagi of Somalia: http://www.rightlivelihood.org/hagi_speech.html
;)
Asha
Hagi
"...for
continuing to lead at great personal risk the female participation in the peace
and reconciliation process in her war-ravaged country."
Asha Hagi has dedicated her life to gaining a better
and more peaceful future for her war-torn country, Somalia. At great personal
risk, she has fought for women to have a voice in the decisions that affect
them. She has mobilized women in the cause of peace across clan and political
divides and continues to play a vital role in mediating across warring clans in
the on-going peace process. Women in Somalia are in a much stronger position
today because of her courage, persistence and compassion.
Career and the SSWC
Born in 1962, Asha Hagi graduated in economics from Somalia National University
and holds a Master's degree in business administration from the US
International University in Africa.
Asha Hagi co-founded in 1992, and is the current Chair of, Save Somali Women
and Children (SSWC), which works for a safe and sustainable Somalia by
supporting women to overcome marginalisation, violence and poverty in their
communities. SSWC has seven paid staff and nine volunteers. A large part of the
humanitarian funding comes directly from the Somali community around the world
as well as from international organisations and individual donors.
Representing the women of Somalia
During the Arta peace talks in 2000, Hagi founded, together with other women,
the Sixth Clan, the clan of women, to complement the traditional five Somali
Clans which are all male-dominated. This became the first time women were
represented in a peace process in Somalia. She played a similar role in the
Mbagathi Conference in Nairobi (2002-2004), which gave birth to the
Transitional Federal Government and the Transitional Federal Parliament, of
which Hagi became a member.
In both cases the participation of women in these conferences played a crucial
role in their success: Not only did the women represent a broader interest of
the Somali citizens, compared to the often very narrow political positions of
the men. They were also able to do 'shuttle diplomacy' between the antagonistic
factions of the traditional five clans.
Among the women's achievements through the idea of the Sixth Clan are:
- taking women to the high negotiation table with their
own identity (Sixth Clan) and as equal partners in decision making,
- a 12% quota for women representation in the
Transitional Federal Parliament,
- introduction of fair gender formatting (he / she) in
the charter language,
- the creation of a Ministry for Gender and Family Affairs,
and
- a decree by the Prime Minister of the Transitional
Federal Government of Somalia ensuring a 30% quota for women in the
district and regional councils, in national commissions, local committees
and conferences.
The recent development in Somalia and Hagi's role in the peace process
Late in 2006, events in Somalia took a dramatic turn for the worse. There were
two factions in the Transitional Federal Government, which had contrary views
relating to peace dialogue or military action involving the Ethiopians. In
November 2006, while a group, including Hagi, favouring the former was
negotiating with the Islamic Courts Union, which effectively ruled Mogadishu
and much of Somalia, the latter was inviting in the Ethiopian army. The
Ethiopians took Mogadishu at the end of December, with the deaths of around
1,000 people and widespread destruction of the city. By April 2007, more than
350,000 people had fled the city.
The current situation effectively prevents Hagi, who has spoken out against
this development on the global media, from returning to Mogadishu, so that she
is now based in Nairobi. However, her organisation SSWC is seeking to give
relief in Mogadishu to those who remained, distributing food and hygiene kits
to women and children.
Since May 2008, Asha Hagi's focus is on the UN sponsored peace dialogue between
the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance Re-liberation of Somalia
in Djibouti, where she is a member of the High Level Political Committee in the
Djibouti Peace and Reconciliation Talks.
In the peace talks, Hagi represents a balanced position between the different
political interests. However, she does not give way on her most important
principle: the need for reconciliation and an inclusive, non-violent political
process. Her role requires a lot of courage and is putting her in considerable
danger, even outside Somalia.
Further activities
Asha Hagi is a core group member of the Leaders Project, established in 2002,
that has brought together more than 300 women leaders from around the world.
She is also a member of the Pan-African Parliament in Johannesburg. She is a
member of the 21 Peace Commissioners from Africa of the Inter-Faith Action for
Peace in Africa (IFAPA), and a Board Member of the Africa Peace Forum (APF) and
the International Resource Group on Security and Small Arms in the Horn of
Africa Region.
Honours
Asha Hagi has received a number of awards for her human rights and
peace-building work. In 2001, she was made an 'Ambassador for Peace' by the
Interreligious and International Federation For World Peace. In 2005, she
received the Blue Ribbon Peace Award from the Women Leadership Board of the
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and the first award
of 'Women of Substance' by the African Women Development Fund. In 2006, she
received the 'Tombouctou / Women Peacemaking Award' from Femmes Africa
Solidarité.
Quotation:
"Asha
Hagi has been working tirelessly to help restore peace and stability to her
homeland. She has put all her energy into this exercise. I would like to
recognise her important role which also sends the key message that Somalis can
truly help their country best by working to end the killing rather than having
blood on their hands."
Ahmedou
Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General for Somalia,
Jury member of the Right Livelihood Award