On 11 October 2010, at the Puntland Library & Resource Center, Somali Family Services assembled Puntland’s stakeholders to promote peacebuilding and strengthen dialogue between government, civil society and the wider community. The forum was the first of several three-day training workshops that form part of the project DEMOS (Democratic Engagement and Management for Somalia), which is funded by the United Nations Development Programme.

Members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Puntland’s government, along with various members of civil society–including businesspeople, elders, religious leaders, youth, neighborhood committee chairs and media representatives–all attended the forum. In addition, a special women’s delegation from South Central Somalia, led by well-known women’s rights activist Asha Omar Geesdiir, briefed forum participants on the current situation in Mogadishu, emphasizing the need for close cooperation between all sectors of civil society.

Speeches were also given by Puntland’s Speaker of the House, Abdirashid Hirsi, and Garowe Mayor Abdiasis Nur Ilmi. The public officials highlighted two major obstacles that continue to plague Puntland’s citizens, including the threat of plastic waste and continued insecurity. Forum participants discussed factors contributing to the ongoing situation of insecurity, including weak police capacity and inadequate law enforcement, exploring ways to address such problems.