Calling all bright, experienced or creative brains of SOL!

[OdaySomali]

250m USD - stabilisation and development fund

 

 

I need some input and ideas from SOL's creative, innovatitive, experienced, opinionated and intelligent people.

 

If say (hypothetically of course ) you were on a committee of a 'Somali Stabilisation and Development Fund' and had to decide how to invest 250m USD in projects and initiatives intended to set in motion a momentum towards political stabilisation, economic development and job creation, what sort of projects would you invest in?

 

How would you influence the regional governments, elders and the local community and get their support?

 

How would you encourage economic development, job creation and at the same time create new income streams for the fund wich could be re-invested?

 

How would you encourage political stability, accountability and good governance?

 

How would you reform, to make more effective and strengthen, the education, health and justice sectors and establish sustainable sources of funding for them?

 

Because 250m USD is a small amount of money in the larger picture and because your funds are finite, how would you seek to maximise the return on your investment and to maintain the sustainability and viability of the fund? Clearly, if you spend the entire fund on 2 power stations or 2 roads - which are investments from which you would not see an immediate return - you would limit your ability to have a large impact by implementing a variety of projects and the fund would not be viable in the short term.

[Abu-Salman]

I guess I'm not that bright but there would be no need to reinvent the wheel for the most crucial and productive priorities do not necessarily cost much or can even save money: averting land speculation, urban planning and public parks or open spaces, basic litteracy campaign and encouraging public reading or libraries (there is some local precedent in the latter area and Somalis are fond of learning or teaching on a volunteer basis).

 

For the limited yet significant cash to go further, spending on civil service training (patriotic and competent core elite would be crucial to public service efficiency) would need to be prioritised alongside health prevention, hygiene and sanitation (hand washing, child and maternal nutrition ect) which will litterally transform the prospects of future generations.

By then, the health or HDI indicators, for what those numbers are worth, would have shifted very much (already done in minimal resources settings such as India Kerala ect).

 

The linked sector of water & irrigation is another natural priorities and schemes (some excellent public-private cooperation done in African countries could be used as templates to be adapted to local conditions): appropriate technology irrigation to boost farming, aquifers mapping, regulation, villagers training and public clean water points (keys to health indicators).

The other bulk of the cash should go to strenghten the training of healthcare workers in partnership with private providers as well as construction skills (key to inflation prevention and long-term recovery).

 

An interesting and very promising way to boost rural incomes equitably is local honey, at a high premium everywhere and ideally suited to local conditions (well established in Yemen, requiring minimal individual investment) and of course conservation to protect the ecology and prevent deforestation (often done alongside each other).

 

Then, maybe some remaining scraps could be used to bring down power generation costs and encouraging sustainable fishing.

 

But then again, a well-trained public service minded core elite would be key to all that;

standing up against elite greed or land speculation and prioritising equality through health prevention, urban planning and parks, litteracy and rural/low-income sectors would be even more vital than anything else...

 

 

 

PS: I don't subscribe to communism albeit world admired Cuba and other places succeeded in providing very high quality public healthcare or education at low cost to their masses but basic human needs and the less powerful should always remain the priorities or what really matters.

[Tallaabo]

Apophis;981955 wrote:

I'm probably not one of the people you're seeking "input" from, but I'd do the following: build a huge army, crush all rebellious opposition and quickly bring the civil war to a nasty end. After that, the country will be ready to be moulded into a peaceful place (for 20 yrs or so; there's nothing permanent after all).

$250 million is not enough for such a task. For a military takeover of the country you need to have the deepest pockets and pay the highest salaries to your fighters to keep their loyalty. Your private army must be at least 30,000 strong to have any meaningful presence on the ground and must also be better equipped than its rivals. Ideally such an army must be highly mobile and so helicopters would be essential. To quickly neutralise all opposition comrade general Apophis, you need to build mega prisons into which all those captured in the battlefield and all the other political opponents would disappear until they are safe for release. After the war is won, you need to win the peace and that also requires $$$. So all in all you need at least $20 billion to turn Somalia into your own private kingdom.

[Mad_Mullah]

Apophis;981955 wrote:

I'm probably not one of the people you're seeking "input" from, but I'd do the following: build a huge army, crush all rebellious opposition and quickly bring the civil war to a nasty end. After that, the country will be ready to be moulded into a peaceful place (for 20 yrs or so; there's nothing permanent after all).

Rebellious opposition would be Baydhabo/Jubbaland and even in the long run Puntland and Somaliland. -- NEXT!

[SomaliPhilosopher]

Apophis;981977 wrote:

You know nothing about war. Keep quiet.

+1000. Lol @ Tallaabo

[QansaxMeygaag]

Oday, why not start with a log frame? It is at the heart of project management...

 

We can all help you....

 

What's the overall Goal,

 

break that down into purpose statements

 

then objectives

 

then see what activities the money can do....

[Nin-Yaaban]

What i would do is, i would call all the elders/siyaasidiin/and others and tell 'em to draw up a list of everything they need. Anything from building schools, paving roads, setting up libraries, buying essentially needed goods, etc. After that is done, a bidding process is going to be opened up, and the job/contract would go to the company that can do it the cheapest. I would also look into bringing skilled Chinese workers to do some of the projects if the locals can't do it.

 

That's how i would do it.

[Alpha Blondy]

another mashruuc to create dependency.

[Hawdian]

If I was Madaxweyne

I would 1: recognize Somaliand Why because they have left the Somali Union One needs as president to make hard choices .And Its not like they going very far they just around the corner. I would make sure to establish good relationship with them as brother country.

2. Moved the Capital to Garowe, Puntland Why to make peace between The D and 'H and To Established the Gov in that peacefully part of the country, and gradually moved the stabilization south all the way to Kismayo.

3. As President I would Fully Ask All the Somalis to Forgive Each other If Jewish people and Germans can forgive eacthother why Cant a people who are the same. I would also Make sure That all the Haanti taking is returned to its rightfull owners.

 

4. I would try to get the best minds from the Diaspora and Employ not On basis of Ina Habel but on Merit.

5. I would Use the Puntland troops and A five year plan on the established of the National Army and Also make end date for Amisom.

6. I would Make Good Relationship with neighboring Countries and try to make them understand that a peacefully and Economic viable Horn region is in their interest as much as ours.

7. I would send All living Somali criminals to the International Hague so they can stand on trail for their crimes committed on this nation and its people.

 

:cool:

 

8. I would stop smiling all the time why because it just looks childish.

 

9. If you need more ideas come to the SMPC blog.

 

10. I would tax the somali community in qurbaxa.

11. I would Open a Int. Tv . Channel that only Plays Nationalstic Songs 24/7 . Why Because its a tried and tested method to make people proud of nothing.

[Tillamook]

I'd stash all that money in a secret Swiss account and smile like Culosow every time I'm asked about it..

[YoniZ]

Hawdian;982098 wrote:

3. As President I would Fully Ask All the Somalis to Forgive Each other If Jewish people and Germans can forgive eacthother why Cant a people who are the same.

The above should be the verbatim case for the SL aspiration.

[OdaySomali]

Alpha Blondy;982045 wrote:

another mashruuc to create dependency.

Why would you say that? To the contrary; this is a Somali led and owned initiative which aims to create self sufficiency rather than dependency.

[OdaySomali]

Abu-Salman;981958 wrote:

I guess I'm not that bright but there would be no need to reinvent the wheel for the most crucial and productive priorities do not necessarily cost much or can even save money: averting land speculation, urban planning and public parks or open spaces, basic litteracy campaign and encouraging public reading or libraries (there is some local precedent in the latter area and Somalis are fond of learning or teaching on a volunteer basis).

 

For the limited yet significant cash to go further, spending on civil service training (patriotic and competent core elite would be crucial to public service efficiency) would need to be prioritised alongside health prevention, hygiene and sanitation (hand washing, child and maternal nutrition ect) which will litterally transform the prospects of future generations.

By then, the health or HDI indicators, for what those numbers are worth, would have shifted very much (already done in minimal resources settings such as India Kerala ect).o

 

The linked sector of water & irrigation is another natural priorities and schemes (some excellent public-private cooperation done in African countries could be used as templates to be adapted to local conditions): appropriate technology irrigation to boost farming, aquifers mapping, regulation, villagers training and public clean water points (keys to health indicators).

The other bulk of the cash should go to strenghten the training of healthcare workers in partnership with private providers as well as construction skills (key to inflation prevention and long-term recovery).

 

An interesting and very promising way to boost rural incomes equitably is local honey, at a high premium everywhere and ideally suited to local conditions (well established in Yemen, requiring minimal individual investment) and of course conservation to protect the ecology and prevent deforestation (often done alongside each other).

 

Then, maybe some remaining scraps could be used to bring down power generation costs and encouraging sustainable fishing.

 

But then again, a well-trained public service minded core elite would be key to all that;

standing up against elite greed or land speculation and prioritising equality through health prevention, urban planning and parks, litteracy and rural/low-income sectors would be even more vital than anything else...

 

 

 

PS: I don't subscribe to communism albeit world admired Cuba and other places succeeded in providing very high quality public healthcare or education at low cost to their masses but basic human needs and the less powerful should always remain the priorities or what really matters.

Thanks Abu Salman, I do have a few questions.

 

1. How would you avert land speculation?

 

2. How would training a civil service make the money go further? We are not seeking to play or replace government or directly provide public services per se. What do you think about investing the in reproductive assets i.e. assets from which a financial return is made?

 

3. In reference to water resource management, could you provide some examples/links of Public Private partnerships? This sounds very interesting.

[Blessed]

Horta $250 milka yaa bixinaya? Ma rabo in aan sidii kuwii riwayada lacag aan jirin dadka isu qabsano

[OdaySomali]

QansaxMeygaag;982010 wrote:

Oday, why not start with a log frame? It is at the heart of project management...

 

We can all help you....

 

What's the overall Goal,

 

break that down into purpose statements

 

then objectives

 

then see what activities the money can do....

Overall goal: to improve the wellbing of and the economic opportunities available to Somalis.

 

- improved food & water security

 

- improved health care facilities accessible and affordable to all

 

- improved education and training, accessible to all, which is relevant and practicaly applicable in industry

 

- improved economic opportunities through job creation and support of small business. To alleviate the major constraints to economic development e.g. lack of power generation, beaurocratic bottlenecks, ports.

 

- political stability and accountability. Good governace, efficiency and effectiveness.

 

- to support the domestic capabilities (through universities and other inatitutions) of research and policy formulation and to link encourage co-operation between universities and public sector/industry.

 

 

 

So, Qansax Meygaag what activities/projects/initiatives would you suggest?