[liberationtech] Advice for Somali NGOs?

[Steven Clift]

I just spent three hours with a number of amazing people involved with NGOs
active in Somali. Their bases of operations are here in Nairobi, Kenya where
I have been for the last week.

Much of what I speak about in terms of democracy building and civic
engagement simply doesn't apply in such a setting when it comes to identity,
basic assumptions about access to technology, your life being at risk, etc.
(We have are active in Minneapolis with the large Somali community and
public participation online - http://e-democracy.org/inclusion - so diaspora
online engagement is a greater fit.)

I was a guest of the US Embassy in Kenya and my other events were geared
toward the Kenyan context which has the freest press in East Africa and an
increasingly (mobile) connected population. Read up on Facebook Zero,
text-only version of Facebook available for free on some mobile carriers.
Wow.

So, I'd like to pass on your "starter 101" tips, links, and suggestions on
how these NGOs, media outlets (two radio stations that broadcast in
Mogadishu from the transitional government zone were there) , and others
might use the Internet/social media/mobile to make things better on the
ground in Somali while being safer to Embassy staff who liaison with the 30
folks who attend the session today.

So again, thinking "101" please share some text/links I can pass along. (I
highlight MobileActive.org big time, mentioned GlobalVoicesOnline.org
orally, suggested invited only use of online groups like this one for behind
the scenes communication ... but are their solutions for e-mail list like
tools where the loss of a laptop with past messages to wrong people doesn't
threaten people's lives months after a once quite exchange, etc.)

I was very cautious to say much of what I presented simply did not apply in
their situation and they were clear to say for all sorts of reasons they
can't and won't put their real name on things online in certain places, but
that via Facebook, YouTube, etc. youth with mobiles and some income were
taking risks to upload videos after bomb blasts, report on the number dead,
etc. There is also an opening to do more in Somaliland and Puntaland were
the security situation is better and a version of M-Pesa (mobile money in
Kenya ... Zaad is one version) is taking off in Somalia.



Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072
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