Software first or hardware

Hardware first or software; by: Prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

It seems to me we are putting the cart before the horse when it comes to re- building the nation which is the main challenge we are facing after state has completely collapsed. The task of setting up a nation  tends to be much more difficult than ever before as there are currently  a lot of impediments and deterrents both local and international that did not exist , for example,  in 1960 when first state  had to be built after independence. Globalization, social media, divergent ideologies, larger population, more politicized citizens with higher tribal awareness, less nationalistic and more skeptical—being exposed to brutal deceits--- will render almost impossible to re-create a nation state at this point in time.

Hardware being raising funds,  building roads, government headquarters, schools, hospitals and equipping them, software is creating values, ethics, moral responsibility,  discipline, setting policies, rules and regulations and complying to them in voluntary or with least effort. Having being said that, I hope we can now easily answer the question as to which one we should start doing first, though both of them are essential for building a nation. Software first… seems to be the correct answer--if you see what I mean.

The second question we need to answer is which one do you think is harder to accomplish. Some people may think that hardware stuff is harder because it needs a lot of money and financial resources that we don’t have. The reality, though, is that software part is far more difficult because it requires knowledge with wisdom, special education with orientation, expertise with maturity and leadership by example, not by rhetoric and hollow promises which people are tired of.

The irony is that we-- be government officials or Somaliland citizens-- are very much concerned and interested in doing hardware first. We may think that the major obstacle we are having is lack of adequate money to accomplish the hardware things. In contrast, our major obstacle is getting to know or realizing that what is more important to do first is giving special education and orientation-- as we said earlier-- by devoted, honest, lead by example pioneers with the objective to create the values and ethics that are required to produce hard working honest elite. The second thing is to discipline them. Discipline, Discipline and  Discipline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The third thing is to establish public institutions by setting policies and regulation for both within and public at large. This is the software we need to do first; not the other way round by beginning with hardware activities and trying to provide public services by public institutions that are neither established nor equipped with disciplined staff and objective oriented policies in the first place. Trying to do so is like putting the cart before the horse. Let me shorten the article into this Somali statement: Dadka ha la galiyo lacagta iyagaa dhisi doona gidaarada.

Prof. Abdi Ali Jama

Abdirrahman99@hotmail.co

Profabdiali.blogspot.com

Bless or curse legacy.

Bless or curse legacy; by: prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

The introduction of Somali language script in 1972 was remarkable milestone that Somali people long aspired for.  Siad Barre is said to have launched it. However, the biggest mistake he had done was introducing it so early into Education and government administration that did inordinately more harm than good.  This more than offset any credibility that Siad Barre could have been given in this account like he failed in all other fronts.

 Literacy campaign for spreading Somali language script launched by the Revolutionary government in 1970s was correct step to enable masses both rural and urban write and read their own language so that they would be good citizens. However, the biggest blunder was rendering it medium of instruction in schools while there is no Somali library as well as adopting it as sole official language in government administration.

In my opinion, Somali language should had been confined to masses so that they can read news papers in Somali script, be able to write and read mails from and to relatives, friends and government authorities. Literacy also helps people cast their votes properly in democratic elections.

As for Education, feeble minded Siad Barre single-handedly ordered to use Somali language as medium of instruction in schools. Due to this, quality of education plummeted to unprecedented level. However,  It is a bless to give Somali students the opportunity  to learn  with their own mother tongue; but that needs  planning  and introducing it gradually so that it would not compromise quality of education. You cannot do that while you know that the Somali library is void of reference books and other resources in virtually every field of knowledge unless you are irresponsible and ignorant as Siad Barre.

I, myself, as survivor of this calamity, remember that as a student back in my school days, we had one and only one hastily prepared Somali edition for each subject. I still feel the agony of how much we were deprived of taking advantage of a very big library in my secondary school that was full of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Math books but all in English. With out exaggeration, I can say we were literally blindfolded and deafened by that brutal, ignorant dictator.

In my opinion,  it was great error committed against successive generations to Somalize education curriculum before preparing adequate material resources for Somali students so that quality of education would not be traded off to an extent that bless would turn into curse!!!

The same way, introducing of Somali language into government offices lowered efficiency of government administration, especially when Siad Barre favored compliance over competency which eroded the admin capacity of government authority. Uneducated loyal (Kacaan), but now can write and read Somali, were promoted to positions that they do not qualify for.  In other words, It happened that educated people were replaced by graduates of Somali language campaign literacy and thereby state failure had begun.

The best strategy, in my view, could have been to use Somali language scripts for mails that government usually sends to citizens. But other administrative paper work should not had been Somalized so early.

As for now, education in Somaliland is actually in English medium apart from some Arabic schools. This is a good step for reversing the process. English is widely used in government offices along with official Somali language.  This is right direction but we have not to go to the other extreme by ignoring Somali language. We have to allocate resources along with Somali speaking authorities in the region to develop scientific and admin terms as we go over time.

Do we really want to end tribalism!!!!!!!

Do we really want to end tribalism?!!!; by: Prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

Somali speaking people are always complaining about tribalism and everybody would seemingly like to end it. But still tribalism thrives and gets stronger and more pervasive than it should be. What is wrong? Is tribalism a monster that cannot be overcome or is it actually our fault that we just submitted to it with no challenge because it is a value we are proud of?  Is perpetuation of tribalism basically for the benefit of the community or politicians in the first place? Is it necessary for politics and other areas of life?

Many people do honestly want to put full stop to tribalism. However, they find themselves involved in it? Why? Are they hypocrites? NO, No, they are not!!!!! In my view, It is just because tribalism is out there, and no alternative.  Both good and malicious people are likely to get trapped in tribalism web—advertently or inadvertently-- as long as status quo remains unchanged.

Change must be made to end tribalism. It is recommended well by almost every mature civilized person who is willing to free the upcoming generations from the burden of tribalism we have gone through for no feasible reason. But the million dollar question is: How can we tackle it?  The answer is ironically simple!!!! If it is so, did we ever try? The answer is paradoxically no!!!!!! Again, why didn’t we try? The answer is easy,  at least for those who know it:  traditionalists never try to do differently!!!

To minimize and eventually end tribalism, I would, in advance, subscribe two pieces of medicine for the chronically ill- patient. First one is to localize politics by re-organizing citizens not along tribal lines but along district and regional grid. In this regard, loyalty would be transferred from tribes to regions or districts. This is more consistent with the citizenship of modern state as people from same area despite their disparate tribes would share common interests such as schools, water and roads.  Similarly, it happens that one tribe may reside in three or four regions of Somaliland and hence do share nothing except claims to be descendants from a common ancestor. In order to deepen this approach of localism and regionalism, national political parties would base their activities on districts and sub-districts and boroughs. For example, when conducting local government elections, political parties would select candidates not from tribes but from residents in boroughs and neighborhoods irrespective of their clans or tribes. This is more practical and more progressive and later would help assure accountability as the councilor or MP would return to the district for re-election, so that he must work in favor of his or her constituencies if he wants to get re- elected. Moreover, the localism and regionalism would probably turn tribalism into obsolete and unnecessary.  

In contrast, the way we do politics now is not feasible and justified. I am-- the writer of this article-- a living example. For those of you who don’t know, I am one of Hargeisa councilors whose term is about to finish at the end of this year. I live in Kodbur district, but still not elected by the residents of this district. Residents in Kodbur comprise many clans—some of them are originally from Burao, Erigavo or Borama and Las-anod but have lived in the borough for a long time. Traditionalist believe that these people are not Hargaysawi, but, I believe,  as non traditionalist,  that these citizens have already become Hargaysawiyiin irrespective of their original region or tribe, because some of them have lived here for over 15 years; which is more than enough to earn citizenships from three different European countries.  Despite this, traditionalists believe that Hargaysawis are only special groups of people. So do Burao and Borama people.  in my view, this is against nature of demography and dynamism of life. Nothing static in this world or universe. As Quranic verse says: “Tilka sunnatullahi, walan tajida lisunatillahi tabdillila”.

Back to the story as councilor,  My clan claims to have elected me. However, they live in many non -adjacent districts of Hargeisa. Therefore, I am answerable to no one. It would have been better if I had been elected from my district where I could represent their interests in Hargeisa council, be it schools, water or sanitation. But how could I practically represent the interest of my clan knowing the fact that they are scattered across Hargeisa districts where they share no school, water facility or MCH. This would render the whole election of councils useless and absurd.

The second medicine is to set tribalism-proof policies and systems. However, what is challenging in this perspective is implementation of such policies and systems in such a manner that would entail fairness and justice. This requires check and balance or close scrutiny by establishing parallel offices where people can refer or appeal to if anyone tries to corrupt the policy or sabotage the system. People in appealing offices would be staff known or selected for their integrity and probity. Suppose, Local government council has set a policy of getting land from municipality. The policy would stipulate the steps or conditions someone must meet to get a plot of land from local government. The policy would not be secret that it would be confined to government officials as often happens, in the sense that they would be in a position to give information to whom they favor and deny to others. The policy, instead, would rather be published over and over again in newspapers and released repeatedly over TVs and Radio so much so poorer, marginalized citizens would be equally fully informed.  This is how policies and systems are made tribalism-proof —if you see what I mean. Let me put it in summary like this:  close scrutiny with check and balance and dissemination of information would render policies and systems tribalism-proof and much fairer. This again would further make tribalism unnecessary and obsolete knowing the fact that people resort to tribalism when there is no fairness and justice.

In order to develop and implement the aforementioned approach, devoted and honest leadership is first and foremost very much necessary and must be in place. Furthermore, the leadership should be modern and progressive, in the sense that it aims at creating modern state that we deserve in 21^st century.  lastly but not least, it is unfair for our people to live as tribesmen in this modern global world where nationalism is ashamed of, let alone clanship and tribalism.

Prof. Abdi Ali Jama

Abdirrahman99@hotmail.com

Profabdiali.blogspot.com

Eulogy to Gariye.

Eulogy To Gariye; by: prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

As lecturer of university of Hargeisa, Gariye was my colleague. He was great poet, educated and knowledgeable. He was learned,intellectual, erudite and well-read.  Few people know he was biology major as his fame in poetry world overshadowed it.

I always tried to have tea with him at break-time so that I would share with him some of my concerns of national issues. When I put an issue forward, he usually portrayed it artistically and enthusiastically as I expected. In my turn I also explained it in such a way that Gariye showed his respect by listening to me. I will miss him as one of few people I share same wavelength in thinking and analysis.

Gariye was educated and knowledgeable. He was also wise in his poetry as well as public life. In private life, I have no idea. Education being knowledge based on curriculum and age, Knowledge has no boundary in both terms. Knowledge is acquired from environment: friends, mosque, internet, TV, radio, etc.  A small child can be more knowledgeable than an old man or woman.  On the other hand, knowledgeable or educated person can be expert in special area while wisdom is about experience, judgment and taking wise decisions or giving consultancy to others.

 What is poetry? By definition, Poetry is expressing idea or feeling in rhythmic style of language. The idea in poetry can be acquired through education or knowledge. Educated or knowledgeable person can be proud but wise man or woman is humble. Wisdom is always associated with age; it is true because it stems from experience while knowledge is acquired through informal learning and practicing.

However, any knowledgeable person should not necessarily be educated. Similarly any educated individual should not necessarily be intellectual. On the other hand, any knowledgeable person should not necessarily be wise.

Abdi Qays and Hassan Ganey are great poets, knowledgeabe and wise but not educated at least in the formal sense of the word, but unlike Hadrawi and Gariye, they are local pure philosophers and artists.

By: Prof. Abdi Ali Jama
 

why corruption impoverishes; a parable.

 Why corruption impoverishes; a parable. by: Prof. Abdi Ali Jama.

Let us use a short parable to illustrate how corruption erodes the economy and well being of society. Suppose 5 neighboring families agreed between them to share dinner every day with each family bringing along it a designated dish. First family prepares meat, the second: dessert, the third:  sauce: the fourth:  vegetables and fruits and the fifth: rice.  According to their agreement, they had to get together to dine at one of the five houses each day. The neighboring families had been enjoying a delicious multi-faceted dinner for quite some time as each family duly brings along it the designated dish until the first family started not to bring anything to the table, but still wash hands to dine with the group. Nobody blamed the family for not bringing the meat. After sometime, another family also did the same; no more dessert. All five now share what have been contributed by only three households; a sauced rice with no meat plus some fruits and vegetables with no dessert.

Now, the group felt that everybody of them is less satisfied and overall wellbeing significantly deteriorated. However, no body blamed the two families who failed to contribute. Moreover, the bitter fact is that men and women from defaulting families are aptly voracious(greedy) while individuals from non defaulters tend to be rather abstemious(eat less).  After a while, two more households followed suit; neither sauce nor vegetables and fruits as well.  All five families are now bound to share what was forwarded by one single family: dry rice.  Eventually, it became obvious that this would no longer work because majority of the people have become parasites. This is what happens when some people behave in such a manner that they would not produce anything valuable to the society while they insist on taking a lion’s share of what has been produced by citizens of a country or rather GNP.

Corruption being by definition using power or resource entrusted for personal gain or favor, this would imply giving advantage to yourself or someone you favor over others. At an economic level, in normal situations, an individual gets paid for the contribution he or his own resource made to the production of goods and services that usually satisfy human needs. Whenever you misappropriate or favor someone by giving him or her benefit for no commensurate effort, this would lower GDP of the country.  The opposite is true; that is, whenever you give someone an equivalent money or reward for what he did contribute with his or her own work or resource, this would automatically add to GNP.

The moral of the story of the five families should now be clear: every single person of us must work and do something valuable to the society so that he or she would receive a commensurate reward—money or non-money form. I said: “every single  person of us”; That is, every citizen that have the ability to work; children and elders excluded. In this regard, two policies are vital; putting unemployed people back to work and exterminating corruption elements in the system.

Corruption is also detrimental to the economy; in the sense that it would discourage any activity that could increase GNP of the country in the long run; for instance, if you are someone in authority or entrusted with power or resource but corrupt, you would likely to use the power at your disposal, for example, for hiring someone you favor who is less qualified compared to others who you are not in favor for. In this situation, you are-- knowingly or unknowingly--  sending a message of discouragement to the disadvantaged and any other citizen that would qualify himself or herself to climb up career ladder in order to reach that position. This would result in pervasive ignorance and low education, which would further lower GNP,  knowing the fact that any economy or country whose human resource are happened to be less qualified, less skilled and less educated would end up with lower GNP and hence get far poorer. 

Human resource is the engine of the economy, indeed. isn't it?

Specialization, monetization and corrupt government institutions of a country would enable some people to illegally access resources—money or non money—without contributing any thing. But this could not happen in ancient times when self-sufficiency prevailed; that is, prehistoric times when each family had to produce for themselves everything they needed; no government institutions nor trade existed except for some barter transactions. However, despite having the aforementioned side-effects, the advantages of specialization and monetization are inordinately greater than their disadvantages. Therefore, the only solution is to uproot and combat corruption that might be revolving in government institutions of a certain country.

Prof: Abdi Ali Jama

Abdirrahman99@hotmail.com

Profabdiali.blogspot.com