On 18 April, the Nairobi Forum, in partnership with Kwani Trust, hosted an evening with renowned Somali author Nuruddin Farah. Nuruddin is winner of the Neustadt International Prize for literature and the Lettre Ulysses Award, and has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. His body of work includes two trilogies, Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship (1980…
On 11 September the RVI Nairobi Forum hosted a discussion about UK and US banks' discontinuation of their services to Somali remittance companies. The occasion was the launch of a report by Oxfam and Adeso Keeping the Lifeline Open: Remittances and Markets in Somalia. The report highlights the positive impact of remittances on Somali livelihoods and assesses the compliance of money transfer…
On 18-19 February 2013, RVI and the Somalia NGO Consortium will co-host a two-day 'Introduction to Somalia' course at the Lukenya Getaway in Kenya. RVI will manage the first day's event, providing a brief introduction to the history, politics, and culture of Somalia. On the second day, the NGO Consortium will provide practical advice for NGOs operating in Somalia. Confirmed teaching staff…
Speakers at a Nairobi forum sponsored by the Rift Valley Institute expressed concern for the future of South Sudan following a ceasefire agreement brokered in Addis Ababa late last week. Participants also raised issues concerning the presence of Ugandan forces in the conflict. The negotiations were held by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional body that was drawn…
On Friday 10 January leading South Sudanese civil society institutions came together to discuss the current situation [in South Sudan]… According to David Deng, Director of Research at the South Sudan Law Society, human rights violations in the past and the lack of accountability create room for further violations if the perpetrators are not punished… He said that sidelining justice in peace…
The third Great Lakes Course was held in Bujumbura, Burundi from 7 to 13 July. The Director of Studies was Jason Stearns, also director of RVI's Usalama Project and author of the acclaimed Dancing in the Glory of Monsters. The Deputy Director of Studies was Emily Paddon, Trudeau Scholar and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Oxford. The Director of the course was Aly…
A huge transport infrastructure project due to link Kenya’s coast, Juba in South Sudan, and Ethiopia by 2030 is raising questions about the potential impact on the livelihoods of pastoralists, and protection and compensation for those adversely affected. The 1,700km Lamu Port and Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET), launched in March 2012 by the governments of Kenya, Ethiopia…
In June the Nairobi Forum hosted a consultation on the future of humanitarian action in the Horn of Africa and East Africa with the Feinstein International Centre at Tufts University and InterAction. The Forum also held a book launch for The Golden Fleece: Manipulation and Independence in Humanitarian Action (Kumarian 2012) edited by Antonio Donini (Feinstein International Centre).
The sixth Hargeysa International Book Fair took place in Somaliland from 16-21 August 2013. Organized by the Redsea Online Culture Foundation in partnership with Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, the fair promotes arts and literature through public readings, panel discussions and creative writing competitions, and is particularly concerned to promote the engagement of young people. ‘In six years…
A launch event for the Somalia Conflict Early Response Unit took place at the Nairobi Forum on 7 November 2013. From the Bottom up: Southern Regions—Perspectives through conflict analysis and key political actor’s mapping of Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, and Lower Shabelle is a conflict assessment designed to improve understanding of events in southern Somalia, and to contribute to…
