Preparing Somalia's Future: Goals for 2015!

[Chimera]

NGONGE, the term 'young' can denote 'inexperienced', 'lack of wisdom', 'childish'. That was the feeling I got from your use of the term in reference to me. In debates, people use examples of other countries all the time, in the form of anologies and analysing similar patterns. There is no need for you to dismiss my examples simply because you fail to look past the current situation of Somalia, which the countries I mentioned before were all going through at one point in time. In-fact there are more starving people in India and Nigeria today than Somalia, yet that didn't stop the former two from initiating some of the projects Nuune has posted in his vision 2025, in Somalia which has a population 100/15 times smaller than either two countries could easily be uplifted within a decade.

 

You also dismissed the 'entire feel-good record of things' happening in Somalia, because they don't represent my dreams of railways and flourishing cities, yet in a different paragraph of that same reply talk about 'first steps to reach those goals'. Don't you see the contradiction in your argument? How can you dismiss the 'feel good-record' i.e serious progress on the ground and then talk about 'first steps'? How can you downplay the return of two dozen educated Somalis in the government because it doesn't represent a '1000 educated Somalis', but then want to discuss 'first steps?' The first steps are already being taken brother, and they are not exaggerations, even the western media outlets are now reporting majoritely positive about Somalia, where before it was 99% pure negativity.

 

Please don't confuse my various topics such as the '500 Tokyos in one Somalia' or 'We must re-invent ourselves' as mere day-dreams, they are theoretical excercises to stimulate debate. I create them to illuminate the potential of Somalia, and press home the fact that the conflict is absurd and absolutely wasteful considering the potential of Somalis/Somalia. These topics represent alternative realities, that could have been ours if we didn't not adhere to pathetic clans, or nepotism.

 

This is me clearly dealing with reality and challenging it.

[Abu-Salman]

Well, it's brother Ngonge's way to remind us of thinking about the "how"; for how long so many countries had lofty plans neglecting the precise ways to fulfill them?

Also, skyscrappers, which are not necessarily economically or environmentally efficient choices, should be ditched in favor of traditional, climate efficient buildings of the Islamic architectural style etc (trains and other schemes are not really needed at such stages and densities).

 

However, after anti-corruption and adequate institutions, I repeatedly emphasised that building an equitable, frugal yet efficient public health & primary care system would be the main challenge.

Of course, litteracy is the other priority (notice this is different from "education" and mushrooming "universities"); but this will not require as much sophistication and resourcefulness or creativity I suppose.

Now, these two key challenges for the coming two decades at least are far from being eye-wateringly expensive and estimates range from as low as 20 to $ 60 dollars at the very most per head (if we refer to international experts).

Is not Sland achieving a budget of roughly $ 30 per capita, still growing if the current anti-corruption drive is maintained?

 

Thus, while optimism and ambitions are lofty, I only hope these are focused on equality and environmental sustainability, not letting the elites and foreign investors's greed throw concrete and wasteful glitz all over the place, distracting from the masses and disenfranchised's rights or general equality as well as well-being.

In other words, a strongly planned economy and industrial or infrastructure policies at the service of, and secondary to, equality and basic rights of the masses (some incomes equality and redistribution, health & safety and housing for all, nationalisations and priorities to job-intensive-process and industries, land rationing and protected access to beaches with mandatory green open spaces in half of urban spaces etc).

These are my main concerns and Ngonge or our most conservative accountants will agree that these rights, initially public health & primary care and mass litteracy, are very feasible yet most cost effective.

[NGONGE]

Chimera, the first steps I am talking about are the ones Abu Salman mentions above. The current media publicity is meant to spread a feel good factor to encourage Somalis (and others in the international community) to believe in the project being undertaken. If you look closely, it is all mere spin (good spin nonetheless).

 

At any rate, I do have to confess that I misread your Tokyo & reinvention as a people topics. But you have to cut me some slack here, saaxib. I've seen many well meaning Somalis who live in the clouds and I assumed you may be one of them. Glad to know you're more of a nuune (but without the jinn).

[NGONGE]

xiinfaniin;828783 wrote:

^^School girls? that is quite the

foodley

talk

 

Waad isku dhexyaacday . Waxani waa xaajo rag, maaha sheeko ciyaalkaad soo qori jirtay.

 

Iga baro,

Caqliyow

Wakaa! Did I not tell you you were limited? What did you contribute to this thread other than endless whimpering and school girl digs about sheeko ciyaalka aan qori jiray?

 

Carabtu waxay ku maahmaahda: li koli jawaadin kabwa (faras walba mar uun ayuu kufa) ee dhulka ka kac oo ciiddan aad baryhaan o dhan nago tufaysay iska jooji. Rise above your limitations, saaxib.

[N.O.R.F]

I commend Nuune and Chimera for having such visions. Unfortunately most of our people are not visionaries. The biggest problem I see is that the politicians of today and probably those of tomorrow also lack that vision. Once a vision of a developed country is communicated to the masses through a coordinated media campaign giving voice to the visionaries, the politicians will have no option but to see the same vision and work towards it.

 

Self reliance is something that should be encouraged. This can be done through infrastructure projects being finance through PPP schemes with local businesses rather than waiting for or relying on donors and the UN. A coordinated effort to approach the Arab league and GCC countries for rebuilding help should be done (they will pay).

 

Let's start thinking about how and communicate the same to those in power.

[nuune]

Excellent points yaa Norf, it is the HOW we are discussing, and the implementation, any project can be started, but what is the point if there is no peace and if there is no accountability, this we all agree, but lets hope that we will resolve these issues.

[xiinfaniin]

NGONGE,

 

It is noticeable that the 'limited one's ' whimpering and lack of contribution is getting to you .

 

Is giiji

[Chimera]

NGONGE, if you referring to social progress, are you aware that a 100 schools have been reopened/are set to reopen in the Somali Capital, and two large regions of Somalia are pushing for high literacy rates by 2015? The largest hospitals in East Africa are being constructed in the capital, and many more across the country? This is concrete progress, not media spin! The wishes of Abu-Salman are not ambitious, they are what should be achieved within less than five years of universal peace in Somalia. The people there don't really need a government to raise their standards of living, they only need that government to provide security so they can plow their own fields, march their live-stock, quadruple their own profits, modernise their cities and infrastructure, etc. We have a single language, this sets us apart from other countries in Africa that struggle with a multitude of different languages, which is one of the reasons why it was so easy for us to turn the majority of the Somali population literate in prewar times. There is no real wealth inequality in Somali society, outside of the small minorities, and Somalia is no longer a 1-city-state, but a dozen urban hubs have sprung up, so progress that can be developed further has been made here as well.

 

The construction of railways is most definitely more sustainable and environmentally friendly than air-traffic, or other forms of transport.