(00:04) By getting the buy-in of youth, we were able to ensure that... (00:08) the peace process penetrated every level... (00:13) of the community and that it would stick,... (00:17) not just in the current generation, but also in the future generations as well. (00:23) The second important social group was women. (00:27) Their voices raised new issues. (00:29) Women may not be on the front line of conflict,... (00:34) but they are often deeply affected. (00:36) Hudet resident Nyurama Nasan fled her village in 2009. (00:46) When the conflict began we fled. (00:48) Some carried children on their backs. (00:50) Some were pregnant and carried babies. (00:52) We ran and hid in the bush. (00:59) Surviving in the bush was a great challenge. (01:02) Many people died. (01:04) We didn’t bring anything to shelter us, (01:08) and there was nothing to eat or drink. (01:12) People died in the fighting, (01:15) but many more people died in the bush. (01:19) But even those who stay at home suffer. (01:24) We women are very much affected. (01:27) When our husbands go to fight we are the ones (01:32) left looking after the livestock and children. (01:37) Our children go hungry during the conflict. (01:42) As parents we see this affecting their health. (01:45) It is very upsetting. (01:52) But women can also contribute to conflict through acceptance... (01:55) and amplification of traditional cultural attitudes... (01:58) that encourage aggression. (02:02) In times of tension between clans, (02:04) women encourage violence, (02:05) by nagging their men. (02:07) Saying the enemy want to harm us (02:09) and you do nothing. (02:10) They say protect us, protect us. (02:14) The men can’t resist the pressure. (02:16) No man can refuse a woman’s plea. (02:20) This attitude is often expressed through song. (02:25) Our brothers, we are bonded. (02:30) Our brothers, we are kin. (02:35) We are brothers, standing together as one. (02:39) How can you rest, (02:41) when your brothers are being attacked? (02:43) Brothers, how can you abandon them? (02:45) Brothers, are you not strong? (02:47) Brothers, how can you refuse to fight? (02:49) They took our land, how can you do nothing? (02:52) This is how women encourage our men to fight. (02:57) My husband is dead. My son is also dead. (03:02) What do women gain from war except loss? (03:06) When we encourage fighting we gain nothing. (03:12) Changing these attitudes would be critical... (03:14) to transforming clan relationships (03:20) We took part in women-only meetings. (03:23) We discussed the role of women in the conflict, (03:26) and what we should do if conflict breaks out. (03:30) We were a key part of the peacemaking process. (03:34) We talked a lot and gained many ideas. (03:41) We learned ways to stop the fighting. (03:44) They taught us how to stop conflicts escalating. (03:44) Women can threaten to inform the authorities. (03:52) if their menfolk plan to get involved in a conflict. (03:57) We discovered many ways to prevent violence. (04:01) Once the ground was set, clan elders... (04:04) were encouraged to preside over grievance sessions. (04:07) The objective was to encourage leaders to listen. (04:11) Local people were encouraged to air their opinions... (04:15) and the elders to incorporate them. (04:15) and the elders to incorporate them. (04:20) Our women spoke powerfully. (04:24) They said conflict harms us, migration harms us. (04:28) We must walk miles with children on our backs. (04:32) and on our stomachs. (04:35) During conflicts we must survive far from water. (04:39) In war a man may be killed on the battlefield, (04:42) but women must endure constant suffering. (04:45) Listening to our women’s opinions (04:47) changed how we viewed the conflict. (04:52) With this information, the clan elders could begin their work. (04:56) In a series of meetings, the representatives of each clan... (05:00) worked together to form a peace agreement based on customary law. (05:00) worked together to form a peace agreement based on customary law. (05:06) Before long, they had a first draft. But, this was just the beginning (05:11) Creating the foundations for a stable peace takes time. (05:18) The past will be a process. (05:20) In one day you can have an agreement,... (05:20) The past will be a process. (05:24) but I can assure you, that agreement will not work. (05:27) So you need time to get to the wider community, you need time to get to the government,… (05:34) you need time to get to the clan leaders, you need to get their buy-in. (05:40) The elders took the agreement back to their communities for feedback. (05:46) They then met again to work through the next draft. (05:48) This process is repeated again and again. (05:52) Every issue was debated at length, both between the clans,... (05:56) and between the clans and the government. (05:59) In the end, it took over 12 months of intense negotiation... (06:03) before the leaders produced the definitive agreement. (06:07) In February 2010, Mercy Corps withdrew from the Negelle process,... (06:12) whilst government clan leaders and communities... (06:13) continue to build on what had been achieved. (06:18) And it was not until June 2011, that the new agreements were ratified. (06:25) The participants met in the town of Negelle. (06:29) Present were the vice president's of Oromia and Somali regions... (06:33) and the minister for federal affairs. (06:39) We are making history here. (06:42) Stay strong – stay the course! (06:45) After two years of painstaking work... (06:48) the Negelle accords were now enforceable by law. (06:54) The process had not only succeeded in producing a legal document... (06:57) it had built up stronger ties between customary and government institutions... (07:01) improved links between local and regional levels of government... (07:05) and between the regional governments themselves. (07:10) I think one of the things that was definitely demonstrated in the... (07:14) Negelle accords, is that it really take the effort at multiple... (07:17) levels of government, from the highest level of government... (07:20) to the most local level of government... (07:22) and that it really requires the buy-in and the participation... (07:25) of multiple sectors of the community. (07:29) This was a great success for the Government. (07:32) The accord was supported by all the major clans (07:35) as well as the regional governments. (07:39) Because the participants were so positive (07:44) the Government became committed to it. (07:47) It is now the foundation of justice in the area (07:50) with government in both regions (07:52) giving it their blessing. (07:57) We learnt a lot from the process. (08:02) We learnt that any incident (08:07) may be settled through discussions. (08:12) Such discussions can best be successful (08:14) if they involve various sections of the community. (08:17) Not only elders, but also women and youths. (08:22) We have also learnt that if clan elders (08:26) and government bodies at all levels (08:28) urgently meet to resolve even minor incidents, (08:31) further escalation and conflict may be avoided. (08:35) Although the agreement had not been ratified until this ceremony,... (08:38) its power was already being felt in the region. (08:41) The true strength of the accord was rooted in the new habits... (08:44) of dialogue and negotiation... (08:46) it had engendered between the clans. (08:48) These relationships had given the agreement a deep legitimacy... (08:52) among the communities that went beyond normal state laws. (08:55) This was both a state and customary agreement... (08:58) that would govern their relationships. (09:03) Even before the Presidents signed it, (09:07) our community asked us to use the agreement. (09:12) We discussed the idea with the other clans (09:14) and with the government. (09:16) We decided to implement it immediately. (09:19) All the clans agreed. (09:21) So we started to enforce the agreement, (09:25) and carry out the punishments. (09:29) Since their inception, the Negelle accords have proved a great success... (09:33) nowhere more so, than in the previous conflict zone... (09:36) between the villages of Borana, Wachille,... (09:39) and Geri, Hudet. (09:44) In the past, if there was an incident (09:46) People grabbed immediately for their weapons. (09:49) We would fight over minor issues. (09:51) But now we meet every ten days (09:54) to discuss any problems. (09:59) Now no one is fighting – it has all changed. (10:03) Now both clans can care for their livestock (10:06) in each other’s territory (10:09) Before they did not come beyone Wachille (10:11) and we didn’t go beyone Hudet. (10:13) Now we come and go as we please. (10:17) This is the most peaceful time. (10:20) After the accords everything calmed down. (10:23) We live in peace now. All killing, wounding (10:27) and looting are in the past. (10:30) Now we water and graze our livestock together, (10:34) eat together and live in harmony. (10:38) This peace is a result of the process. (10:42) The accord has so far robustly survived various intense challenges. (10:48) A severe drought in 2011, threatened to create... (10:51) the same tensions over resources that had led to the previous conflict. (10:56) But a recent study showed that because... (10:59) of increased cooperation between the clans,... (11:01) the Negelle region not only remained peaceful,... (11:05) but actually proved more resilient than its neighbors. (11:09) In 2012, conflict did break out between the clans in the Moyale area. (11:13) But, in part, due to the strength of the accords,... (11:17) it was quickly dealt with and the violence did not spread. (11:22) But, it was a reminder that keeping the peace... (11:24) demands constant attention and commitment from everybody. (11:28) We were very saddened by the unexpected (11:32) conflict that recently occurred near Moyale. (11:39) Lasting peace takes time to achieve. (11:46) It needs ongoing attention and maintenance. (11:55) In short, it is a process. (11:59) Structures put in place through the accords... (12:03) now exist to nip potential conflicts in the bud. (12:06) Regular meetings between clan elders can resolve... (12:09) inter-clan issues before they escalate. (12:14) Today, Geri elder Ibrahim Mammo is negotiating the... (12:17) peaceful return of cattle stolen by a rogue element of... (12:21) a neighboring clan. (12:23) Before the accords, clan allegiances could have turned this single incident... (12:28) into a wider conflict. (12:31) The other elders helped to retrieve my livestock. (12:34) I am glad of their assistance. (12:37) The new inter-clan system for finding lost (12:40) livestock is working really well. (12:43) This new approach is valuable and it is (12:46) improving the lives of the whole community. (12:52) Perhaps the biggest result of the process, has been the... (12:55) the economic boom that has come in the wake of the newfound security. (13:02) The markets are now open for business... (13:04) for everyone regardless of clan or ethnicity. (13:07) Now we can move freely to trade livestock. (13:12) Yesterday I brought 18 donkeys from (13:17) some Geri traders. (13:19) Tonight the traders will sleep safely in our village. (13:30) We see positive changes everywhere. (13:32) We were frightened to use each other’s markets. (13:34) Now we can go and trade what we like. (13:44) Our village doesn’t have a grinding mill, (13:46) but they let us use theirs. (13:52) We even have meetings together. (14:00) Stability has created space for development to flourish. (14:06) In Hudet, new businesses are opening... (14:09) creating new opportunities for local employment and enterprise. (14:15) The village is changing due to new construction. (14:16) Still they are building. (14:19) Men are building, women are building. (14:22) This is all a result of the peace. (14:25) By dealing with the conflict issues, locals have given themselves (14:28) and their region a brighter future. (14:32) In the past, youth were ordered to be soldiers. (14:38) Now we have put our weapons down. (14:42) Now we concentrate on improving our lives. (14:47) In the future, I plan to live in peace with others. (14:51) I will work hard so I can be rich and happy. (14:57) If God is willing, I will succeed. (15:03) The Negelle region is not alone in suffering... (15:05) from the curse of inter-community conflict. (15:08) But, thanks to the success of the Negelle process, many other areas... (15:12) can learn valuable lessons from how they achieved their peace. (15:18) Our conflict was very severe. (15:22) Any communities who find themselves in a (15:25) similar situation should look at our solution. (15:28) They can learn from us. (15:31) If they need advice we can teach them. (15:34) If they ask us for help we would be happy (15:37) to share what we have learnt. (15:42) These problems are everywhere. (15:46) In pastoralist areas there is always tension (15:50) Because of the need for water, grass and land. (15:54) Communities must come together to understand (15:58) the root cause of all their problems. (16:02) And find their own solutions, as we did. (16:10) My advice is to remember that you are brothers. (16:14) Do not fight each other, do not kill each other. (16:18) Do not steal from each other. (16:21) These things do great harm. (16:24) Live in peace, and do not turn to anger. (16:29) Do not view your neighbors as enemies. (16:34) This is my advice.