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Abdullahi Dool
Monday, September 08, 2008
How do you rebuild a nation whose fabric is in tatters? Societies in or out of war do not build from bottom up, let alone one which had spiraled into clans and sub-clans. To pacify and rebuild a broken nation will require not only leadership and dedication but a society which is committed to its wellbeing. There are many examples why such troubled nations do not build from bottom up. One example is the road many African and Asian nations took to independence and statehood post World War II.
From India to Nigeria, it was the vision and leadership of dedicated individuals which saw the nation-building and statehood of many nations. Another good example is the journey which the United States took to independence and nationhood. It took the leadership of a few individuals to lay the foundations of governance and nationhood for the people of the United States. However, it is not leadership alone which does the trick. Followership too is as important as leadership. It takes two things to give a spark. The best leadership cannot succeed on its own if there are no people to follow.
Imagine, after the American war of Independence which spanned from 1775-1782,[1] if the American people had expected to build nationhood from “bottom up.” Imagine if the wise men such as Thomas Jefferson who, in the summer of 1776 assembled in Philadelphia, did not get together to devise the U.S. governance and nationhood.
It was the Declaration of Independence document which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson from 11 to 28 June, 1776 which became the framework for the U.S. independence and nationhood.[2] However, it is not a mere document which makes or builds a nation. It is the matching of the vision and leadership of individuals and a determined nation which can succeed a nation.
No-one should expect a nation which is suffering from anarchy and division to organize itself and stage elections. Somalia is not only like a building without a roof. Our nation’s fabric too is in tatters. The only way to rebuild Somalia is by the vision of a leadership which knows what it is doing and which can lead by example. For that reason Somalia will require an honest leadership which is committed to the wellbeing and progress of the nation.
However, something is lacking. The Somali people should see governance is theirs which should serve on their behalf. Lack of a sense of ownership of government from the part of the Somali people is the cause of a loophole which is prolonging anarchy and statelessness in Somalia. This lack of a sense of ownership of government in our society has encouraged too many individuals to go after power which is seen as a lucrative venture. A sense of ownership makes the owner to entrust his/her property with the right persons. We need to look forward to 2009 with the purpose of finding and rallying behind the right leadership which can lift the nation out of its troubles.
Notes
1. History of American war of Independence.
2. The Declaration of Independence, 1776.
Abdullahi Dool
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