1. The linkages between Diaspora and Development

Given the dispersal of large numbers of Somalis, both in the region and further abroad and their potential importance for the political, social, cultural and economic development in the region, this theme will focus on the variety of possible linkages between Somalis 'away from home' and development at 'home'. This theme invites papers that analyse such linkages under the following preliminary workshop headings. This list should not be regarded as a final list, and we welcome suggestions for other sub-themes or amendments.

1. Somali identities in the Diaspora.
2. The influence of the Diaspora/ Returnees on identities in Somalia
3. Processes of Settlement and Resettlement
4. Diaspora and Reconciliation in the Horn of Africa.
5. Diaspora and Regional and Local Development.
6. Diaspora involvement in home societies (return associations abroad & communities of origin)
7. Diaspora, Gender, and Return.
8. Diaspora in exile: Towards integration or return?
9. Language and Culture in the meeting between 'Diaspora' and 'home communities'.
10. The role of trade networks, business and remittances

2. Regionalism, Reconciliation and State Formation

The wars and civil wars that occur and have occurred in the Horn of Africa can be regarded as a result of a tension between the ethno-political dispersion of people and the structure of statehood in the region. This theme will approach the issues of state formation from a regional perspective that is not necessarily confined to the existing structure of so-called 'nation-states', but which investigates the processes that may result in the formation of political authorities or states, even if they are regional, transboundary or non-territorial. Papers that analyse such processes are invited, and preliminary headings for workshops under this theme are:

1. Reconciliation, the current peace process and state-formation.
2. The role of gender in conflict, reconciliation and state-formation.
3. Regionalism and transboundary formations in the Horn of Africa
4. The Somali tradition of poetry, reconciliation and identity.
5. Identity formation, statehood and territoriality.
6. Conceptualisations of civil society in the processes of state formation
7. Islam, reconciliation and state-formation.
8. Regional Resource Extraction & Development: (Minerals, Oil, Water, Livestock & Land).
9. Regional Cooperation among Horn of Africa Countries on: health, environmental, educational, transportation and telecommunications issues.
10. Globalisation and emerging and changing business relations in the Horn of Africa.

Note that while the suggested themes primarily appeal to social science, it is a strong intention of the organisers that researchers from the natural sciences and the humanities take part and contribute with papers.

The organisers of the conference would like to stress that the dual theme is highly relevant and interlinked in terms of reflecting the complex social, political and developmental processes in the region, which are inextricable linked to diaspora abroad and policy interests of the European Union and the North America given the fact that development no longer can be regarded in isolation from global processes such as economic globalisation, migration and international terrorism. This is also reflected in the fact that Somalis remain among the top asylum seekers in numbers of the EU, and is targeted by the EU as one of its target countries of humanitarian and post-conflict reconstruction aid.

2. Fadumo Jibrell, Horn Relief Organisation, Somalia,

3. Dr Abdi Kusow, Aukland University, USA,

4. Professor Mohamed Haji Mukhtar, Savannah State University, USA,

5. Professor John Markakis, University of Crete, Greece.


CONFERENCE COORDINATORS:

Johannes D. Schmidt, PhD, Centre director, Associate professor, DIR, Aalborg University

Bjørn Møller, PhD, Associate professor, DIR & Senior Research Fellow, DIIS (Danish Institute for International Studies) and external lecturer, Centre of African Studies, Copenhagen University

Mammo Muchie, Associate professor, DIR, Aalborg University

Abdulkadir Osman Farah, MSc. PhD candidate, DIR, Aalborg University

Joakim Gundel, PhD Candidate, DIIS, and external lecturer, Centre of African Studies, Copenhagen University

ADVISORY BOARD:

Professor Holger Bernt Hansen, Centre of African Studies, Univeristy of Copenhagen

Professor Timothy M. Shaw, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

Professor Hussein M. Adam, Political Science, Holy Cross College, Worcester, USA

Professor Mohammed A. Salih, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands

Muddle Suzzanne Lilius, PhD, University of Helsinki, Finland



PREPARATORY COMMITTEE:

Abullahi Haider, PhD, Project Officer, N(o)vib - Oxfam Netherlands, Nairobi, Kenya

Tine Kallehave, PhD, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Nauja Kleist, PhD candidate, Institute of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Peter Hansen, PhD Candidate, Institute of International Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Mohamed Harakow Mohamed, MA, IFTIN (Somali Academics Association in Denmark)



EVENT ORGANISATION:

Abdulkadir Osman Farah (osman@humsamf.auc.dk)