The chaos in Somalia has obscured a remarkable political development in the country’s north. Somaliland, the secessionist northwestern slice of Somalia which declared its independence in 1991, has held three consecutive competitive elections since 2001, has a parliament controlled by opposition parties, and boasts a burgeoning economy propelled by the private sector. The key to its success—the integration into politics of traditional Somali models of governance by consultation and consent—provides a contrast to the standard development paradigm in the West.
About the Author
Seth Kaplan is a business consultant to companies in developing countries as well as a foreign-policy analyst. His book Fixing Fragile States: A New Paradigm for Development (2008), critiques Western policies in places such as Congo (Kinshasa), West Africa, Syria, and Pakistan, and lays out a new approach to overcoming the problems they face. For more information, see www.sethkaplan.org.
Young people from Peru to Madagascar to Nepal—furious with political elites reaping the spoils of privilege and corruption—are rising up to demand change. But what happens when their movements succeed?
Since its establishment in 1964, the Press Union of Liberia has championed the right of journalists to report freely on events in Liberia and abroad. Political setbacks continue to put…
Data from Africa show that repeated elections, regardless of their relative freeness or fairness,appear to have a positive impact on the growth of civil liberties and democratic values.
