In January 1991, Mohammed Siad Barre’s government was toppled when rebels from the United Somali Congress toppled the Red Berets, in a culmination of a struggle that began in 1986. Since then, Somalia has been in a state of civil war. It has displaced over 1 million people within the country, and over 1 million more are living abroad in the Somali diaspora, either as registered refugees or undocumented migrants. We’re joined by Fadumo Dayib, a social justice activist, Somali politician and the first woman to vie for president of Somalia (in November 2016) to discuss being Somali in Somalia, as well as the diaspora.
What was the cause of the civil war, and what factors have allowed it to continue for almost 30 years? What has the effect of having international intervention been? What factors make it possible for Al Shabaab to exist within Somalia and East Africa, and recruit from throughout the region? What has this conflict meant for the rights of Somali women and girls? How has it affected their rights, freedoms and access to opportunities? And, what is the way forward when it comes to resolving this conflict? Press play to find out!
Resources
Siad Barre’s Fall Blamed for Somalia’s Collapse into Civil War
Understanding Civil Militia Groups in Somalia
Somalia: a history of events from 1950 to the present - in pictures
The Rotation Convention: the real scandal of Somalia’s 4.5 power sharing system
The Business of Fear in Boomtown Mogadishu
Ethiopia ends Somalia occupation
WikiLeaks Reveals U.S. Twisted Ethiopia’s Arm to Invade Somalia
Ethiopian troop withdrawal from Somalia exposes peacekeeping problems
Explaining the differences in Al-Shabaab expansion into Ethiopia and Kenya
Understanding Drivers of Violent Extremism: The Case of al-Shabab and Somali Youth
Explaining Transborder Terrorist Attacks: The Cases of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab
History of Al-Shabaab and its link with Kenya
Somali militants al-Shabab threaten Kenya retaliation
Somalia: Why is Al-Shabaab Still A Potent Threat?
Why is Al Shabab making inroads into Kenya?
Why is Kenya an al-Shabab target?
Somalia's Al Shabaab: Clans vs Islamist nationalism
What Kenya has to show for sending troops into Somalia seven years ago
PROXY WARS: The intrigues leading to Kenya’s invasion of Somalia
What's Wrong With Kenya's Invasion of Somalia
Kenya and Somalia: landscape of tension
Corruption and Terror: Somali Community in Kenya Caught in the Crossfire
Women’s Rights in Somalia: Women’s Role in Conflict Resolution
Human Rights Brief: Women in Somalia
Somalia: A state of male power, insecurity and inequality
Mobile lending in Kenya has experienced a boom in recent years. Customers are able to apply for and receive loans through their mobile phones, and this has drastically changed Kenya’s financial landscape. Mobile lending is made possible through mobile money transfer technology, which was introduced in Kenya by Safaricom in 2007 via MPesa. There are three primary ways that it works: The first is bank backed, the second is mobile lending by non-bank finance institutions such as microfinance institutions and SACCOs, and the third is mobile lending by financial technology firms which do it through their mobile apps.
We’re joined by Geraldine Lukania, Project Manager of FSD Kenya's Market Information Project to discuss mobile lending/credit, what makes it so popular, and whether it needs to be regulated. Press play!
Resources
Kenya moves to regulate fintech-fuelled lending craze
M-Shwari leads Mobile lending industry
The Draft Financial Markets Conduct Bill, 2018
The 2019 FinAccess household survey
The 2016 FinAccess household survey
Digital Market Overview: Kenya
The digital credit revolution in Kenya: an assessment of market demand, 5 years on
A Digital Credit Revolution: Insights from Borrowers in Kenya and Tanzania
Kenya’s Digital Credit Revolution Five Years On
How Regulators Can Foster More Responsible Digital Credit
We hear a lot about fake news, but that is a very broad and misleading term. According to the Ethical Journalism Network, "fake news is information deliberately fabricated and published with the intention to deceive and mislead others into believing falsehoods or doubting verifiable facts." This term conflates three types of information disorder: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
In the spirit of International Fact Checking Day, celebrated annually on April 2nd, we're joined by Eric Mugendi, Managing Editor of Pesacheck, to discuss fact checking in general, and within the Kenyan context. What exactly is fact checking, and why is it important, especially in this digital age? What establishes something as a “fact” vis a vis an opinion? What exactly is information disorder? And what is the difference between these three types of disorder? What kinds of challenges do misinformation, disinformation and malinformation pose to modern day journalism? What is the role of media organizations when it comes to fact checking? Press play to find out!
Resources
Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training
Thinking about 'Information Disorder': Formats of Misinformation, Disinformation and Mal-Information
INFORMATION DISORDER: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making
Understanding and Addressing the Disinformation Ecosystem
Improving Media’s Ability To Check The Facts: We Need A Media Culture That Double Checks Numbers
How to Fact Check: Tips and Advice
Africa Check: Sorting Fact from Fiction
The Reality of Fake News in Kenya
Information Disorder, Part 1: The Essential Glossary
Information Disorder, Part 2: Mapping the Landscape
Information Disorder, Part 3: Useful Graphics
10 questions to ask before covering mis- and dis-information