Somalia’s revival requires a unified inclusive national organization and civic capital

Evidence

In such a setting, to mount an emancipatory history of creative hope and practical revival will not be easy. Still, Somalis of this epoch have no other viable option but to invest in the creation of a vision-driven, inclusive, and resilient national organization that can effectively respond to these supreme liabilities. Only through such a structure would individuals of talent and commitment have a chance to come to the fore and mobilize others for what is certain to be a vertiginous ascent. But to get there, Somalis will have to begin with restocking their impoverished civic capital. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1119

Categorization

• QUESTION: Where exactly did pre-1969 Somali civic capital come from, and what institutions built it? The reader’s purpose of understanding Somali democracy’s foundations could trace this civic-capital stock to party politics of the 1950s-60s.