Core IPRT Programs

• The Institute organizes the reconstruction strategies conferences.  The first conference in this series was held in November 1998 and the third conference will be held 18-22 November 2004 in Hargeisa. Each conference produced a “white paper” of recommendations for the government on the full spectrum of development and reconstruction issues; health care, education, man-power and skills training, private sector development and good governance and human rights.

• Good Governance and Institution Building:  IPRT works with Somaliland’s National Assembly and the National Endowment for Democracy in a project designed to strengthen the support unit of the legislature.  To promote transparency and constituent relationships, IPRT helps the Somaliland legislature publish a monthly official bulletin.  We have also introduced a Hansard system for the Guurti and will soon produce full proceedings of all Guurti events.

• IPRT also sponsors the Waaheen Media Group.  Waaheen Media publishes a daily Newspaper, a website, an Internet TV and Radio.  Waaheen Media has permanent staff at the National Assembly and videotapes all proceedings for later broadcast on the Internet TV or on regular commercial TV channels.  In April 2010, Waaheen Media obtained a TV broadcasting license and hopes to start a “mini-CSPAN” and an educational TV channel from Abaarso Tech University (see below).

• In 2009, IPRT co-founded the Abaarso Tech University and Secondary Boarding School.  Abaarso Tech is located in a rural area 18 km west of Hargeisa.  It is both a vocational training center and a center of excellence for gifted secondary school students.  In January 2101, Abaarso Tech started a post-graduate business and management school.

• Research on Landmines: The Institute has been active in the field of landmine research since 1999.  IPRT conducts research on landmines for the Landmine Monitor of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, an annual global report.  In 2007, IPRT in collaboration with Geneva Call and the Somaliland Mine Action Center (SMAC) organized a workshop for parliamentarians and helped draft Somaliland’s Mine Ban Legislation.  The Mine Ban Law, which mirrors the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty was later passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President.  IPRT monitors the implementation of that legislation.

• In addition to the annual research on landmines, IPRT organizes workshops, seminars and conferences as part of its anti-landmine advocacy program.  In 2000, IPRT organized the Horn of Africa/Gulf of Aden States Conference on Landmines in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Djibouti.  In 1999 IPRT convened the first Horn of Africa NGO conference on the scourge of landmines in East Africa and published a book on the same topic.

• Orphanage Health Clinic: IPRT runs a clinic for the Hargeisa Home for Orphaned Children.  The clinic, staffed by a laboratory technician, a nurse and a doctor, serves the needs of nearly 500 resident children.  On 4 September, we inaugurated a new building for the clinic, which will now have a pharmacy as well.
  
   
• Conferences and Workshop: The Institute also conducts yearly training workshops for legislators and certain senior members of the executive on media/government relationships, budget preparation and appropriate allocation of resources for a balanced human development.  For these trainings, IPRT seeks assistance from the Somali Diaspora.  For example, in 2002, a Somali-born certified public accountant working in San Jose (USA) volunteered three weeks of his time to teach a Fiscal Management and Budget Preparation course for 22 senior government officials.  This year, another accountant from Dubai taught a fellow up workshop.

·         IPRT has participated in UNHCR/UNDP/IGAD refugee reintegration programs in 1998-1999 and helped prepare projects to prepare for the repatriation and reintegration of Somaliland refugees from Ethiopia and Djibouti.|

 

·         In 2005, the Institute also prepared background studies for the World Banks Country Economic Report (CER) for the health and education sectors.