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Topic 1: Introduction to government: ways of looking at self-government, parliamentary democracy and Somalia’s first experience of it. Click Here to Access Lesson 1: PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder reviews the knowledge, language and attitudes useful to understand how governments do work – and how they can work. It uses historical and global examples to outline the features of a system now used by 125 out of the world’s 196 nations. |
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Topic 2: The development of parliaments: the story of the breakthrough ideas that helped build up the forms and processes of today’s parliaments. Click Here to Access Lesson 2 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder explores the historical power struggle to achieve truly representative parliaments. It also charts the break-through events that have enabled all citizens worldwide to contribute to better, fairer societies. |
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Topic 3: Development of democracy and human rights: timelines sketching the ideas and events that translated ideals of equality into actual rights. Click Here to Access Lesson 3 : PDF |
These timelines record the major events and break-through thinking that have contributed to the only governments that are self-correcting: democracies. They also show progress is never a straight line, that it builds on developing ideas, and that turning ideals into reality takes struggle and sacrifice. |
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Topic 4: Development of Somalia: a timeline of events from ancient history focuses on the post-1960 era of promise, collapse and gradual recovery. Click Here to Access Lesson 4 : PDF |
These timelines trace the events and personalities of Somalia’s independence, democracy, collapse and road to recovery. They outline the sequences of political actions that were involved. They also reveal the complications and problems caused by competing ideas and geo-political struggles. |
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Topic 5: How parliaments work: An outline of how the national debating chamber and law-making institutions work, plus the roles of those there. Click Here to Access Lesson 5 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder outlines how parliament works as a law-making and oversight institution for nations. It also describes the roles of those who work in parliaments. It then outlines some of the basic rules (Standing Orders) and other aspects of the ‘eternal vigilance’ needed to govern. |
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Topic 6: Social contracts: how contracts, formal and informal, encourage citizens’ participation and can keep governments accountable. Click Here to Access Lesson 6 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder outlines how social contracts work – and can change. It uses information from parliaments and governance in Africa, and worldwide, to examine what makes contracts valid. It examines the role of social contracts as a force for stability in Muslim-majority countries – according to key texts and scholars. |
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Topic 7: From tribal democracy to parliamentary democracies: what is gained and lost. Clan consensus compared to party politics. Click Here to Access Lesson 7 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder examines the roles that political parties play in democracies. It compares party organisation and policy making to traditional models of decision-making. It also discusses ways in which tribal, federal and national decision-making can work together, while retaining their identity and areas of expertise. |
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Topic 8: Elections and voter participation: an outline of how elections work, what makes them valid, and what they are designed to test. Click Here to Access Lesson 8 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder outlines various election systems and their methods. It outlines the key features of election campaigns. It looks at the influences on voter participation and turnout, the different mandate elections deliver, election financing, conflicts of interest, and use of referenda for single issues. |
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Topic 9: The role of the news media or ‘fourth estate’ in modern democracies. New media, financial models, and case studies. Click Here to Access Lesson 9 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder outlines the crucial role an informative and questioning news media plays in an internet era. It also outlines how media can be censored, discredited and/or reduced to propaganda puppets that self-censor. |
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Topic 10: Rights and responsibilities of those in power and those participating in democracies: ethics, incentives, sanctions and levels of public trust. Click Here to Access Lesson 10 : PDF |
This lesson or backgrounder outlines the ethical practices parliaments used to ensure widespread citizen participation and public trust. It also outlines the public scrutiny, government integrity and financial restrictions needed to challenge the language and culture of corruption. |