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A short yet perilous seven-kilometre road connects the towns of Buufow and Shalanbood in southern Somalia. The once prosperous agricultural area that produced fruits and vegetables for the region has experienced decades of conflict and destabilization. Just like most parts of the country, the region is severely affected by the ongoing drought. The two communities have had to cope with increasing scarcity of natural resources from where they derive their livelihoods. This combined with a lack of basic services and limited external assistance due to access barriers compounds their levels of need and increases the likelihood of violent intercommunal conflicts.  

Quresho Abdirizak, a youth leader who grew up in Shalanbood, has seen firsthand the intercommunal conflict that repeatedly frayed the social strands that once tied the neighbouring communities together. Conflicts over water resources, irrigation canals and access to farming areas drive a wedge between the two communities. “Two children from the different villages might grow up playing football together, but due to the situation then as adults they would clash,” Said Quresho.

She’s part of a movement of young women and men from Buufow and Shalanbood communities who share a joint goal of pursuing a peaceful and food secure future for their families. Quresho and other youth leaders from the two communities recently joined together to examine the challenges that both communities face.

Dubbed as ‘Game Day’ they used a smartphone game application (or game app) to identify priorities for investments in critical water infrastructure that would promote peace and productivity at the event. In this region of Somalia, a working footbridge can bring about peace, an impassable river can create divisions. “On Game Day we worked in groups to promote interaction between communities, finding solutions to the problems of moving safely and freely between the two towns,” said Quresho.

For others, the interaction between the youth of the two communities was already a step towards a more peaceful future. “I actually got to make a lot of new friends here,” said Salado Ali, a youth leader from neighbouring Buufow. “If I went to Shalanbood tomorrow I’d meet the friends I made here and I wouldn’t be a stranger. We exchanged numbers and we got along well. We had a great day,” she said.

Playing for Peace

The Game Day event was part of an innovative peacebuilding project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the South West State government and funded by the UN Secretary-General’s Peace Building Fund (PBF).

The project is facilitating youth-led prioritization of canal rehabilitation via gamification, using a “Play for Peace” mobile application, the aim of which is to encourage fun, healthy competition between mixed youth groups from both Shalambod and Buufow villages.

“The beauty of using games is that it brings together elements such as teamwork and competition that work well with peacebuilding. It is bringing people together for a common goal,” said Ahlam Mohammed, the technology for development coordinator at Shaqodoon, FAO’s implementing partner that developed the app.

On Game Day, groups mixed from both communities competed against each other to advance levels and gain points. “The participants had to work together to advance – they had to talk to each other and learn things about each other. The more you talk with each other the faster you will win through collaboration,” said Ahlam.

She said it was inspiring to see women leading some of the groups, showing others how to play the game, collaborating and making decisions. “It was really inspiring for others – particularly other young women and girls – to see women leading groups on the Game Day. It could be life changing to see that in action,” she added.

Empowering women to build peace, improve productivity

Somali culture is strongly patriarchal and is based on the clan system. Gender inequalities are sharp, making the country the fourth worst country globally when it comes to women’s status, and they are often excluded from political decision-making to a large extent. Rural women in particular have limited access to agricultural extension services, knowledge, and resources, which has resulted in lower food production in rural communities.

“Women in these communities have been historically disadvantaged and excluded, but they’ve also organized themselves across clan lines into groups to advocate for the needs of their families, the project leans into that new development,” said Dimah Abdulkarim, FAO’s Resilience Project Officer. “Through the Promoting Inclusive Action in Peacebuilding project, which the gamification component falls within, we want to see resource rivalry turn into peaceful joint resource sharing, with both young women and men playing a central role enhancing social cohesion,” she added.

Dimah says the real game changer will occur when the women and youth leaders see their peacebuilding efforts translate into tangible outcomes when the infrastructure component gets underway. “We’re now rolling out infrastructure investments with the support of the Peacebuilding Fund to implement the outcomes of the Game Day,’ said Dimah.

For youth leaders like Quresho and Salado, the results of Game Day are already starting to bring about change. “The Game Day event will help the youth to take what they learned back to their communities and make progress towards peace building,” said Quresho. “We want to put an end to inter-communal tension and become united, facing our challenges together,” she said.