Last term a professor told my class that the country Somalia is practically synonymous with “failed state” and that it has not had a functioning government for decades. Irked, I raised my hand to say that Somalia has had a centralized, internationally recognized, and functioning government for years now.
Many of my school projects in the last two years have focused on Somalia, and the events that have occurred in this time have being astounding. Effects of the 2011 famine and violence between militant group Al Shabaab and government led forces are still being felt. However, since the government regained control of Mogadishu there has been dramatic reconstruction in the capital city and surrounding areas. Online we can read anecdotes about assassins retiring to become drivers and the start of Somali Idol. The flurry of ambitious repairs to infrastructure and communities show that development is alive in Somalia.
Destruction in Somalia’s capital city.
This is not to say that Somalia is now fixed; there are still thousands of internationally displaced persons and refugees, violence continues, and rural areas lack the same attention Mogadishu receives. Most of all, the country continues to receive inadequate attention and support from the rest of the world. Nonetheless, it must be pointed out that the situation is leaps and bounds better than what most people believe to be true. Somalia is not a forsaken place and we cannot afford to treat it like it is.
When we only see badness in the Global South, we do a disservice to developing countries and those who live in them. Complex problems can only be improved after their complexity is acknowledged, and one-sided negativity prevents this from happening. Even a country with a weak government, food insecurity, and civil unrest should not be called a failed state. Besides the fact that there is no universally accepted definition of “failed state”, this phrase implies that an attempt is over; Somalia tried and failed. This is incredibly unsophisticated thinking and we must embrace humility in order see the world how it is instead of how we imagine it to be.
Where else do you think we see the developing world too simplistically?
Unhinge the Ouroboros 