As tribalism in somaliland has reached to point whereby cannot tolerate any more, situation has influenced writing this article against the same. to being with with , first and foremost , a tribe is a human social system existing before the emergence of nation states and, in some cases, continuing to exist independent of the state structure. Historically, tribal societies consisted only of a relatively small, local population. The internal social structure of a tribe can vary greatly from case to case, but is often a relatively simple structure, with few (if any) significant social distinctions between individuals. Due to the difficulty in agreeing on the characteristics of tribal society as opposed to structures termed band, clan, or chiefdom, many anthropologists decided to abandon the term as an artificial construct describing only a hypothetical, unreal society. The alternative term, ethnic group, substituted in many cases. Still, the notion of an ideal society, with many of the characteristics often attributed to tribal societies, remains an intriguing and attractive possibility. A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states though some modern theorists hold that “contemporary” tribes can only be understood in terms of their relationship to states. The actual word, “tribe,” is of uncertain origin before the Roman usage. The “tri” part of tribe referred to three tribes or political ethnic divisions The term is often loosely used to refer to any non-Western or indigenous society. Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship; especially corporate descent groups (see clan and lineage).
With tribes, it is often the intricate networks of relationships among kin that form the very fabric of their societies.. One method that makes tribal societies effective is that the family is the place where all teachings are handed down from the grandparent, to the parent, and to the child. Elders are expected to guide to the future, the leaders in the community. They are the storytellers of history; it is through their stories that a lesson is to be learned. They are role models for children, and play a very important part in their development. This is how a positive mental health is established for children, even the children yet to be born.Children and elders provide a nurturing and educational day-to-day experience for everyone else, as one represents the past, while the other will one day represent the future. Both are sensitive yet independent thinkers, loving yet will speak their mind. The wisdom and innocence that they rub off on each other and those around them establishes the sense of compassion and responsibility that leads to a nonviolent society. Tribal traditions and practices have tremendous contributions to civilization and modern philosophy, yet this awareness is often lacking in popular consciousness, and have often gone unrecognized, or been underrated by historians and social scientists. As long as there is narrow or old material on tribal living, where members are portrayed as mostly dwellers of the desert or the jungle that dress in layers of clothing or walk around naked as they hunt for food, the rewarding side of this ancient tradition will be wasted. The transition from band-type societies, through clan and tribal organizations, into nation-states was peaceful only when accomplished without disruption of the basic ties which link the individual to the larger society by a sense of a common history, culture and kinship. The sense of “belonging” to a nation by virtue of such shared ties promotes cooperation, altruism and respect for other members.
Bedouin communities were instrumental in the transformation processes which affected the social, political, economic, and cultural landscapes of the Arab East from the late Ottoman period to the establishment of independent nation states. There are people who believe that the tribal life of Somalis was better than a modern urban society. In general usage, the word “tribe” is taken to denote a primary aggregate of peoples living in a primitive or barbarous condition under a headman or chief. The unnecessary moralistic overtones that this usage implies can be avoided or minimized by the use of the expression “tribal society,” which is to be preferred to such synonyms as “primitive society” or “preliterate society. The remarkable advances that have been achieved in the empirical study of tribal societies in recent years make these judgments in many respects untenable. It is true that no one seriously questions the importance of kinship organization in most tribal societies, but the conclusion that this implies the exclusion of territorial ties can no longer be maintained. Almost all sedentary tribal societies have well-defined groupings based on common occupation of territory. In some ways, traditional culture and modern culture are alike. Any culture is a system of learned and shared meanings. People learn and share things over the course of generations, and so we say they are a culture. Traditional and modern culture functions similarly because both are ways of thinking, ways of relating to people and to the universe. The beginning of culture was language. The first word was culture. Someone looked up from whatever else was going on and said something, and that first word was the building block of all human culture. You could pass it around. You could imitate it or change it. Its meaning could be shared among people.
Traditional culture, such as our human ancestors enjoyed, is held together by relationships among people — immediate family, extended family, clan and tribe. Everyone lives nearby. Everyone knows how he or she fits into the mix because relationships, and the behaviours that go along with them, are clearly defined. “Brother” is someone toward whom I must act like a brother. “Uncle” is someone from whom I expect a certain kind of behaviour. If I violate what is expected, everyone will know. Perhaps there will be severe consequences. But this does not rob the humans who live traditional culture of their individuality. Some brothers act differently from other brothers.
During the Berlin Conference in 1886, our former colonisers did not care about the well-being of Africans as they secured access to resources. The reality is that these formal borders worsened relations among tribes because some were advantaged at the expense of others. Before these demarcations you had instances where other tribes regarded themselves as better than the others because of the geographical location they found themselves in. This perpetuated the scramble for resources as those who were marginalised waged a battle which took a tribal posture. There is nothing wrong that we origin tribes. The challenge comes when leaders use tribalism to advance selfish interests and courses; they use it to securing power and oppress and talk against their political opponents. Tribalism only creates conflicts when leaders use tribal lines to emerge to hold power. Taken into account our news media, which almost ring the bell of tribalism, Somaliland at a crossroads of putting together a society that has been in disarray for more than two decades; mired by a long civil war and social fragmentation prompted by tribalism. Tribalism is ugly and was rejected by the ancient Greeks and developed societies. The failure to recognize the adverse consequences of tribalism in Somalia especially in the areas of social and economic development was hindered by political opportunists who pushed for political and economic spoils by appealing to false nationalism.
Tribalism is very strong in Africa despite after 500 years of colonisation. When Europeans landed in Africa 500 years ago they realised two things: There were not countries borders in Africa but there were invisible ethnic group borders. But for Europeans to dominate and conquer Africa they used one tribe against another tribe because there were already rivalries among tribes in Africa. Europeans managed to achieve their goals and some Africans were captured and sold as slaves with help of some tribe’s chiefs. But at end white men killed all African tribe chiefs and occupied all Africa, divided it into countries and created new borders with diverse tribes in each country that we see today in Africa such as Ghana, Nigeria or Uganda. There is nothing wrong for Africans to know about the origin of their tribes. But why tribalism still creating new conflicts in Africa! Nowadays, Somaliland politicians are using tribe issues to get vote from people, we saw what happened many counties in Africa like in Kenya, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, etc. Somaliland is not moving toward democracy. Whenever there is an election due to take place in Somaliland, it ends always ends up in controversy. Somaliland politicians could diminish the tribe problems in our country by promoting nationalism in our country, but tribes matter it suit them well because many Somaliland politicians get into power by using tribes issues. The same system Europeans used in past, now African politicians are using the same system to divide Africans for their own interest. Tribes issue is one of traditional is holding us back, it’s time to begin to think push for democracy, human rights, good education system based in African values and the basic conditions of living. It’s time for us to have change of mindset, forget about division of tribes and focus more in united Somaliland, human rights and kick out the tribal minded politicians. There are individuals in Somaliland who are greed; they only get into politic because they believe that the quickest way to get rich and not to defend interest of their people. We should let go some of useless traditions that it holding them back.
Modern culture developed in some areas of the planet as human societies grew larger. Mass in some form — first the development of large work forces and armies, and later the development of mechanized means of production — was an important force in changing traditional culture into modern culture. The shift from rural life to urban life is at the core of the development of modern culture. While traditional and modern culture may be similar in some ways, in some very significant ways they are clearly different from each other.In essence; tribal practices are occupying a vacuum created by lack of strong democratic institutions. Tribal interests have played a major role in armed conflict and civil unrest across the continent. The traditional usage of the term tribalism is positive — meaning that one prefers to interact and stay with one’s tribal ancestors. This does not mean that the person hates any other group, just that he prefers other who’s physical and social characteristics more closely resemble his own. Tribalism is the discrimination and animosities caused by tribal groups among each other that create social, economic, physical, emotional, and religious sabotage within their society. The history of tribalism started decades ago when our fore fathers were domesticating, killing and selling themselves as slaves, despite they spoke different tongues, stay within the same kingdom, same culture, same skin colour, same continent, they still hated each other, kill each other and had inborn hatred for one another. Today modern tribalism still exists, and is contributing towards the underdevelopment of our continent. The continent of Africa has given the world a rich tradition of folk tales, music, arts and architecture. However, its countries differences are great which mostly comprise of many ethnic groups, religions, languages and economic system that separate them. These differences has lead to conflict, between countries and among ethnic groups within countries on the continent that brought about the lack of economic development in most African countries which is a long standing issue. Because of tribalism; war, hunger, animosity, poverty, hatred, destruction and corruption has made our continent their dwelling place. In many countries in Africa tribalism is still a major problem. Example: Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Kenya, Ghana, Zaire, Central African Republic, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Angola and etc. Because of tribalism some Africans are unable to move freely, speak freely in open places, despite they all have the same origin.
The challenge to democracy in Somaliland is not the prevalence of ethnic diversity, but the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests. It is tribalism. There are those who argue that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that force different communities to live within artificial borders. This argument suggests that every ethnic community should have its own territory, which reinforces ethnic competition. The last 20 years of Somalia have shown the dangers of ethnic competition and underscore the importance of building nations around ideas rather than clan identities. Much attention over the last two decades has been devoted to removing autocrats and promoting multiparty politics. But in the absence of efforts to build genuine political parties that compete on the basis of ideas, many African countries have reverted to tribal identities as foundations for political competition. Leaders often exploit tribal loyalty to advance personal gain, parochial interests, patronage, and cronyism. But tribes are not built on democratic ideas but thrive on zero-sum competition. As a result, they are inimical to democratic advancement. In essence, tribal practices are occupying a vacuum created by lack of strong democratic institutions. Tribal interests have played a major role in armed conflict and civil unrest across the continent. It is disturbing that in the 21st century, tribalism still finds expression in the Somaliland. One would have hoped that this archaic practice would have completely vanished because it has never assisted in the development of the continent. We must Africans must know that there is nothing wrong with knowing our tribes and understanding where they originate from. When Europeans landed in Africa they realised that there were no country borders but invisible ethnic group borders and established kingdoms. In order for them to dominate and conquer Africa they used one tribe against another, exploiting the rivalry among tribes.
Tribalism, no longer an obstacle to self-government , it is still an obstacle to national unity… impose artificial divisions on already complex patterns of tribal and sub tribal groupings. despite its, disadvantages, nevertheless, so many men and women in Somaliland still support tribalism.., tribalism is behaviour, attitudes that are based on being loyal to a tribe or other social group. It is the very first social system that human beings have lived in. Tribalism can also be said as the possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separates a person as a member of a one group from members of another group. Nepotism on the other hand is the showing of favouritism for relatives or friends based upon that relationship, rather than on an objective evaluation of ability or suitability, for instance by offering employment to a relative, despite the fact that there are others who are better qualified and willing and able to perform the job. The majority of people who immigrate to America, or are born first generation, live a similar lifestyle to that of their peers when dealing with the outside world, whether in schools or the work place. They face the same issues with regards to government and commerce. They also pursue similar forms of entertainment, such as the movie theatres, restaurants and concerts. Perhaps the biggest difference between modern societies and tribal societies is the importance placed on kin. In most modern societies, kin outside the immediate circle of close relatives such as mother, father, husband, wife, son and daughter rarely play much of a role in each other’s lives and are usually only seen at family gatherings.
Tribalism and democracy in Somali land have a multifaceted relationship..The fact that national identity and tribal identity are not closely aligned in many African countries certainly presents a problem for reconciliation. Somali-land democratic transition is back in the spotlight. The concern is no longer the stranglehold of autocrats, but the hijacking of the democratic process by tribal politics. The challenge to democracy in Somali-land is not the prevalence of ethnic diversity, but the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests. It is tribalism. There are those who argue that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that force different communities to live within artificial borders. This argument suggests that every ethnic community should have its own territory, which reinforces ethnic competition. The last 20 years of Somalia have shown the dangers of ethnic competition and underscore the importance of building nations around ideas rather than clan identities. Much attention over the last two decades has been devoted to removing autocrats and promoting multiparty politics. But in the absence of efforts to build genuine political parties that compete on the basis of ideas, many African countries have reverted to tribal identities as foundations for political competition. Leaders often exploit tribal loyalty to advance personal gain, parochial interests, patronage, and cronyism. But tribes are not built on democratic ideas but thrive on zero-sum competition. As a result, they are inimical to democratic advancement. At present, there are thousands of Somalis who immigrate overseas, or are born first generation, live a similar lifestyle to that of their peers when dealing with the outside world, whether in schools or the work place. They face the same issues with regards to government and commerce. They also pursue similar forms of entertainment, such as the movie theatres, restaurants and concerts. Perhaps the biggest difference between modern societies and tribal societies is the importance placed on kin. In most modern societies, kin outside the immediate circle of close relatives such as mother, father, husband, wife, son and daughter rarely play much of a role in each other’s lives and are usually only seen at family gatherings. With tribes, it is often the intricate networks of relationships among kin that form the very fabric of their societies.
So specifically, what does the tribal way offer? How is it unique from a corporation or organization that looks out for the best interest of its employees and members? Well, the latter is void of the children and elders who are as essential to our spiritual growth as food and water is to our body. In his book Beyond Civilization,. One method that makes tribal societies effective is that the family is the place where all teachings are handed down from the grandparent, to the parent, and to the child. Elders are guides to the future, the leaders in the community. They are the storytellers of history; it is through their stories that a lesson is to be learned. They are role models for children, and play a very important part in their development.. Children and elders provide a nurturing and educational day-to-day experience for everyone else, as one represents the past, while the other will one day represent the future. Both are sensitive yet independent thinkers, loving yet will speak their mind. The wisdom and innocence that they rub off on each other and those around them establishes the sense of compassion and responsibility that leads to a nonviolent society.Tribal traditions and practices have tremendous contributions to civilization and modern philosophy, yet this awareness is often lacking in popular consciousness, and have often gone unrecognized, or been underrated by historians and social scientists. As long as there is narrow or old material on tribal living, where members are portrayed as mostly dwellers of the desert or the jungle that dress in layers of clothing or walk around naked as they hunt for food, the rewarding side of this ancient tradition will be wasted. The transition from band-type societies, through clan and tribal organizations, into nation-states was peaceful only when accomplished without disruption of the basic ties which link the individual to the larger society by a sense of a common history, culture and kinship. The sense of “belonging” to a nation by virtue of such shared ties promotes cooperation, altruism and respect for other members.
The genuine innocent look, a smile on their faces, children will beam at anybody irrespective of your tribe or colour. Children are so pure, innocent and pristine with regards to their perception about life in this world. They relate very well with anybody irrespective of your tribe or race. This goes on to proof that human beings are generally born good people from infancy, until they begin to associate themselves with their fellow human beings.Parents, guardians and society play tremendous roles in the lives of every human being. None is born racist or bigot from their childhood. It’s their parents, guardians, and society that shape their perception about other tribes and races. Growing up from tolerant parents, guardians and society goes a long way to produce tolerant and color blind adults that blend well with the rest of the world. Unbelievably, tribalism and racism still makes the entire world look so fussy. Making it very difficult for some ignorant people to fully accept, cherish and tolerate their fellow human beings as colleagues, friends, or to be in courtship just simply because of their tribes or the color of their skin. Tribalism and racism all over the world is real. Anybody who thinks those social diabolical traits don’t exit is only attempting to bury their heads in the sand not to hear, see or have decided to live in the fool’s paradise. Peeling off this chronic ignorance of mankind, needs effective education. This will sensitize the entire world. This form of ignorance is still pervasive in both illiterates and literates throughout the entire world. It must be thoroughly eradicated to enable mankind completely realize the full potentials of the human race.
We need to establish anti tribal organizations that promotes peace building and human rights to overcome what is believed to be one of the major problems facing Somaliland (Tribalism). The goals for the subject organization are to promoting total peace in Somaliland among the society. Making Somaliland a habitat, not a hostile ground. Bringing society to one peaceful mindset. Transforming society from a place of “fear” to a place of “peace. Creating unity, and togetherness among citizens from different tribal backgrounds Ending conflicts among tribal groups through dialogue and conflict resolution Bringing Somali-land together as one person. Making Somali-land a harmless paradise free of Tribalism. Eradicating discrimination and social injustices among marginalized groups and promoting Gender equality and the rights of women and girls of diverse backgrounds. At the time globalisation in affect many various parts of the world, we did not yet immigrated from tribalism. Globalism, Nationalism, Tribalism establishes a new basis for understanding the changing nature of polity and community and offers unprecedented attention to these dominant trends. Nationalism is taken seriously as a continuing and important formation of contemporary identity and politics..Understand the devastating consequences of tribalism. Be prepared to explain those consequences with people. Learn more about the. Try to confirm all news articles with other sources, to ensure you do not draw conclusions based on biased news stories. . While the subject of these essays might argue for including them there, my focus in the Tribalism essays is on the complex interrelationships of intimately personal and family dynamics examined in conjunction with very broad cultural and political forces..
Tribalism and democracy ‘are incompatible they cannot exist together as political systems in the one nation’. Tribalism, ‘on principles of inequality’, since kin status was what mattered. Tribalism and democracy are mutually incompatible. No system of government that the world ever saw and can better than democracy. When a small number of individuals seek to effect major change in the societies in which they live, the success of their efforts depends on a variety of factors. Among them are the clarity of their vision. In terms of how successful they are, one factor can be of great importance: the alliances they are able to forge, and the segments of society to which the different parts of those alliances appeal. Such alliances can be determinable in the success of the overall effort. Tribalism is a mental prison and pride of identity coupled with arrogance is one of the leading factors that limit one’s ability to abandon it.” When people have tried everything and have discovered that nothing works, they will tend to revert to what they know best which will often be the tribe. There is no one among us who is not essential to know to which tribe, or which subgroup of which tribe, the president belongs. From this single piece of information you can trace the lines of patronage and allegiance that define the state. Human nature, as manifested in tribalism and nationalism, provides the momentum of the machinery of human evolution. Tribalism is the sense of the deep bond of family, the closed society as the norm of community.Tribalism is the product of irrationalism and collectivism. It is a logical consequence of modern philosophy. If men accept the notion that reason is not valid, what is to guide them and how are they to live? Obviously, they will seek to join some group any group which claims the ability to lead them and to provide some sort of knowledge acquired by some sort of unspecified means. If men accept the notion that the individual is helpless, intellectually and morally, that he has no mind and no rights, that he is nothing, but the group is all, and his only moral significance lies in selfless service to the group they will be pulled obediently to join a group.
Anyone who is true citizen has freed from tribalism. A good citizen is one who is a good person. There seems to be no scope for differentiating between the two – for a weak or a bad person cannot be a good citizen and it holds true the other way round also. It is a man’s everyday behaviour and his everyday virtues which count and contribute to his character. A good citizen is one whose behavior is consistent with the canons of self-respect and social justice and he should be reliable both in peace and war.The first and foremost quality asked of a good citizen is patriotism. He should have a genuine love for his country and should have a sense of involvement in its day to day affairs, in its economic policies and its international relationships. All this cannot be achieved overnight: it is the product of a good training and a good heritage and various other factors contribute towards patriotic feelings. The first among these is the right kind of upbringing. If a child hears only stories of betrayal and listens to a discussion of the various methods of making easy money, he is unlikely to imbibe any good qualities. The hand that rocks the cradle shapes the world. Honesty, integrity and self-respect are the qualities that can only be nurtured at home. These form the foundation of good citizenship.A home and a family are a miniature group. If a person gets his values and priorities correct while living in it, he will make a good citizen. A good citizen must put the interest of his country before his own personal interest and he should not enter into any contract which may prove harmful to the interest of his country and he must do his share of the work and share due responsibilities. These are the qualities which add up to strength and character. A good citizen puts his country before self. There are many jobs which if correctly performed add to the national progress. Industries, when expanded properly, become a part of national wealth. They provide opportunities for employment and development. A farmer, a teacher, a soldier each one is important in his own role. He who loves his country puts his heart in his job and does it to the best of his ability. In the event anyone is true citizen, then the tribal slogans that we hear from some unpatriotic figures of the society, then the same has no affect to this category of the society,
Ismail Yusuf. – Rabasoro55@hotmail.co.uk
