Hiraal

Hiraal is a Somali word which means to journey towards a better place, and doing the necessary actions to ensure the destination is safely reached. The word perfectly captures the aim of this Institute. Towards its goal of securing Somalia, its research will aid the understanding of policymakers, the media, and academia, and help in shaping Somalia’s journey to stability and security.

Thematic areas

HI will produce policy ideas and research papers on key security and stability issues that pertain to Somalia and the wider region, with emphasis on Somalia and its neighbors. Each thematic area will come under a division to be led by a qualified individual with a track record in that area.

National Security

HI will conduct research on issues of national security in order to support and counsel Somalia’s security institutions and provide an objective analysis of their activities and appropriate recommendations.

Topics will cover areas such as the appropriate use of counterinsurgency principles in Somalia, security sector reform, military reform and integration, DDR, and so on. The following areas will be covered as the Institute develops itself: maritime security, cyber security, environmental security, aviation security, energy security, and human security.

Counterterrorism

HI will research on and produce policy ideas to tackle the issue of terrorism that has held back Somalia. Using its broad knowledge base of Somalia’s extremist and terrorist groups, the Institute will be a valuable tool in shedding light on current dynamics of said groups.  It will therefore produce predictive analysis, incident tracking, threat assessment, and policy options to assist policymakers. These products will be tailored to needs or requests by stakeholders.

Products and services

1. Commentary/briefings: These will be 800-1500 words analyzing emerging and complex issues and putting them in easy to understand language for policy makers and/or the general public. These will be produced at least once a fortnight and also as issues arise. Where appropriate, briefings will be made public in the Institute’s website as blogs and/or shared directly with the relevant policymakers.
2. In-depth research reports : These will be feature-length and will be the main tool by which HI will shed light on little known issues, suggest potential actions, and provide unique and feasible policy actions.
3. Analytical newsletter: This is a subscription-based security and political analysis periodical paper that will be published once a month. This will make it easier for readers to understand security issues and political dynamics, both within AS and the Somali government.
4. Capacity building services: through its research, HI will identify areas in need of capacity building within security institutions, and accordingly design and provide the necessary capacity building training or introduction of best practices and mechanisms.