Democracy Through Mobile Technology
Challenge
Somaliland and Puntland wide voter education campaign to reach 20,000 high risk and hard to reach youth in rural and urban areas. Shaqodoon Organization reaches through well focused information and messages using TV and mobile phone technology to reach out and educate them on elections, characteristics of potential candidates, and the value of their votes to put youth unemployment in the agenda. The messages was sent was designed to enhance peace and democracy during the campaigns and the voting.
Project Goals
To empower the local community by providing a Platform that endeavors to give voice to the general public.
Promoting accountability and transparency in governance and developmental agencies to meet the needs of communities especially those that are hard to reach.
Key Activities
The programs aimed to empower 20,000 hard to reach and at risk youth through mobile phone technology and mass media to enable them to participate in the election process and thus strengthen Somaliland and Puntland democratic process.
To educate civil society organizations in using InfoMatch to enable them to reach more youth and to enhance their course.
Impact
Reached 20,000 youth with target communication materials about Somaliland Puntland Elections.
Trained 24 civil society organizations about governance and InfoMatch platform to dissemination information to youth in their communities.
Using mobile technology the project enables volunteers and polling stations monitors the ability to report in real time directly on voting-related events occurring in their polling stations during elections using SMS [mobile phone text messaging]. Monitors will report on qualitative data about how well the election is executed. This may include information on time each polling location opens, status updates on whether there are enough ballots available; observations on the existence of open access to polling places, and reports on intimidation or any other irregularities. The data will be sent from mobile numbers that are pre-designated to trained election-day staff and volunteers. Their data will be received in real time into a database, collated and shared for later analysis and review. The results will be made public through appropriate media. The activity is designed to empower citizens and discourage fraud during voter registration and polling. Reported data will be available real time to National Electoral Commission and local authorities for immediate action and will serve as an early warning system. The data can be used by authorities and NEC for action as well as future planning and decision making to improve the National Election and processes at national polling stations.
More Details
Project Director: Mustafa Othman | Email
Location: Somaliland and Puntland
Start Date - End Date: 9/13/2012 to 10/15/2015
Donor(s): National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
Partner(s): National Endowment for Democracy (NED)