Albany is working with a wide range of national and international civilian and military stakeholders to deprive Al-Shabaab of local support. Our aim is to deliver small scale, innovative, community engagement activities with a focus on areas newly recovered from Al-Shabaab control, with a focus within Jubbaland, the South West, Hirshabelle and Galmadug States.
Albany takes an ‘Everything Communicates Something’ approach to our work. So as areas of territory are recovered, we consider the full spectrum of communications angles and mediums open to us to facilitate a community engagement focused approach by our partners. Whether this be through radio and social media campaigning, town hall debates, sporting activities and participatory mapping, we delve into the heart of communities and communicate their views. By addressing the drivers of community insecurity and providing creative channels for expression and dialogue, we build resilience to Al-Shabaab narratives and recruitment drives.
Through our comprehensive communications approach, Albany continues to form a series of platforms for dialogue between communities and the security forces. This has been driven through operational and District-level interim consultation forums and community-driven activities, which, despite the fragility of the environment, engage the spectrum of society and empowers their voice.