The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) is a think tank based in
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Overview
The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research center which aims to inform and influence public policy and practice through field-based research, informed analysis and innovative solutions in the form of reports, policy briefs and public debates.
Established in
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
in January 2013, the HIPS has begun writing reports and policy papers to advise the nascent Somali government, international organizations, and other local actors. In its first six months, HIPS has provided commentary and guidance on topics as diverse as educational opportunities in Somalia, displaced nationals, and domestic diplomatic initiatives in Kismayo and the self-declared state of
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
.
Notable speakers include
Asha Haji Elmi,
Mohamed Nur "Tarzan" and
Mohamed Ali Ameriko.
As part of its mission, the HIPS will also promote a culture of learning and research in Somalia. It aims to do so by launching a series of public libraries across the country, organizing summer book fairs and offering research courses and fellowships to postgraduate students and aspiring researchers.
HIPS is headed by Afyare Elmi.
Controversy
In 2013, the UN Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group alleged in a report that HIPS and its Director Abdi Aynte were complicit in financial mismanagement by Somali government officials.
The Heritage Institute published an official response on its website, where it dismissed the allegations as false and suggested that the claims undermined the UN's commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Think tanks based in Somalia