Peace and justice are both very abstract terms that mean different things to different people. Some people think justice is primary and peace is secondary.

This is the view embodied in the frequently-heard phrase "if you want peace, fight for justice." Others think that peace (read "conflict resolution") will bring justice.

This is the view held by many mediators who believe that consensus-based conflict resolution processes not only end conflicts (i.e., bring peace), but in so doing, render justice that is often more just than that delivered through adversarial, political, or legal systems.

This debate is reiterated in the oft-heard debate between activists and advocates on the one hand, and mediators on the other.

Both see themselves as pursuing "justice," but advocates charge that mediators sacrifice justice for peace by down-playing social structural or justice issues, while mediators charge that advocates sacrifice peace for justice by intentionally escalating conflicts to win converts to their own cause.

Minority Communities in several parties of Somalia face a range of conflicts, primarily related to competition for limited social services and natural resources. Accordingly, SOMRAF main objective on Peace & Reconciliation programs is to address marginalization & resolve deep rooted social conflict that affecting minority clans through responsive Dialogue in all over Somalia.

The program is for local, regional and national reconciliation initiatives to contribute to a reduction in violent conflict and social tensions Somalia particularly toward minorities. Program activities will facilitate local dialogue and community-level activities that bring together a wide range of stakeholders in these changing communities to address causes of local conflicts marginalization and promote peace and stability. In order to ensure that reconciliation activities are both sustainable and viable, the programs will support existing local and regional structures: traditional decision-making institutions, local NGOs, local technical associations, and regional bodies linked to government officials and other key decision-makers in Somalia. Program activities will focus on the achievement of the following four objectives:

* An articulation of local factors that contribute to conflict, and those that support peace;
* A list of local reconciliation and peace building activities that they will undertake to address conflicts & deep rooted social conflict;
* A documentation of current reconciliation practices, whether formal or informal, and how they can be strengthened or complemented; and
* A set of priority actions that participants will seek to achieve by engaging support from key decision-makers such as government officials, donors, national and international organizations.

In order to survive with limited resources, Somalis still rely heavily on the protection and social support provided by clan and sub-clan networks. These clans have various means of interaction and negotiation, one of which is consultation with customary law, or xeer, when a conflict arises. This involves elders from each clan reviewing the history of clan interaction to determine the most appropriate recourse for an action done to a member of his clan. With the wide availability of weapons and decreasing authority of traditional leaders over youth and militias, this process has become increasingly ineffective and violent, and more often results in escalation of fighting between clans than in peaceful settlement.

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