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    <title>Mercy Corps Civil Society Features</title>
    <link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/</link>
    <description>The Latest Mercy Corps Civil Society Content</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>(c) 2007 Mercy Corps</copyright>
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<item>
	<title>Taking Charge of the Recovery</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/2773/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[In Jeremy Barnicle's four years at Mercy Corps, he often heard colleagues talk about &quot;community mobilization&quot; as something central to our approach in the field, but never really understood it &amp;mdash; until Kan Bet.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:02:55 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Slideshow: Faces of the Gobi</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/economicdevelopment/2770/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Here are some of the people and landscapes we encountered on a two-week, 1,600 mile journey over Mongolia's deserts, mountains and steppes.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:03 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Campaigning for Iraq's Disabled</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/2466/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[NBC's Ned Colt reports the story of Tiana Tozer, a Mercy Corps staffer in the Middle East who is making a difference in the lives of disabled Iraqis — and advocating for their rights in a changing country.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:57:17 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Ethnic Minority Families Return Home</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/kosovo/2184/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[For almost a decade, Mercy Corps has been working with families, communities, local government agencies and partner organizations to facilitate the return of families who wish to go home.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:20:01 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Helping a Failed State Succeed</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/2137/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps' work in Somalia ranges from helping fishermen increase their yields to teaching new conflict-management skills to building vital transportation links. In three districts of southern Somalia, a major Mercy Corps &quot;cash-for-work&quot; program is giving people the opportunity to earn money; helping communities build and repair infrastructure; and teaching local groups to set priorities, make plans and implement projects in the absence of strong government support. 

Inherent in all this work is a fundamental question for all international actors in Somalia: How do you help a failed state succeed?

Since the collapse of President Siad Barre's government in 1991, Somalia has been seen as the quintessential failed state. The country, a boomerang-shaped rim along the Horn of Africa, has struggled to establish a stable government, maintain law and order, and improve the difficult living conditions most of its inhabitants endure. Economic growth is anemic outside the country's surprisingly strong service sector in urban areas. Infrastructure has been decimated. Only about one in 10 Somali children attend school.

For many Americans, mention of Somalia conjures up images of &quot;Black Hawk Down,&quot; the 1993 incident — chronicled in Mark Bowden's bestselling book and later adapted into a Hollywood movie — where Mogadishu militias killed 18 U.S. soldiers who were part of a multinational peacekeeping operation. International attention went elsewhere, but the chaos continued. Today Somalia can be considered one of the world's &quot;silent disasters.&quot;

What is labeled &quot;Somalia&quot; on today's world map is actually composed of three relatively autonomous regions:

Somaliland, a former British colony in the northwest of Somalia, has declared that it considers itself distinct from the rest of Somalia. The region has its own system of governance and is seeking recognition from the international community as an independent nation.

Puntland, in the northeast of the country, has also established its own political system, though it considers itself part of a federated Somalia and its elected leader serves as part of the country's Transitional Federal Government. 

Then there's the rest of Somalia, the south and south-central parts of the country.  It is this area where competing clans struggle for control, where kids only dream of attending school, where infrastructure is crumbling from 15 years of war and neglect.

And this is where this story of Mercy Corps' newest project in Somalia begins.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:17:44 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Q&amp;A with Abdikadir Mohamed</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/tsunami/2138/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[An ethnic Somali, Abdikadir Mohamed has served as Mercy Corps' top representative in Somalia since June 2006.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:16:27 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Gaining Social Inclusion for Intellectual Disabilities</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/2133/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[How do you get the community to take notice of a group of persons who simply seek social inclusion? Invite them for a walk.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:35:15 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Recovery Amid Conflict</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/tsunami/1752/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is helping Sri Lankan families from different income levels and ethnic backgrounds to find gainful and sustainable employment.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:01:07 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Finally Home</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/emergencies/1769/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[After years of post-conflict displacement, a Bosnian mother and her young son find a new home through Mercy Corps.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:31:23 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Rebuilding Peace by Piece</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/economicdevelopment/1766/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Tjak Tohata and his family were getting used to staying in a barn - but Mercy Corps helped them return home.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2007 08:42:25 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Community Groups Helping Neighbors</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/economicdevelopment/1723/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Tsunami-affected communities are putting their rebuilding plans on hold to help families displaced by recent violence.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:29:19 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>How to Really Advance Social Justice in Colombia</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/1726/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[The Bush Administration and U.S. Congress need to reorient U.S. policy in Colombia.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:51:29 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>A New Harvest</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/economicdevelopment/1659/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Darjeeling tea is one of the world's most enjoyable beverages - but it doesn't come easily to your cup.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:30:59 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Kosovo's New Beginning</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/civilsociety/1673/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is pleased at the resolution of Kosovo's political and legal status.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:42:34 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>A Brighter Future for Kosovo</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/kosovo/1624/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps has proposed specific recommendations for securing peace and stability in Kosovo.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:09:46 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Giving Youth a Voice</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/kosovo/1627/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is helping students in Kosovo to gain a voice in the issues that affect them most.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:49:49 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Rallying Around a Goal</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/kosovo/1628/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Nebil Mjeku wanted to build pride in their community and get citizens working together again.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:50:22 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>A Liberating Chain</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/kosovo/1629/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[In Reqane, Kosovo, citizens are helping one another succeed and bringing the quality of their agricultural products to national attention - and beyond. In less than two years, they have forged an agricultural supply chain with strong links. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:31:12 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Giving Youth a Voice</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/peacefulchange/1665/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is helping students in Kosovo to gain a voice in the issues that affect them most.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:50:58 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Q&amp;A: Afghanistan, Five Years After the Taliban Fell</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/women/1545/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Michael Bowers, former Mercy Corps Country Director in Afghanistan, describes his experiences and shares his thoughts.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:01:31 -0700</pubDate>
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