Abdi Aynte returned to Somalia to create the country’s first research institute, which recently surveyed the perception of people in Mogadishu. And the numbers show something surprising: Somalis are optimistic about progress being made and want to participate in the country’s new democracy. And they want to see the involvement of more women in government.
Abdi Aynte is the founder and executive director of Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, Somalia’s first think tank, based in Mogadishu. He’s an award-winning journalist with 10 years of experience, working for some of the best names in the industry including Al Jazeera and BBC. As a widely published writer, Aynte’s articles have been published by the New York Times, Foreign Affairs and African Arguments. Aynte has advised the UN, AMISOM and a number of international organizations on Somalia.