Manhal Specialty Hospital opened in Hargeisa [Manhal Hospital opened in Hargeisa] This specialty hospital will provide cheap eye surgery and will help 95% of patients with seeing problems. According to Manhal who opened this hospital, normally a typical patient would have spend more than $2000 USD on top of travelling and accommodation expenses for a similar treatment overseas. The hospital will bring down costs for the locals to as little as $30 for most common treatments/operations, and just $1 dollar for medication or outpatient care expenses. This is made possible by funding recieved from WHO and Arab Medical Union as well as Manhal's own charity organisation. The new hospital will work with existing medical institutions such as the Hargeisa Group Hospital. Eye Camps at Hargeysa and Borama Hospital [Dr. Abdi Elmi Obsiye (Guji Sawirka dhexdiisa si aw u waynaado) ] Hashim Goth, Harowo reporter = BOORAMA, Last month May an eye camp was fulfilled at Hargeisa Group hospital and manhal Hospital (New Hospital), This eye camp was sponsored by the Arab Medical Union/EMRO/WHO and the local Ophthalmic Doctors from the Somaliland regions. I have met Dr.Abdi Elmi Obsiye on his return from Hargeisa Hospital and asked him, how fruit-ful was eye camp ? This was the most useful eye camp done in Somaliland and the Somaliland Ophthalmic doctors have also gained enough experience and knowledge frome their brothers of Arab Medical Union responded Dr,Obsiye again, this week anather preparation for Borama eye camp had started at Borama out patien department, and Dr,Obsiye was there screening the patiens. This Eye camp will be done on 19 Jun,2006, by the KIKUYU Eye team doctors and is sponsored by the ministry of Health of the Health commitee Board of the Region, During this period over 800 person will be screened and about 450 patiens from deffernt regions of somaliland will restore their vision. Somaliland graduates first post-civil war nurses By Moha Dahir Farah Jire HARGEISA, Somaliland- The first batch of nurses have graduated from Hargeisa Nursing College after undergoing three years of study in a ceremony held at the nursing station and officiated by the vice president of the republic of Somaliland, Ahmed Yousef Yasin. The ceremony was also attended by cabinet ministers, members of the parliament, the mayor of Hargeisa Eng. Hussein Mahmoud Jicir and representatives from UN agencies. The VP emphasized the importance of health for the community and highlighted the importance of having well-trained nurses. He also thanked the chairman of the school, Mr. Ahmed abdi Quule, who produced 56 nurses from the college. Mr. Quule noted that the last time the college had trained health workers was in 1987, and congratulated the students and advised them to continue their education until they reached the stage of medical doctors. Vice president Ahmed indicated to the gathering a role model for the graduates, foreign affairs minister Dr. Edna Adam Ismail, who rose from a nurse and tried hard to climb the ladder all the way to her present portfolio as head of the foreign ministry. “I wish you will see her as your role model and I wish you will reach the same level as her one day,†the VP said. Dr. Ismail, who also attended the ceremony, said that she was very proud to see the youths graduating from Hargeisa nursing school and it reminded her of when she was pursuing her education in nursing. The minister of health and labor Mr. Osman qasim Qodah on his part pointed out that his ministry had embarked on reopening the college after many former nurses had either died or retired. The director general of the ministry of health, Mr. Ahmed abdi jama, briefed the gathering on the history of the college, saying that it was established in the 1930s and was elevated to a nursing school in 1960 with the main aim of producing fully trained nurses and midwives. Due to the civil war of the early 1990s it could not continue to function, then was re-established in 2003. International agencies such as the UNHCR, WHO, UNDP and UNESCO also collaborated in the training of the nurses.

Xiinow Adeero... arinkaagu wuxu iskugu biyo shubanayaa maahmaahdii; Habar ayaa iska hawhawleh, heelada inoo tuma . Are you sure you are not the one housed under those cards you were talking about?

^^LOL Sheekaddaadu waa aan is xagxagano. How you delineate the clan border? Exactly! Now you are now thinking buddy. How the hell do you demarcate a clannish border is the million dollar question? But have Hargeisa secessionists ever bothered answering this question? No. I expected an answer from you Awoowe, what is this? You brought it forth as "a point", now you don't have an answer. Cajiib. It is not Hargeisa which is claiming clan borders, its the Puntland that you were talking about. Well let's start with Montenegro. The 44% who voted NO have taken part of the voting process which means they recognize the authority of Montenegro as a legitimate government for Montegnerians No? Awoowe, there was a reason for the "50%" voter turn-out rule which was put in place to avoid a situation whereby the "44%" would claim it didn't participate. What this "50%" voter turn-out rule does is that, you don't have to vote, you can boycott, and only if there are sufficient numbers (50.1% or more) then you can delegitimise the whole Referendum process. But so long as 50% of voters or more participate in the voting, the result becomes binding. The Somaliland Referendum was similar. Awoowe Somalia insist preserving its territorial integrity in spite of current political turmoil that engulfed the state. Surprisingly enough international community agrees Somalia on this assertion. May I remind you that even Ethiopia of all countries have been compelleed to clarify and make public statement on the status of its commercial attachee in Berbera It was Betros Ghaali (The Egyptian the former UN SG) who added that clause into the UN resolution in the early 1990s. And it was not for Somalia's sake he done that, it was more to do with the geo-politics of which his country wanted to maintain a foothold. Anways, that is old and doesn't reflect on the reality out there. The current UN SG, albet slow, has mandated his Rep to Somalia/Somaliland - the "Questions of Somaliland". That indeed shows things are changing. As for, Ethiopia is playing politics. It wants to have a foot'n in all aspects and please everyone. What it does is more relevant than what it says. The PM said something some years ago to the effect "Ethiopia will not be the first, and not the third"... By all means build the region, advance the peace, develop, invest, build the civic institution, wave the flag, and what have you but for crying out loud don't declare a unilateral separation and drag along entire communities who want to stay with their brethren. Don't speak on their behalf thank you they can and do speak for themselves loud and clear and don't tell me you doing this because you have been colonized by the same white b a s t a r d. This is unbecoming of you Suldaanoow! These folks don't want to be reminded that shameful period of their hiostory let alone using colonial era as justification for seceding from the rest of the country. Preposterous!! Awoowe, who said we were going back to colonialism? June 26 1960 is about the fall of colonialism and the gaining of independence.

I am sure you are not one of those who beleieve that SOOL and SANAAG are inhabited only by a certain clan that do not support Somaliland. So, if I might ask you, where exactly does this clan border that Puntland claims go through? Can it be defined? I only know a clan border which overlaps one another and continously shifts. You dodged many of my questions ealier, I await that you'll answer this one for me, Awoowe. Awoowe, Somaliland is claiming the borders that it inherited by the time it recieved its independence on 26 June 1960. This border is internationally known and is well defined. Awoowe, being civilised includes respecting how the world works and not how you think it works. In your opinion, you think the 44% of Montenegroens that voted "NO" are entitled to have a crack at their very own Referendum just to prove that "100%" of the "44%" are still voting for "NO"? cajiib :eek: Castro My old man, I think that question can only be answered by a native of that country. I can only talk about the obvious reality, which is that the majority of them see their future as an independent country. How, you ask them.

^ Awoowe, good to see that you were following the news. You see how easy its to dissolve a union? it just took hours counting the ballets. Waxaas ayaa aduun hore maray ah. We can indeed draw parallels between the two doomed projects of Somaliweyn and the Yoguslavia one. Both led to the internal disintegeration and ethnic/clan strive. Both failed. Both are history and exist no more. We see how the Unionists in Montenegro and Belgrade have swallowed their hopes after they were defeated. Likewise, as the Referendum of 2001 in Somaliland shows the overwhelming majority are in favour of independence, and will win hands down in any new Referendum, if you are not still convinced by that. So here is the challenge Baashow, Will our own Unionists be brave enough and accept the faith accompli? Mise waa is xagxaganna, oo daciifnimoda afrikaanka ayaynu prove garaynaa? Oo waxaynu ka dhignaa arinka; nimaan shantaadaasi kaa reebin sharci kaama reebo.

It looks like Montenegro has formally dissolved the union with Serbia in a small margin of just over the required 55%. BBC Montenegro chooses independence Bloomberg Montenegrin Voters Approve Split From Serbia, Committee Says CNNI Montenegro chooses independence

^^What was that suppose to mean Castrow? Duke We all know why you were hating on Sherifka when he was opposed to what you thought was the interest of your clan... we know why you are opposing Geedi now... we know why you will oppose when someone from other clans replaces your Godfather aka Col. Yey... Clanism 101 Duke-ow.

Take both paths and tear yourself apart for each path? LOL I am affraid Duke may try and attempt that. As for the topic, I think it was a haste decision from Gen. Cadde. I love how Somali Leaders talk to each other through the media.

^^ I am sure she did it on good heart. I love multiples. I hope to have twins at every birth. Cuteness overload You know it will be double everything.

I used to think it was about prowess of the holy liquid and the craving of the recieving end... hmmm There was this neighbor that had identical twins. So much alike that the mother had to mark one of the two boys by cutting a small piece from one of ears. We used to call him Dhegjar. They talked, walked and yes behaved like one another. You wouldn't tell apart unless you look which one was Dhegjar and which wasn't.

Montenegro is voting today as what many citizens regard as the most important Day in their recent history. They want to dissolve the union it had with Serbia. But here are the interesting facts. 1. Montenegro is voting for Referendum on Independence without Belgrade's approval and opposition. 2. Montenegro has been an autonomous state and has been using a different currency to that of Serbia since 2002. 3. There are minority groups of different ethnic backgrounds, including ethnic Serbs who are adamant about maintaining their union with their Serbian brothren. 4. The Pro Independence Movement led by the Prime Minister of Montenegro is looking for at least 55% to vote in favour for independence inorder to become the newest country in Europe and in the world for that matter. So far the voting is progressing nicely and reports suggest that the Serbs in the North have come out strongly trying to derail the independence movement. But observers are forcasting a strong Pro Independence result. Montenegro referendum easily meets turnout rule

Dairy product tie to having twins New research suggests that a diet high in dairy products can greatly increase a woman's chances of having twins. A study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine showed milk drinkers were five times more likely to have twins than women who ate no animal products. The numbers of twins in the world has increased significantly in the past 30 years, in some countries by over 50%. Scientists have suggested fertility treatments and women delaying pregnancy can help explain the rise. But this new research indicates that diet can also play an important part. Ovaries stimulated In the study, the twinning rates of women who ate a diet including milk were compared with women who followed a vegan, or no animal products diet. It is believed that a protein found in the livers of animals may be the cause. Called Insulin-like Growth Factor or IGF, it is found in cow's milk and other animal products. In women it makes the ovaries more sensitive and increases the number of eggs produced. Higher levels of IGF improve the survival chances of an embryo in the early stages of development. The effect is likely to be greater in countries such as the United States that allow growth hormones to be fed to cattle. The researcher behind this study says that women thinking of getting pregnant might consider alternatives to meat and dairy products to reduce their chances of having twins, as multiple births are more prone to complications.

MMA Try and get back to him/her and say that you were the only surviving son of Mohamed Siyad Barre the late dictator of Somalia and you have millions of dollars in a number of banks in the West and that you needed to transfere the money back to Africa... make a story up...

Very nice indeed. Garaad Cabdiqani Garaad Jamac wuxu ahaa nin nabaddeed oo magacweyn ku leh mandaqadda aadna looga tixgaliyo. Waxaan u rajaynayna garaadka cusub ee la caleemo saarayo inuu ilaahay u fududdeeyo xilka uuna noqdo mid buuxin kara jagaddi uu ka baxay alle ha u naxariiste Garaadkii beeshu ee dhawaan geeriyooday.

HAPPY 18th of May As is traditional these days, every year a new song is composed for the Flag, here is this year's entry have a nice read. ------- Title: CALAN GAARA Geestaa saree; muuqaalka Guud Geedo soo baxiyo; Gada midab u eeg Guyaad roobano; an la Goosan weli In towxiid Gingiman; Goga loo qoray Waa astaan gayigu; Gaar u leeyaho Guulahay anaga; Gooni nooga dhigay Gabal dhiciyo waa; gaashaan biriyo gaadh dablaan ahaan; adna waxaad gayiga goor walba u ahaan; calan gaar aho guud kiisa sudhan. Gubaniyo intii ; laga Gaadho hawd Ama yahay Galbeed; Goonyihiisa bari Garashiyo aqoon; ku Gudoon sado Tusmo lagu Ga'miyo; Gobol kaga dhexe Waa nagaanshe Guri; Gargaarow samaan La isla Garab socdo; Gogol nabadi taal Gabal dhiciyo waa; Gaashaan biriyo Gaadh dablaan ahaan; adna waxaad Gayiga Goor walba u ahaan; calan Gaar aho Guud kiisa sudhan. Goobihii dagaal; halGankii la Galay Guutooyinkii; kugu soo Guntaday Ma Gadmine xasuus; in laguu Gurmaday Gacmo dhiig lehiyo; Gobanimo ku timi Gumuciyo rasaas; waa tilmaan an Goin Caskan kugu Giblane; ku Guduutay hoos. Gabal dhiciyo waa; Gaashaan biriyo Gaadh dablaan ahaan; adna waxaad Gayiga Goor walba u ahaan; calan Gaar aho Guud kiisa sudhan.. Gabal dhiciyo waa; Gaashaan biriyo Gaadh dablaan ahaan; adna Goorkastaba calan Guul helo ; waxaad ahaan Gayiga Guudkiisa sudhan.

^^Baashow relax Awoowe I don't think you would want to put Somaliland on the same league as the warlords and other warlord related entities. You know Somaliland never gave a fig about terrorists until they provoked it by killing the aid workers that were providing badly needed basic services like food and health. And sxb, unlike others, Somaliland gives the terrorists their day in court!!! The warlords are in it for profit, Somaliland is in it for its own security. That is the difference Baashow. Ha isku khaldin.

The TFG is a toothless dysfunctional and (anytime by now) defunct entity, which is guest to the different warlords whether its in Jowhar or in Baidoba. So, it shouldn't be seen as surprise as to why the USA decided to work directly with the power brokers aka Warlords.

Maantaynu Calankii; Ciidiisi Keeno Cidhifyadda u taagno; Ciidamadu salaameen New SL Flag song Till then let’s give this grieve-stricken lot all the breathing room they need. It could be a healthy dose. ooh... talking tough are we, Xiinow? We never learn from the past Xiinow!!!

Could our esteemed Duke explain what he means by Orphans of the Queen?? It is something I wouldve expected from a preschooler. For the record Mr. Duke... guess who is boasting of his Britishness...

Again you lose the plot, in my last post I stated if you blame Puntland then also blame Yemen. Your answer was that yemen is doing a good job, then why does it not stop , why is this trade lucrative and why do people take the risk if Yemen is not seen as a soft spot. Duke, It takes two to tango. At least Yemen has made it hard for the traffickers to dump people on the shores, that is why they are dumping people in the high seas - which is really a sad and heartless thing. There is little Yemen can do if the traffickers are dumping people in the middle of the sea. But the thing is, Has Puntland ever done anything to reach this lame conclusion of "still quite a long strip"? Did it arrest the culprits? Did it confiscate the boats? Had the Puntland Police ever raided one of the many "Death Chambers" that are located just outside Bosaso. Had it ever captured a boat before leaving? Did ever take any action whatsoever? That answer is NO, NO, NO, NO and a BIG NOOOO. What does that tell you Duke? Commonsense. People are being massacred Duke. This no time for you to put that famous face. :mad:

^^ Human lifes we are speaking off, not dirtying the image of Puntland (if it had any to be dirtiedl) I didn't make any thing up, listen to the reporter from Widhwidh Online who visited the area and examined the deplorable situation in the "Death Chambers" or otherwise locally refered to as the "Xero Adhi"; perhaps a shrewd reference to what it is a "Slaughter House".... "...then Yemen is also in on it as it does not stop the trafickers from coming into their sea at will" I don't know what sort of reasoning you are using but I find this ridiculously outrageous. How can you accuse Yemen for that. The reason why the Puntland traffickers are dumping people in the high seas, is because the Yemenis are doing their job. The Yemenis will arrest them like they recently did when they captured a boat. It is the Puntland authority which is either too incompetent in doing anything about this great tragedy, or particaping in it altogther. Either way, since Puntland is the source, then the culprits and the authority in that area are both to blame. "Puntland has along coastline that is easy for the transportation of people" To my knowledge, the overwhelming majority of traffickers use the shores of Bari Region, to be specific; the area that face the "Red Sea" of that region. See the red line in the map below (the green line is the Pirates area, another sad case of Puntland) Why this area only, Mr. Duke?? Can you honestly answer that question without going kukuu. And yes, if you could, why are the culprits whom are very well known roaming around Puntland? Why isn't the authority doing anything about the "Xero Adhi" Death Chamber? These questions need answers...

^^Exactly money is what its all about. And the puntland authority is right in the middle of it. How else would our Duke explain then, the fact that the culprits are driving around in Bosaso as we speak and almost everybody knows about them that they are the same ones that dumped not just one but uncountable number of boat load of innocent people in the middle of the high seas - at gun point. The sadder thing is that, these people not only lost their lives, but everything including their money (allah knows how they got it in the first place and how many nights they starved just to save it). Qof muslim sheegta iska daayo, qof aan ilaah iyo diin toona aqoon ayaa ka yaxyaxaaya.

^^The big question is, why isn't the Puntland authorities ain't doing anything about this? Could they be part of the plot? Certainly an interview taken by widhwidh sheds somelights here.

Washed up on the beach - hidden half of Africa's people smuggling epidemic As the world looks elsewhere, Somalis and Ethiopians are risking all to get to the Middle East Xan Rice in Bossaso Wednesday May 10, 2006 A black sandal, size 24, made in Japan. A white laceless trainer. A brown belt, a khaki jacket, a blue bag with the label "Bravo". "From dead people," said Ali Haji Younis, a 21-year-old Ethiopian man, picking up a child's shoe near the sea's edge. "Eaten by the fishes." Washed up on Somalia's northern coast, this is the evidence of the hidden half of Africa's people smuggling epidemic. In recent months the wave of African migrants setting sail from Mauritania to Spain has made world headlines. But at the same time, up to 20,000 Somalis and Ethiopians have made similarly perilous journeys across the Gulf of Aden to the Middle East. Thirty-nine people drowned this week after being forced at gunpoint to jump into the sea by the smuggler transporting them, according to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Their boat was in a convoy of three carrying around 350 passengers. An average of 100 people attempted to cross from Somalia to Yemen by boat every day from September to March, UNHCR figures show. During six days in January alone UNHCR counted 22 smugglers' boats - small, open fishing dhows - arriving in Yemen. One carried six dead among the 65 passengers; 14 more had been thrown overboard during the journey. Such casualty rates are not uncommon. Rough seas mean boats often capsize in the shark-infested waters. Others drift for days at a time, with little food or fresh water on board. Even when the boats do reach Yemen's coast, the smugglers force their passengers - including children - to swim the final section. "It's a disaster," said Bosteyo Said Yusuf, of the Somalia Reunification Women's Union, a local NGO in the port city of Bossaso, in Puntland state. "A mini-nation is dying at sea." While fatality figures are difficult to verify - the trade is secretive and many bodies are never found - the UN confirmed 262 deaths in January and February. Since September, officials say, the dead could number close to 1,000. But the danger acts as little deterrent. Dreams of work in Yemen or, even better, Saudi Arabia - viewed as a land of riches to people from the Horn of Africa, mean the smugglers' trade has increased dramatically over the past few years. Many of the would-be migrants are Somalis who are feeling insecure and can claim refugee status once in Yemen. But an increasing number are Ethiopians desperate to escape poverty and, some say, political persecution at home. "It's very difficult to live in Ethiopia," said Mr Younis, who arrived in Somalia two weeks ago. "My family did not have money to send me to school and I could not get a job. I had to come here." The well-worn trail from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, took Mr Younis, whose left foot is crippled by polio, more than two weeks. From Bossaso he walked through the night to Mareero about 10 miles east, where the mountains and sea converge and the otherwise pristine beach is littered with shoes. Several hundred people were already waiting there for a boat. A small dhow arrived in the early afternoon. After paying £20 to the captain, Mr Younis was shoved aboard. A few hundred metres out to sea it became clear that the boat was overcrowded. Mr Younis and three other Somali men were thrown into the water. They swam to shore. Muna Muhammad, a 33-year-old woman with two young children in Addis Ababa, told how she had spent three days at sea before being put ashore. As the boat sped off the passengers realised they had landed back in Somalia, not in Yemen, she said. The local authorities in Puntland claim not to have the resources to tackle the people smuggling. "Our coast is 1,600km [995 miles] long," said Ahmed Abdi Habsade, Puntland's interior minister. "We need international help." But locals say it is also a question of will; well-known businessmen with links to the authorities are believed to run the trade. Yemen's authorities are almost as powerless to halt the influx. The Ethiopians that are caught are deported, but many soon return to Bossaso. "I will try again," said Mr Younis, who is living with a group of Somalis in the cliffs above the beach at Mareero, waiting for another boat. "I don't care where I end up. I just want to be able to find a job." Fatalities May 8 2006 39 people drown after being forced in to water at gunpoint February 26 2006 63 people drown after being thrown into deep waters off Yemen January 22 2006 At least 70 people die after two boats capsize in the Gulf of Aden September 13 2005 61 people die of dehydration after boat drifts for 20 days September 4 2005 Up to 90 people drown after being forced to swim several miles to Yemen's coast http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1771235,00.html

The Day of Somaliland Students Died Young: Any Hero To Revive? "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." It was one of these small, yet fine, contributions that escaped the attention of many people, let alone their appreciation. May 2nd , the Day of the Students of Somaliland Universities , stands still up the debris of the civil wars and clan partisan. It is the new struggle of the students, by the students, for the students to cross the boundaries of clan geography divided amongst them to start building a future where unity, liberty, and human dignity prevail. It is an intellectual consortium, emotionally healthy endeavour, and spiritual communion of the young, or to use the buzzword of politicians and social entrepreneurs of the day even though rarely do they mean it, the future leaders of this nation and, hopefully, this continent. It is not in the intention of this paper to establish the history of this day. Nonetheless, the paper refers to some of the key events to create a fingertip feeling for those who missed the glory of this day! May 2nd started small – from the mental workshop of a junior student at Amoud – and grew slowly – to bringing students on board and increasing the circle of influence day in and out. It was a beautiful summer evening in 2001 when the idea, among others, of bridging students from the two universities was delivered at Al Qalam Private School of my close friend, Mahdi Omar Sheikh , then a sophomore student at Amoud University . After months of contemplating and deep-thinking, I have conceived this idea in response to creating a mechanism that enables the young people, especially the students of Somaliland universities , to cooperate and meaningfully contribute to the community, giving them the opportunity to leave a lasting impact. I have always looked at some of the philanthropic events at Amoud University with a keen eye not only to learn the human generosity but also to appreciate their sense of social and global responsibility. People of different colours, nationalities, languages, gender and religions supported the university for the same cause – a cause that turned out to be the slogan of the university: Creating Hope For Tomorrow’s Generation ! As a student, I have enjoyed their contribution as they put me to the grip of a tertiary education in a distance not 4km away from home, a distance I could cover in a thirty- minute walk! On the other hand, I have always felt the burden of shouldering the responsibility that comes with enjoying what the society has put together for us. Different calls invite different responses; sometimes, the same call may invite different responses from different people. As an individual, I knew I could achieve little, if any at all. I thought that what I could contribute and would make a quantum leap is to create the instrument that would facilitate for the young men and women to express their talents and contribute to their people in different capacities. May 2nd was nothing other than a manifestation of that philosophy – a philosophy based on “ give the man a fish and you feed him for the day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime !†Having listened to my bid, Mahdi pledged me his unwavering support. However, this did not blind him to leave the loopholes open to external eyes as he immediately challenged some of the assumptions I have made. As the lights went out at 11 p.m., then we had to take our discussion out under the bright majestic moonlight. It was really exhilarating to stare at the moon and stars and talk about lifting people to new heights – at least, the two seemed to go well together! The meeting was adjourned at 3 a.m. The most important outcome was that we have developed a tentative plan to share with our friends at Amoud University as well as our counterparts at the University of Hargeisa . The idea and the plan were received with mixed emotions in both universities – with the negative more dominant than the positive. We have decided to take the fight to the highest levels and put lots of things at stake. This led to a friend to doubt if we had any hidden agenda. Compared to the cause, he felt uncomfortable with all those things we had put at stake. All that we meant was to fight for something we believed! We have launched the fiercest campaign ever known to our students. Now, this campaign must be shelved somewhere in the hidden chambers of our students! Troughs and triumphs went hand in hand, each keeping its independent score. Between the two were turbulences that made the future of the undecided so bleak and subject to the slightest pull. In the circles of Amoud University students, the fight went on and on until that fateful day arrived when Prof. Suleiman recounted the story of John F. Kennedy who stated that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. That put the differences of the students to a complete rest and drew the students closer together. I cannot help but recount how a very good friend of mine who opposed the idea, soon swerved his direction after the meeting and not only asked me some of the logistical arrangements in place but also offered his invaluable service. What I admired about this man is not that he finally accepted my idea, but that he internalized the meeting and was putting our agreement into action! A man of word! The fight is over. The clock is ticking. The hearts of the students are pounding as the clock gets nearer to 2 p.m. of May 1, 2002 – anxious to wait to board on the buses in front of the Local Government of Borama . Among the good students who were boarding were some of the students who opposed the way we organized the event, some others who opposed because they were not playing the central role, others because they would not be receiving the credit of being founders of this day, and still others because they were against the idea altogether. Of course, there were also the students who supported us from beginning to end. We have never made any fun of any of them – though, we had so many statements of ridicule from many of those on board. After all, they were our students and friends and this day is OURS to enjoy as we think best! The students of University of Hargeisa received us somewhere near Arabsiyo and led us to where the welcoming convoy stayed, Makhaayadda Inanta . I still see Khadar Ciro, whom we always communicated on the phone but never managed to see each other before this day, inside the Toyota Pickup he was driving with. After greetings, we have been guided by a large number of cars throughout the city of Hargeisa . Some of my friends never saw Hargeisa before. They had been welcomed to the city far better than most newcomers. We were taken to Ambassador Hotel, which was then under construction – though close to the finish line. I cannot help but relate this to the story of one of our students, who was a strong opponent of the idea in the first place, who asked, “ Where are we going to take the students when they visit us next year? †He was very much touched by the complexity of the building. I replied, “Maybe a hotel under construction !†I liked his reciprocity, even if he disagreed with the idea earlier! We stayed the night at Baane Hotel in Ambassador Hotel peace and in preparation for the event to come tomorrow! The morning downed with lots of funny experiences as well as pleasant ones. The funniest one was when a friend of mine who was driving the same bus with me was all of a sudden shown to a jackass seducing a mare and he exclaimed the famous, “ Way hooyooy !†These funny moments still shines my days. We have been taken to University of Hargeisa hall where many dignitaries sat. We were welcomed with standing ovation! As I was sitting in the hall and preparing myself to have the best taste for the event, a friend of mine asked me what I felt like today. I replied, “ My mind went blank !†I was completely consumed by the emotions of the day. As speeches were on the roll, one after another, I have been deeply struck by the words of Mohamed Barkhad Miigane , MP and instructor at University of Hargeisa , who said, “ We recognize this day as the Day of [students of] Somaliland Universities !†Everybody clapped. Some of those people sitting close to me shook hands with me. I was frozen! My heart was in search of his way out of my chest. I have never imagined a day called by this name, nor celebrated in this magnitude. All that I wanted to do was, to quote the words of Martin Luther King, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." I never knew what the day would turn out. When the event was over, different students from both universities shared with us what they have received from this event. Those cited most included: students have improved their understanding of the other university/students; students learned the capacities of their peers; and above all, they have established new lines of friendship. It was not uncommon to see students of the two universities exchanging cards first and the calls next! Successive events in 2003 and 2004 were both fostering the already established connections as well as exploring ways of taking the day to the next level. May 2nd, serving a tried and true experiment, enjoyed lesser challenge and more support from both students and universities managements. It was moving, however slow the pace was, from existential to substantial atmosphere. The thinking of the student committees of these years involved how best they could maximize the use of this day instead of how best can they establish a day like this. May 2nd started, though unintentionally, the first talent competition as students of both universities were to deliver speeches to audience of several hundred. Most of the students addressed an audience as large as their classroom, merely 20 people. Every student who participated in all these events will never fail to forget the eloquent English of Zuhur , from University of Hargeisa , who used the language to her best advantage. However, no news was worse received than the untimely death of this day last year when all the good things about the day were dazzling any onlooker. The disease caused this death was diagnosed to be student divisions each grouping themselves into clan enclaves. The blame for this preventable death lies with both the students and the managements of the two universities who allowed the day to pass away in their laps due to lack of adequate care and intervention. The students take a lion’s share of the blame pie due to their lack of demonstrated sense of ownership and strong leadership. To start with, this was the day for the students. It appears that the students never owned the day. If this was their day, they would have not allowed the management of the university to terminate such a great day. They have never fought to make it theirs. This day was born in a fight and strives in fighting. We fought amongst ourselves to make it our day. We fought with anyone to make the day ours. We fought, because we cared. That is the good thing about fighting. It shows care and concern. It creates an atmosphere conducive to development and mutual respect and understanding. In our classes, we used to complain, and I am pretty sure that the current students complain the same, about the public’s lack of sense of ownership for public properties and how presiding civil servants take advantage and abuse such public funds and properties. This starts from the class – lack of ownership sets in the same class complaining that the public should have developed sense of ownership. It is very sad how the class uses such double standard to justify injustices and abuses as socially-imposed, inevitable mechanisms without realizing their contribution to the problem. Maybe students need to revise their mentality as this is not in line with what the nation was waiting and building on! Of course, this does not mean we were evil-free or saints. We had our share of the problem and we acknowledge the fact that we may have contributed to some of the conflicts already ravaging the students. Nevertheless, the reason we have achieved a monumental thing like May 2nd was that we had a good leadership who foresaw what is behind all these troubles. Some of the men and women within us saw the green pasture after the conflict and herded us to there. Of course, everyone was clan conscious, but that never discouraged us nor bent our values and principles to satisfy such narrow interests. These leaders mended all those broken bones and relations within us silently, and serenely too. They never exposed the bones, they simply mended whenever and wherever they could. It was due to these few we were saved; and, with these masses we sailed. On the other front, it is the right time to point out how the two universities contributed to the death of this important day. The death of May 2nd was officially announced by the managements of the two universities after abolishing the student committees, as in the case of Amoud University , or unions, as in the case of University of Hargeisa , and when in last year they have decided not to honor the day. This led to a small group of concerned students from University of Hargeisa to organize an event with Burao University , an event which did not enjoy the same prestige and honor as those conducted earlier. The management considered the worsening situation of the students dividing themselves into their clans and judged that this would lead to a worse scenario should the union and May 2nd continue this way. I really value the instructors and managements of the universities and revere them so much. However, I still have to express some of the reservations which I think should be improved. This kind of argument can be challenged with one straight-forward question: Should we stop developing because it creates upheavals and conflicts within the stakeholders? To my limited knowledge, all development initiatives involve challenging status quo and social perceptions. If we are to avoid conflicts, then we cease to develop. Yet, the choice is ours to make! Besides, the role of the university is not only to equip the students with skills that can be translated into monetary terms in the labor market, but also to contribute to the social wellbeing by promoting the ideals of the society. Their role is not limited to delivering lectures on linear programming, but also extends to creating awareness of the social forces in play at any given circumstance. Somaliland is in post-conflict situation, calling for skills like negotiations and peaceful conflict resolutions. As future leaders, the young must be armed with what it takes to lead a nation and fitting things together under the framework of democratic Somaliland . The classroom serves the students as the laboratory to experiment with all these new and fancy ideas chasing down their stormy brains. It is the role of the university to ensure that the environment is supportive, but not submissive, to this goal. It seams that our universities failed to ensure that this was the case, particularly when it comes to handling the student crisis. May 2nd died young. It died when we needed the most. It died when the unity it could bring was lacking. It died when it could teach us how to manage crisis. It died when our young men and women were exploring ways to maximize its potential. It died under our tendering hearts, sobbing eyes and wishful minds. It died for our inaction. Will it ever reincarnate? Maybe we should ask first, “ Is there a hero to revive the day? †My answer: hopefully! Mukhtar Hassan Maidhane Mr. Maidhane earned his BBA from Amoud University. In his student days, he was the founding father of the Day of the Students of Somaliland Universities. Currently, he serves as the Finance Officer for WSP International’s Democratization Program. He can be reached at: maidhane@yahoo.com .