Observations from Somalis in America Conference

[Gaasira]

I attended the conference, Somalis in America: Challenges of Adaptationtheld in St. Paul, Minnessota in July, and it was by far the best Somali conference I’ve ever attended. Professor Axmad Samatar did a tremendous job in terms of organization. Attendees came from Sweden, Holland, England and Canada, in addition to various cities in the States. While the conference did not delve too deeply into challenges faced by Somalis in the US, it touched upon issues in areas of health, housing, and education. The panelists were Somalis and non-Somalis who serve predominantly Somali clientele.

 

For me, the most salient feature of the conference was the attendees themselves. It was really nice to see so many Somali professionals and students who are actively engaged in the betterment of our communities. This was a sort of ‘feel-good’ conference because one was left with the feeling that all was not lost and that we are not as downtrodden as we are made to believe. Even the old stereotype of tardiness (i.e. Somalis lack of the concept of time) was dispelled in this conference. One of the panelists, a Somali doctor, even commented on the fact that for 3 days everyone showed up on time. This, I am sure, is no small feat for Somali people.

 

Another aspect of the conference, which completely delighted us, was the cultural component of the conference. For two evenings, we were thoroughly entertained by some of the most re-known Somali entertainers- the master guitarist, Xudaydi (Hodeidi), the incomparable Fatima Qaasim Hilowle, Hiba Maxamed, and Cabdinuur Alaaleh. There were also two poets- a lady from Sweden, Amina Said Ali and a gentleman whose name I cannot recall, but who’s a well-known local poet and activist for the Midgan community. This was not your usual Somali ‘Riwaayad’ we’ve grown so accustomed to in the Diaspora, but a remnant of the old-style Riwaayad where people actually sat and enjoyed a show without being compelled to dance. The functions were held in a posh and cozy theatre with no room for dancing. You can say that we were all strapped to our seats- happily. There were a large number of non-Somalis and this was an excellent venue to show case some of the best aspects of our culture- Music and poetry.

 

Worthy of mention is the performance by Fatima Qaasim and the poems of sister Amina. Fatima’s voice, it seems, has gotten amazingly better with age- if that’s possible for she’d always had a wonderful voice- there was a standing ovation for every song she sang. She is also a warm and gentle person. Her husband of 30+ years was also there and equally wonderful and convivial. Sister Amina left us feeling melancholic with her words of lament for our beleaguered lands.

 

Of course, there were aspects of the conference that were boring and inappropriate, but these are not worth dwelling on given what it has managed to accomplish well.

 

These are my own observations and probably others would have a different take on how things went. I was told that there would be a videotape of the conference available to the public at some point. I’ll share that information once I get hold of it.

 

Stay well.

 

P.s. this is a nice forum. Kudos to the creators.

[Sophist]

Thank you for sharing.

[Waaq]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the conference. It would be nice to hear from others attended. Someone mentioned that there is a conference just for students happening soon in Minneapolis.

 

It seems to me that there have been increasing organization in the Somali community, and that is a positive sign. Hopefully this increased energy can be direct properly.

 

peace

[ijabo]

Thats really cool......like i wish things over in London are as organized as this conference you mention. This is not to say that Somalis are not as active over here in London, undoubtedly we have many dedicated people.....and i dont like to compare, and sure we do have a social forums and all that.

 

But i can't help wondering that based on what i have heard and read from what goes on in America, the situation with somalis is (seeminlgly) infinitely better interms of education and community networking.

 

Maybe im wrong. Maybe im right. All i have to say is that if the latter is true then i would like to know why. Any suggestions?

[raula]

WAAQ-true-there was a student initiated conference that took place in MPLS(Minneapolis)and is in its second year momentarily. I am a long time member of the student organizations here in MINNESOTA and truelly I would say this was our biggest accomplishment and indeed successful. I was present at both dayz for the conference(was a 2 days conference).

 

details in a moment-I got run for now-insha-allah will shower you with details later.

[Gaasira]

Ijabo,

 

People tend to exaggerate on how wonderfullife is in America (North America?). In terms of education, those of us on this side of the Atlantic tend to believe that you are the lucky ones because you’ve access to free (or inexpensive) higher education. I was envious when a friend mine mentioned how little he had paid and owes in loans compared to those of us Canada. It’s probably a case of the grass been greener on the other side.

 

Having said that, it’s probably true that there is a great deal of social activism and organization taking place among Somalis in North America. Most of these activities started in Canada in the early 1990s when a group of students started organizing ‘Somali Week’ conferences. At first, their objectives were to create a forum whereby Somali academics (intellectuals, if you like) would discuss the situation(s) back home. Soon enough, however, the focus of these conferences changed to addressing settlement needs of the Somalis in Canada, who were increasingly under attack from various segments of Canadian society (the media, white supremacists, politicians, etc.). Canada is a relatively small country (population wise) and our very visible presence was not well received by the mainstream society. I think it’s fair to say that we all became somewhat conscious of a greater sense of ‘Somaliness’ precisely because we felt under attack and devalued.

 

I know that there were not many activities in the US until large number of Somalis who could not find work in Canada migrated there. They probably brought along with them the newly acquired community activism skills. Somalis in the US are increasingly becoming more organized because they are being faced with the same set of challenges that face us in Canada in 1990s. Hence, you are likely to hear about a lot these types of activities. This is not to say that we’ve over come all challenges, but that unlike the US, Canada has not had an influx of Somali refugees since the early ‘90s.