Smarten-up Somalia

Time vs Somalia

2009-12-23T13:12:00.007+08:00

Time VS Somalia what is he up-to now..

Ok check this out, what do we know about time? Time has a nature of either promoting or exposing you, hence that is why people tend to say "only time will tell". I think time has pretty much exposed the flaws of Somali clan based cultural laws so far.Unfortunately Somalia has been going backwards in the recent two decades and many tasks await. If time equals distance over speed, one could say that the rate of progress at this stage is not going to suffice anything.

Somalia needs to get with the times and embrace the changing world, the practices that worked exceptionally well in the past have a way of becoming obsolete. Now don't get me wrong here, I am not talking about Islamic Law, practices or the Sunnah. I am talking about Somali Cultural practices.

I find it really confusing, using the wrong tools for a task at hand is one thing, but how does one expect the same tool to work after it failed for two decades and counting, how do you miss what is so apparent and considered defunct. If you ask me you would have to be beyond lacking intellectual acuity.

Just because this is how things where done in the past does not mean this is the best way to get it done now or even in the first place. Innovation is required and until Somalia embraces change instead of resisting it The Horne of Africa will keep falling behind. Indeed this is a race and it has began a long time ago, welcome to Time VS Somalia.

Planting The Seed Today For Tommorow

2009-10-14T23:29:00.005+08:00

G'Day,

A farmer could only expect the fruit of the seed that he planted for this season when it comes to the harvest. I thought I could use that analogy to get my point across, which is that one should only expect the results of his efforts while hopeful for God's grace.

This reminds me of a conversation with a friend, I asked if he has any dreams and and he replied that he did not have any dreams. He's approach to life was allot different to mine , he did not expect much and was happy with how things were. He only wished he had his own house and that he completed his education. Another friend thought there was no hope for him and that he has given up, he thought his dreams where stolen off him due to the Somali civil war.

What do you think, should we have any dreams?........

Every Somali is fully aware of the fact that the Civil war has effected our life's in many ways. Personally the fact the there was nothing for the new generation to inherit was mind blowing. That amongst other contributing factors are a setback.

This is where you come in, you are in the driving seat now!.. you need to start planting your seeds and dream big. I see dreams as goals and promises to yourself, you need to have something to aim for and don't sell yourself short. This was my argument and I concluded that if you don't have a dream of your own then perhaps you should pretend to dream, if it is true that when a lie is told enough times one starts to believe it ... Maybe pretending would work as well.

Waberi Youth Association is a non for profit organization based in Perth - Western Australia.
They would like to Achieve the best attainable Somali Australian Community in Perth. Last week they had a moving event titled "Dhaqan iyo Dhalinyaro" and if i was to sum up the event in one word it would be dream....Waberi dares the Somali youth to dream and dream and dream some more.

You Can read my short Article regarding the Event ......
http://www.biyokulule.com/view_content.php?articleid=2220

Ma Salaama Ramadan

2009-09-14T02:23:00.001+08:00

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم)

How are you and how is your family?... I hope you have been taking advantage of Ramadan and making endless Duaa for our people and the Muslim umah ( Allah swt knows we need it.)
Its sad Ramadan will be leaving us soon and the worst of the Shaytaan will be let free by the soldiers of Allah swt (Malaaika ) to roam this world and start havoc in our daily chores.
Inshallah it will be OK, the fasting of Ramadan has gotten you ready for anything they may try. I hope to see you around on Eid day , enjoy the rest of Ramadan.

Ma Salaama

Fishermen or Pirates

2009-06-13T23:40:00.001+08:00

Not Long ago President Obama voes for an International Crack down on Piracy along the coast of Somalia after freeing that so called US Cargo ship Captain who was being held hostage. They killed 3 Pirates and captured one.

These so called International Crack down on Piracy is a cover up and Illegal. Most people are not aware of The Game. I am referring to this entire situation as "The Game" merely because of the game like characteristics at hand. This game has winners and losers and it has been going on for a long time and cryptic and bigger then you and I think. This game is as messy as a game could get and the rules are there but the mighty and powerful can do as they like. They bend the rules as they like and take haste measures and stand on the throats of the weaker opponent when they are challenged. They are quick to cover-ups when situations arise that will let the cat out of the bag.

This is nothing new , This Game has been on since Time has began and the Powerful has always preyed on the Weak and helpless.

Truth Be Told: The So called Somali Pirates are not Pirates at all, They want us to think this so we do not object and what ever they do goes unquestioned - Just another trick up their sleeve and used effectively all the time. These people are not pirates on two accounts: Firstly they do what they do because their property and livelihood has been snatched away and If it wasn't for the Illegal Fishing and laundering of fish from the coast of Somalia, this would not have been an issue. Secondly the Somali Coast has been a dump to the rest of the world. What would you do if I dumb industrial and nuclear waste in your home. You would speak out and take matters into your own hands to show the world what they are allowing to take place is inhumane and wicked.

What these Fisher man do is self defense and the true piracy is what the Powerful are doing. First they bridge international marine laws and take what's not theirs and carelessly dump toxic waste in Somali Waters, then they send their marines to fend off the efforts of the weak [Fisherman] who have organized and assumed the role of Coast water guards. Unfortunate for the Somalis - This game was lost a long time ago.

What Obama voes to deal with piracy issue is indeed illegal and only address a symptom to a disease at hand. It will not solve the Piracy problem in the coast of Somalia, Stop the dumping of toxic waste and Iligal fishing.

What are you doing for your community?

2009-06-06T15:10:00.011+08:00

What are you doing for your community?
The answer to this question will come of ease and swift to community advocates, but for others it’s not an easy question to answer. When answering this question people make the mistake of not thinking hard enough and looking under all the rocks. Whether it is of choice or peer pressure, we all have some sort of code of conduct that we have become a custom to. We are all ambassadors of our community and need to take that into account. Our believes and behaviour are a reflection of how we carry ourselves which in turn reflects our community.

Back to the question now, what are you doing for your community?

A stable and progressive Horn of Africa is possible by taking strategic methods, its not an easy task but yes we can.

2008-11-15T01:51:00.003+09:00

A stable and progressive Horn of Africa is possible by taking strategic methods, its not an easy task but yes we can.

1) Problem Identification & Acceptance

2) Conflict resolution

3) Reconciliation

4) Nationalism & Patriotism

Most Somalis don't accept that there is a problem. Specially generation X. If there is no problem at hand, there is no need for a solution, it’s pointless and has no purpose.

After acceptance has been reached only then can we go in search of a solution. The identified problems will be the base & guideline to prescribing a remedy. If a doctor only prescribes medication after identifying and removing illness causing factor(s), don't you think this sort of approach is suitable for a Sick nation?

Since the Source of Conflict has been identified, an approach to eliminate source can be engineered; perhaps through righteously managed Negotiation, Mediation & Diplomacy as a last resort. One might argue that this approach has failed, only thing evident here is that even a correct approach fails when carried out incorrectly. Correct ceases to be correct and status revoked when elements that make it correct are left out.

Yes Reconciliation is a must, wounds must be healed. We must remember and never forget this bloodshed, misery and backwardness.

Where is the love of nation? Where is the Nationalism & Patriotism? Somalis are divided when it comes to Clans, and a form of Clan Based Segregation is practiced. Yes it’s transparent but that does not make it, not present. It’s a believe system and plays a role in decision making, which in turn clouds the openhandedness of decisions made. United we shall stand, divided we shall fall.

(:-)MAR

Where’s Somali Obama?

2008-11-09T21:29:00.001+09:00

By Ayanle Daad
ayanled@hotmail.com

With all three presidential debates behind us, Campaign 08 is coming to an end. The Presidential race has excited Somalis as they tune in, register to vote, and share their opinion on where the candidates stand on certain issues. On my way to Banaadir Mall, I notice the Obama bumper stickers and the enthusiasm Somalis share for this so called agent of change. As I enter one of the barbershops, I see a dozen or so men staring intensely at the television screen. Then it dawns on me, why are Somalis not excited about politics back home as they are about the politics in their host nations.
After all, Somalia will be electing a new Government very shortly and candidates in the autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland have announced their intentions to run for office in those regions. Do we just not care about what goes on back home or have we just lost all hope. Surely if Barack Obama can transcend race, we can find a candidate who can transcend qabil. In a nation of fifteen million, you would thing this would be an easy task, but sadly that is not the case. All Somalis ask for is that you don’t have blood on your hands, your willing to work with others, and at the end of the day you are willing to put nation above clan. High School education is a plus.
When will we overcome this “qabil laan wa magaac laan” mentality that has stopped progress in its tracks and allowed us to fall further behind with each passing year. No matter who wins this election, we must not fall into the trap that many immigrant communities before us have fallen into. Where we are taken granted by one party and the other rights us off. All the while forgetting and detaching ourselves from the politics back home.

Victims of Somalia - Voice for the Voiceless - Questions

2008-10-15T01:08:00.003+08:00

Great video, both speakers pointed out and briefly touched on some belief systems and barriers that cause a skewed misconceptions. The Somali youth need to understand that the methodology practiced by the breivious generation has failed, and that a different result cannot be achieved by it. This game can’t be won that way, it has been lost many times, and we can’t just keep using the same old tricks. We need some fresh innovative tricks to take this ball hard and slam dunk…..in your face.

We only need to learn from the errors made, we don’t need the old thinking, we love them of course, but you can’t teach a new trick to an old dog.

Be part of the Solution not the problem. Your car will never get anywhere if you fully lock the steering wheel and step on the accelerator, no matter how fast and amount of torque it has. We need to guide our steering wheel, only then can we start to make up some ground. Time waits for no man ….tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock.

Regards
Omr

Somalis Victim of Crime in new South Africa

2008-10-12T21:40:00.001+08:00

It’s really a shame that South Africans would take such brutal actions like this. In the Apartheid era it was they who where oppressed and killed, here they are today doing the very thing that was done to them, to the Somali people. We can’t allow this to happen; the Somali people who call SA home need to take up the task of showing the world that Apartheid has returned. Do what ever, setup cameras and catch these hoodlums on the act, red handed. Hire body guards and pays them well, your life and safety depends on it. Occurring to a you tube clip, there is 15,000 Somalis in SA, having stated that another idea come to mind …”why not protest during the World Cup” there will be plenty of reporters looking for material to report on. We need to know why the department of policing is not doing its job?!!!!

Moving on from this, I suggest all those who oppose the suffering of the Somali people, to Support a One Somalia, and never give in to ignorance of segregation and Qabiil. The murder of our people is nothing new; we have been murdering ourselves and blaming our problems on others for the past 18 years. Smarten-up Somalia.

2008-10-08T14:59:00.000+08:00

Education: our silver key to unlock the doors

Education is freedom, It’s your shield in this battle we call life. Despite the unending struggles of the Somali nation, it’s dreadful that numerous Somali youth, fail to endorse and acquire education. I am referring to those that have escaped Somalia and reside in Europe, USA and Australasia. I am not sure why this is the case; perhaps they don’t comprehend the need of education, or are they lazy, do they see other options and opportunities. Perth, Western Australia Most of the Somali Youth acquire higher education in Universities such as Curtin, ECU, UWA and Murdoch. But there are still many that choose not to study at higher levels, hence a large portion of these youth don’t even finish high school. Having stated that, there are many preparation courses available which give a fast track entry, to faculty of choice. Having not finished School is not an issue; many workarounds like TAFE and Canning Collage are available.

We need to Invest in our future, our nation depends on us, if you fail to educate yourself, you’re not only failing yourself but you’re also failing your country and those close to you. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your country and future children. You owe it to them as much as you owe it to yourself. We can’t afford to leave anyone behind, I urge all the graduates to influence and inspire many more youth to achieve education. Education is our silver key to unlock the doors to prosperity, peace, and understanding.

It cannot be taken away from you; you take it with you everywhere you go.

Education is your vehicle, Where ever your destination.
It’s your international Identity.
Seeds of today and your future expectation.
Draw the line, in the sand and employ certainty.
Hardship is your deposit to success, not your collapse.
Think of Success as a journey not a destination and
Never give in to setbacks and practice repetition

Omr

Why Kenya and Ethiopia ought to annex and divide Somalia

2008-10-05T04:07:00.004+08:00

by DONALD KIPKORIR, dkipkorir@ktk.co.ke
Friday, October 03, 2008

Last month, Lehmans Brothers and Merrill Lynch, the world’s foremost investment banks, went bankrupt and we witnessed the financial chaos in the western capitals.

In the fog of international headlines on finding a financial bail-out in Washington, a rag-tag army of 50 semi-naked men on rickety boats captured a ship carrying 33 T-72 tanks, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns off the coast of Somalia.

The capture of mv Faina and the stalemated talks amid the surrounding American and Russian warships made me think that maybe this is the time to find a final solution to the Somali problem.

Since 1960, the country has been a lawless state that is a haven for terrorists and pirates. The pirates have told us the destination of the captured weaponry causing tension and panic in Washington, Nairobi and Khartoum.

If it is true that the final consignee was the government of Southern Sudan, as they allege, I will be on the same page with the Kibaki government for the first time.

I am a fervent supporter of a strategic foreign policy even if it attracts us enemies of such malevolent and despotic regimes as that of Khartoum.

Supporting the Southern Sudan government is in our long-term strategic interest and we should not shy from it. The truth of the matter is that as a Western ally, Kenya is an existential enemy of Arab countries, Sudan included.

Annexing Somalia is thus in our strategic interest and we must do it now as the financial meltdown continues to take away the attention of the world.

Somalia as a state exists only in world maps. It is a classic case of a failed state. It is a state dismembered into as many independent units as there are sub-clans. Its 90-strong cabinet is emblematic of the actual number of units.

The Horn of Africa country has no functioning government. The so-called transitional federal government, led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, is confined to a shell-shocked presidential compound.

There is no standing or even sitting army or judicial systems. By all accounts, Somalia is a black hole in international law. Together with Afghanistan and Pakistan they are known as the training grounds and refuge for international terrorism.

Kenya has been a victim of such terrorism, leading to near-destruction of its tourism industry. We cannot afford another such attack. We have the potential to develop our tourism to compete with, if not outpace, Egypt and South Africa. But we cannot do so if Somalia continues to be a non-state.

Somalia neighbours Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Of these, it is only Ethiopia and Kenya that have strategic interest in Somalia. Djibouti is a primitive entrepot that can’t even supply water to its 600,000 people, who are forced to drink that imported from France or Coca Cola. Therefore, Djibouti is out in the quest for the final solution to the Somali puzzle.

Kenya and Ethiopia must and ought to dismember Somalia and divide it between themselves along the 4 degrees latitude, each taking all the land below and above the line.

The division will make both countries extend their territories by roughly 300,000sq km and additional populations of about five million.

Once Kenya and Ethiopia have sent their combined army to Somalia and declared the annexation, we will present to the world a fait accompli.

In 1845, America annexed Texas from Mexico and forced the Texan legislature to pass a specific legislation stating that it accepted the annexation. The annexation has stood to date and, for good measure, President George W. Bush is a proud American Texan.

For Kenya and Ethiopia, having the Somali legislature to endorse the annexation will be cake-walk. At any given time, most, if not all, Somali legislators are in Nairobi.

We will have them convene in one of our hotels and to pass the appropriate statutes dividing their country.

When the allied forces liberated Germany from Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, they sent the bill to Berlin.

Our cost of annexing Somalia will be settled by Mogadishu. Somalia is known to have huge deposits of oil, natural gas, uranium and iron ore. Immediately after the annexation, we will invite our strategic foreign friends (not China please) to come and exploit the resources for us.

Kenyans ought to know that although Somalia is a failed state, its positive statistics are impressive. Without a structured economy, its gross national income per capita is US$600 (Sh40,000), when ours is $550 (Sh36,800). Of its universities that operate without budgets and with armed militia guarding them, three are in Africa’s top 100.

International law forbids the use of force by states against the territorial integrity and political independence of others. Somalia doesn’t have either.

But the law also recognises irreversible processes like the extinction of states such as in the USSR, emergence of new states from former USSR and Yugoslavia, and annexations like that of Texas. International order hates reversing completed processes, more so if the world is a better place.

If we do not annex Somalia and now, we will be a victim of its failed status and pulled down by it. We will not be able to achieve our strategic foreign policy in the region, or attain the Vision 2030 goal.

The time to annex and dismember Somalia is now; Washington and Moscow will be grateful.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DONALD B. KIPKORIR holds a Bachelor of Laws, LL.B (Hons) Degree from the University of Nairobi and a Postgraduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya (admitted in 1992), with wide experience in Commercial Litigation, Insurance Claims, Advertising Law, Defamation, Debt Recovery and White-collar Crime law, Copyright, Trademark and Patent law. He is also a member of the Law Society of Kenya and a former member of its council. He has served as a Director in Kenya Post Office Savings Bank (Postbank).

2008-09-28T04:54:00.003+08:00

Firstly i would like to thank this Somalia broadcaster, I believe his name is Ali Abukar.In support of his work I have subscribed to this Youtube channel. We need to support and recognnize individuals like this, So please subscribe to his channel and follow his videos.

Secondly i wold like to add a few thougths regarding the Somali youth and their role of reviving our nation.
IF you haven't noticed our nation is becoming more and more displaced and were on our way to extinction. The previous generation has failed us, we are in this mess because of them, Forget about the Ethos and the west, generation x is at fault. We would not have been in this mess, if they had played their cards right. They say history has a way of repeating itself, hence we cant make the same mistakes they have made, lessons must be learned.

We need to smarten-up, invest in our education, work on our Mindset(mental attitude) and clean out these habits and misconceptions. Regardless of what our intentions are these mental attitudes are going to effect the decisions we make. We are not born with these believe systems, we start to develop them from a young age and they become recorded in the subconscious mind. If we want to make better decisions, we need to check our believe systems and ask; What is it that we believe that leads us to make bad decisions resulting a troubled nation?....... that's for you to comment on.......................

Our country is in ruins today and our people are suffering due to these believe systems we harbour. One cant expect a different result/output with the same input. If we keep getting the decisions wrong we will always get inappropriate results. We must change our believe systems to aid in better decision making, its our lifeline - our nations well being depends on it.

Lets start with ourselves and make a change first, get an education and start contributing to our local communities. Encourage the little ones to excel in school and keep our troublesome nation at heart...give them a burning desire and Intention to get a higher education and determination to assist their country and countrymen one day.

Omar

Ethiopian rebels demand food aid in Ogaden

2008-09-21T15:13:00.000+08:00

Ethiopian rebels demand food aid in Ogaden

afrol News, 19 September - Ethiopia's Ogaden rebels have today demanded that United Nations security council secure aid corridor to their homeland, where they claimed emergency food is not getting out fast enough to starving in troubled Somali region.

Since June last year, Ethiopian military has been waging an offensive against separatist guerrillas that have cut off access for most aid workers and journalists to ethnically Somali region.

"Situation is getting out of hand. Women and children and elderly are dying from thirst and hunger," Abdirahman Mahdi, founding member of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) told media.

"UN security council must set up and enforce an aid corridor immediately, with international monitors, because army is using relief supplies to fuel its campaign," Mr Mahdi said.

Ethiopia's government, an important United States ally in region, routinely rejects ONLF claims that its forces withhold aid from desperate communities in drought-stricken east.

Mr Mahdi said international officials who had visited Ogaden recently, including UN aid chief John Holmes, had underestimated crisis.

"People are eating roots and grass, animals are dying. At same time, military campaign is going on. Soldiers are shooting people, beating and harassing them," he was quoted as saying.

Mr Holmes said earlier this month that special attention should be paid to region and food deliveries should be sped up.

In June, US based human rights watch said donors who gave government more than US$2 billion a year in aid needed to speak out against what group called widespread and systematic atrocities by Ethiopian troops.

HRW has reportedly accused western nations, including US and Britain, of maintaining a conspiracy of silence.

For its part, Addis Ababa reportedly said report was fabricated.

In July, regional government officials in Ogaden accused a Swiss medical charity of spreading hearsay after it stopped work there complaining of repeated obstructions, intimidation and arrests.

Michael Hess, of US Agency for International Development (USAID), says only 41% of food allocated for July has reached its intended recipients.

Mr Hess says such distribution is not good enough.

ONLF was formed in 1984 in ethnical Somali region on Ethiopia's border with Somalia. Its aims have varied between full-scale independence to joining a "Greater Somalia" to more autonomy within Ethiopia for a region it says is neglected.

Addis Ababa reportedly says rebels are terrorists supported by Horn of Africa rival Eritrea, and points to an ONLF attack on a Chinese-run oil field in April 2007 that killed 74 people.

It further says criticism of its tactics in the rocky, arid region is just defamation by "anti-peace" forces.

By staff writer

Somali Diaspora, A Journey Away

2008-09-15T22:07:00.017+08:00

The heartbreaking and hopeful story of Somali immigrants in America.
Since 2003, photographer Abdi Roble and writer Doug Rutledge have been documenting the lives of Somali immigrants in the United States and of the people forced into the vast refugee camps that were set up in Kenya in the wake of the 1991 civil war in Somalia. In The Somali Diaspora, Roble, who immigrated to the United States from Somalia in 1989, and Rutledge trace the journey of a family from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, home to more than 150,000 Somalis, to new lives in the United States. The Somali Diaspora follows the family of Abdisalem, his wife Ijabo, and their three daughters as they struggle to survive in Dadaab before being relocated first to Anaheim, California, where they barely make ends meet, and then to Portland, Maine. In addition, the book portrays life in two of the largest Somali communities in the United States. Minneapolis is home to more than 80,000 Somalis, who have created an established community in which many of its members are educated professionals. The Somali community in Columbus, Ohio, while thriving, has not yet enjoyed as warm a reception from the larger community.(UMN Press, 2008) Read more

I honestly believe this is a must read book for all Somalis and those interested in understanding Somali people's struggles. Most of the Somalis can relate to this true Story, they either have experienced it first hand or have a family member or a friend who has been subject, to impoverishment of being in a refugee camp. I know I am going to shed some tears when I read this book, the awakening of childhood memories, good and bad.

Regards
Omar

We all need somebody to lean on

2008-09-13T23:44:00.001+08:00

I love this Song, its like my chill pill, it helps, when things are down hill. I thought I might share this, which reminds me of another though I wanted to share.... When I listen to the lyrics of this song I always think to my self that, this should be the song all Somali people should be listening to. Listen to the words and you will know what I mean, here is a few...
"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow"

Can we all relate to these words, sure we can, here are some more....

"Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For ,it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on"

Britain's George Galloway Speaks for Somali People, Pt1

2008-09-10T20:39:00.001+08:00

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.Well said by J.F Kennedy. The international world is not going to do it for us; we need to do it for us. When are we going to realize this?

Yesterday is History.Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a gift.

2008-09-10T19:07:00.000+08:00

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass.
If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will be never the same. You must understand that, and strive for balance in your live. How?
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different, that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people seem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Dont' take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they were your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or in the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfekt. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find time.
The quickest way to receive love is to give. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. The best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.
Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel apreciated.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is wightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Yesterday is History.Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a gift.
That's why we call it the Present.
by Eugénie des Alpages

Ahmed Ould Abdallah talks to Somalis in Minneapolis

2008-08-23T04:52:00.000+08:00

FYI - The following was written after watching a video on youtube.

Honestly, I never knew that we had a history of Peace keeping. It's great to have learned this; Peace between Pakistan & Bangladesh in 1971-1972, Help pacify the Hutu and Tutsi and take part in resolving the Edi Amin/Tanzania issue. Personally I believe most of my people don’t have hope for a better Somalia, I might be wrong: but don’t you think that this would have been evident in our actions. Where ever you are in the world just take a moment and think of the fellow Somalis that you know, what’s the occupation of the majority, does the majority put education first?........

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world”. - Gandhi.

Many of us have lost hope, we can’t give up, and we have to be persistent in our yearning for a better nation. We must correct/educate ourselves first, before others. We need not to judge but show good actions & character, hence the saying “actions speak louder then words”. Allot of these great nations we reside, have also experienced such turmoil periods. Today's great nations are not the result of a chance, a lucky break...no! It was hard work and collaboration. We need to have faith in one another & and do what ever u can, anything that needs doing, just do it. Respect yourself and others, in fact put others first. Do we not know how to cut and past? Why don’t we cut and paste our beloved Muhammad’s (pbuh) actions and character?..(Let’s start today - www.lastprophet.info).

I like the idea of thinking of our nation’s problem as a Roller coaster ride. If you have been on one, then you know the amount of stress involved. First it’s unbearable and you get so petrified that you think of falling off and experiencing a dreadful death. But as the ride progresses, you start to feel the excitement!!! …then your confidence goes up, eyes wide open….. Still hoping that all goes well and you hold on firm. The ride goes up and down, sideways, through loops and backwards as well as forwards. I don’t know about you, but I dare not board a roller coaster ride that had no end! Would you? It’s not for the faint hearted but still a horror of a ride and people only dare ride knowing there is an end and only laughs thereafter.

We know there is an end to our struggle, let’s not be anxious and hold back. Let’s ride all together now; it’s going to be fun. I know this; because others have done it … you know it too, we can get through it together. At finish line awaits, a vivacious nation, whose people practice: social equality, peace, honor, Righteousness, Gratitude & admiration. So let’s have hope and hold firm, no matter what the roller coaster brings.

All thought the roller coaster consists of many parts (Seats, chain, wheels, metal bars etc) all the pieces have to work together to achieve objective. If some of the wheels don’t respond, chains get hindered and ends don’t meet. Just like the Roller coaster we need to come together to achieve.

Regards

Omar