HARGEISA, 12 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) – If its government does not enact meaningful reforms and reach out to all clans, Puntland may break up violently, adding to the chaos in Somalia.
Somalia: The Trouble with Puntland,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, warns about the rise in insecurity and political tension that the semi-autonomous north-eastern region has been experiencing for three years. At its roots are poor governance and a collapse of the cohesion, particularly within the Harti clan, that led to its creation a decade ago.
“Most of the blame rests squarely with the political leadership”, says Daniela Kroslak, Deputy Director of Crisis Group’s Africa Program. “If a wide variety of grievances are not urgently tackled in a comprehensive manner, the consequences could be severe for the whole country and even for the Horn of Africa”.
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Puntland’s creation in 1998 was an ambitious experiment to build from the bottom up a polity that might ultimately offer a template for replication in the rest of the country, especially in the war-scarred south. But the dream has faded, and the regime is in dire straits. Intra-Harti friction has eroded the consensual style of politics that once underpinned a relative stability. In a major policy shift from the traditional unionist position, an important segment of the elite is pushing for independence.
Puntland needs to return to its original consensual style of politics. This requires reforming the electoral system, restarting the constitutional drafting process, tackling corruption and rebuilding clan trust.
The Puntland government must take advantage of current international attention resulting mainly from the explosion of piracy in the nearby waters to mobilise funds and expertise to carry out comprehensive political, economic and institutional reforms. These should address the fundamental problems: poor governance, corruption, unemployment and the grinding poverty in coastal villages. Donors need to refocus on long-term measures without which no sustainable end to piracy or true stability is possible.
“The piracy problem is only a dramatic symptom”, says Ernst Jan Hogendoorn, Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa Project Director. “If the deeper problems are not addressed, they could ultimately lead to Puntland’s disintegration or possible overthrow by an underground militant Islamist movement”.
HARGEISA, 12 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Peace is the only priceless jewel invested and deposited in the hearts and minds of Somaliland people; it is the biggest jackpot that the nation ever won all at once; it is the national treasury that the entire people young/old guards with love and passion every moment in their life.
However__ any external annihilation or internal implosion at the cost of this priceless living system would never ever be accepted from anyone at all, Udub, Ucid or Kulmiye. Somaliland is by the people; for the people, and her generations would not pay any price or bear any burden that its politicians may dictate. It really needs a change in many aspects, politically, economically, socially etc. President Rayale must believe in that this change is imminent, must and irreversible. It is a great saying__ the true visionary is one who thinks about tomorrow in an intelligent imaginative manner. Using the same metaphor, if Udub cannot predict about the impact of this standoff on the country at large, what they have in a store for us!
The fresh political dispute on Somaliland Election Process has sparked a wide range of anger, anxiety, and insecurity after the news came that the president__ fulfilling a so-called plea by the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (SNEC) has apparently expelled the donor-organisation (Inter-peace) from the country and accordingly nullified the long awaited results of the national voters’ registration list.
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This has invited a strong expostulation from the two chairpersons of the two houses together with the opposition political parties (Ucid and Kulmiye), but Mr. Rayale has opted to remain extremely deviant about their collective objections and disgustingly uttered not only unwise but undiplomatic provocative words that could possibly create political frictions between him and the other two opposition parties. Rayale’s harsh words depict how Africa’s malignant power-hunger virus (dictatorship) has metastasised into his body. In today’s situation, we can understand that Somaliland known as “Africa’s best kept secret” is in an intense need for rescue operation from its leadership.
By not rhapsodizing, Ucid and Kulmiye have taken together the best way this toddler country would survive and insisted not to accept taking a part in elections without concurrent voter registration. The revealed number of the ultimate voters’ list by the SNEC, although not correct__ perhaps, this may make the election process a lot more credible and transparent. Without shadow of doubt, lack of transparency and clarity is what moves forward Rayale’s political vehicle and this is the reason behind fighting for that.
Seven years under Rayale’s authority__ Somaliland has experienced unprecedented levels of corruption, economic destructions, scarcity of clean water and prolonged droughts etc, which is why the people no longer have stomach for Rayale as commander in chief. The corruptive hand of the government in the SNEC is not new but was since its inception and this failure is the outcome of a pre-planned conspiracy between Mr. Rayale and those at the helm in Somaliland National Electoral Commission body.
It is obviously very tough to get one’s faith unless you know about his/her actions in regard with his/her vast experience__ Mr. Rayale’s experience as an intelligence agent earned him to political strangulations by his bare hands as shown below.
A quick glance at Rayale’s bad governance:
* Rayale’s experience is the hurdle for good governance; causes him to omissions and accordingly became detached from many key co-working government bodies. It is also the stumbling block to any dialogue between him and the apostates.
* His Power-hunger psychodrama coupled with low self-esteem is what took the determination of this nation to an uncertainty and isolationism.
* Obstructionism based political system has yielded numerous filibusterers in both the houses whose job are to serve him adopt illegitimate incrementalism and systematic term extensions.
* Bureaucracy and red-tapism are severely disturbing, as many of his portfolios minsters are day and night 24/7 budget vampires who uses their assigned positions as a one-stop shop service.
* Many of his ex-intelligence service mates are his political gamesmanships, national security advisers etc, whose job are to imprison and impose a state of emergency law even if the smallest issue arises.
* His Paternalistic policy keeps the market bullish by brokering clan political ideologies through political neophytes such as, clan sultans, sub-clan chiefs and many other notorious clan mongers.
Where there is a will there is a way__ if Mr. Rayale has an inclination to take this nation back to the future, he must abide by the 4-point resolutions adopted by the parliament. He must reverse his decision on what this people spent much of their time, money and energy; re-instate the expelled organisation (inter-peace) to accomplish their job. Udub as a party must convince him to nullify his decision rather than the registration list. Somaliland National Electoral Commission (SNEC) must also be back to what they have taken the oath, must consult with Somaliland electoral-technocrats worldwide together with the donor organisation and re-correct what has gone wrong to the best interest of the people rather than their differences between them and inter-peace.
Finally, I would like to conclude my article with two words: One to the President and the other to the people. Mr. President__ you must value the security, life and wealth of the millions of people at home, as you are usually obsessed with yours. The reason behind retractable barricades sealed-off around your mansion gates after Oct-29 terrorist attempt on your life was not to control the traffic whizzing around, but for your security reinforcement. Moreover, the national constitution is not a small dog-eared notebook of a schoolchild but rather the country’s under recognition and democratic highway. Iron feast is not the best way to govern people but the worst to suppress them, and it could take the whole country back to square one.
To my people at large__ the only thing marketable we have in hand is “peace” which needs an attractive packaging with an expensive price tag and a meaningful label. We must abstain from anything that could lead us to belligerence or turmoil. We must know that the beauty over our country was not found on the fact that, president Rayale is in the office, but through our collective efforts, harmony and brother-hood. Let the world know about what binds us together is much greater than what drives us apart. If peace is so packed, priced and safeguarded, we can create for it a special political zone in the international political arenas and of course can break the ice within no time inshaa ALLAAH.
Khadar Hanan
khadarhanan@gmail.com
Doha, Qatar
_________________________________________________________________________________________ Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial
HARGEISA, 12 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) – It is widely acknowledged that one of the fundamental pillars of sustainable human development is investment in education of a good quality. On 10th august 2009, SONYO umbrella organized a meeting for the University students inside and outside the country. Truly it is a colossal achievement to be proud of and one of milestones of our success as Somaliland university students inside and outside the country. It is a signal of enhancement that enables as young students to contribute fully in our education to our society and the world at large.
The ceremony took place at Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa. A number of university students inside and outside Somaliland were seen in the ceremony hall and the corridors of the hotel. The ceremony opened with Holly Koran recitation by one of the students. After that the chairperson of SONYO umbrella started the speech and talked about the importance of such meetings. He indicated the necessity of exchanging experience with their local people to contribute for the development of the country. Though in Somaliland the importance of young graduates were not recognized by our society, but the growing influence of young graduates like this meeting is bearing out the community that our voices should be heard. Having said that, young students will not be passionate, creative and innovative unless their societies understand they have the potential to improve their country socially, economically and politically.
He also urged the foreign based students to have close friends to their host nations to establish a sustainable relationship which will ultimately be beneficial to our country. Somaliland Minster of internal affairs was invited to the stage, he told those who are studying abroad to respect the rules and the regulations of their host countries as they are ambassadors of their country. If you behave the people you live with good character, it is good for us. Other wise will spoil the name of your country. Later on, the session begun with presentation by different students from different universities in abroad.
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One of the Somaliland students in Malaysia started the presentation with the overview of Malaysian education. He told to the participants that Malaysia education is 70 owned by the public while the private universities are 30 percents. Apart from that, he compared the Malaysian universities with the local universities. That presenter indicated that Malaysian universities have facilities unlike Somaliland universities. Namely teaching methods and also what is known E- facilities such as, libraries. The presenter enlightened deeply the social problems faced Somaliland students in Malaysia including social –economic adaptability, financial problems, temptations, Isolations; Racism and Environmental issues were most challenges encountered students in Malaysia.
Secondly, a lady graduated from Kenya Institute of Managements who presented her experience of the education in East-Africa. That sister mentioned that there are 13 students in Uganda who were awarded Scholarship by the Somaliland government. She put in plain words the faculties provided by East African universities, Such as Social Science namely Development studies and Social work and Social administration. And this has contributed to finishing their studies successfully. There are also challenges in those students in terms of culture difference, food and behavior. Language barrier and ineffective student association was also another major obstacle. There are also presentations made by Somaliland student in Yemen, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Ethiopia and in the local. Besides the presentation on achievement and challenges, the Somaliland student in abroad highlighted to contribute their country Education, Patriotism and hard work.
The message is clear; the expansion of employment opportunity is far below the growth in the higher education graduates because of a lack of investment. Unfortunately Somaliland government is not putting higher graduate concerns at the heart of their development agenda, and still more remains to be done. Young students need access to both decent formal education and opportunities to acquire employment to actively participate in all spheres of development in their society. Young graduates in Somaliland struggle the transition from university to work. These major challenges caused that many young graduates up either unemployed or underemployed in the informal sector with little protection and prospects.
Let us remember the wisdom says, “Student are like young plants, they need to be cared for , if you take good care of your plants, you will have strong plants and a good harvest. It is the same with students, if you look after them”
Our motto “Together we can make difference”
Written by: Farhan Abdi Suleiman (oday)
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Farhan Abdi Suleiman is a social worker, fresh graduate at university of Hargeisa and youth activist. You can be contacted at oday1999@yahoo.com or odaycs@yahoo.com
Somalilandpress– I am writing to not only congratulate Amoud University on its great achievement but to also encourage it to continue in its campaign of promoting and delivering a high standard of education to the students who are lucky enough to be admitted to study at this established and most prestigious educational institution in Borama.
The great achievement to which I refer is not only that the university has graduated its 8th batch of students but they have all graduated in vastly different academic disciplines which is a testament to the research and investment the university has made over the years in widening participation and access to all students by offering the widest possible ranges of academic courses.
Amoud is and will always be the first university of Somali and Somaliland as at its core is the belief that education is the light that will guide the people of the nation out of the darkness of the of ignorance, intolerance and civil unrest. Amoud has proven to be an institution that has valued education for educations sake and not just as a method of improving individual employment prospects as is evidenced in the schools medical students been expected to invest their own money into purchasing basic drugs to cure the simple illness they come across in surrounding villages where they are expected to carry out some work experience as part of their course.
The fact that the University has grown from 600 to 1600 students is an indication of its success, its ability to deliver excellent education, the student satisfaction with its educational delivery and its courses.
Amoud is also the first university in Somalia to recognise the importance of knowledge sharing with other international universities such as Kings College London in the UK and as a result of this the university has been able to prosper and introduce innovative teaching methods and courses to strengthen its academic credibility as a higher education institution.
The university’s link to other international higher education institutions has allowed it to have access to funds and grants from some of these institutions as well as from the European Union members which has in turn allowed Amoud to become an employer of some of the best teaching staff in the country as well as a big economical player in the town of Borama and its surrounding areas.
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Mr. Suleiman Ahmed Guleed, the President of the University, and his colleagues have every right to be proud of their achievements and to be looking forward to an even more successful and prosperous future of expansion into the other key academic and vocational areas of dentistry, engineering and computer science.
Of course, educational success is not just limited to Amoud University in Somaliland as there are other institutions which are also helping to the train and teach the future of the nation such as the university of Hargeisa and Burao.
However, Amoud stands out because of its commitment to research, its social responsibility and its ability to change with the times. Despite its Conservative surroundings, Amoud has proven to be the epitome of what an independent, liberal, forward thinking university ought to be. This alone is an achievement in a continent where education is usually altered to teach the values of the ruling government elite and the importance of obeying it and conforming to it.
Nelson Mandela rightly wrote that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” and Amoud since its opening in 1997 has been operating by this philosophy. However, since education is of such great importance, institutions such as Amoud should work harder to further widen access to it, especially at higher education level and within its own faculties by offering some of those who have the ability to prosper but not the finances to afford it, scholarships to attend the university. Of course, the case might be that this is already happening but the facts are that the majority of those who are educated at Amoud and other Somaliland universities are those that are able to financially afford it or those who have the backing of relatives in the Diaspora and not necessarily those that are worthy or capable of achieving the academic requirements to enter and study at university.
Whilst I accept that there may be very little funding available directly from the university itself for poorer students with academic ability, Amoud university is urged to approach its international partners to support it in its quest for widening educational access for those unfortunate enough to not be able to afford it and where possible, perhaps even raise the tuition fees for those able to pay in order to support those who cannot.
Educational access and success should not be the reserve of the middle classes and the wealthy or those that are generally able to pay for it as this will lead to the creation of elitism and further political and social segregation within Somali society.
Despite the suggestions above, Amoud University is to be congratulated in every way for its achievements in the field of education and without doubt it is an educational institution with a great past and an even greater future. However, one hopes that Amoud is able to share this future with many more students who without the provisions of scholarships would not have the opportunity to play their part in such a promising future.
I would wish Amoud University luck for the future, but I doubt very much it needs it.
HARGEISA, 11 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Xorriyo Airways, which ran flights from Dubai to Berbera in Somaliland, has collapsed. I found this out the hard way. I soon became one of more than 600 people stranded in Somaliland. At 7.40 pm one night the airline office phoned to say the flight had been ‘delayed until further notice’ and if someone did not bring the ticket to the office by 8pm it would become void and there would be no entitlement to a refund. This is Hargeisa where taxis in the suburbs are hard to come by and buses certainly can’t get you from near Mansoor Hotel in Jigjigayar to the downtown city center in less than 20 minutes. My only chance was to get someone who lived near the office to go and negotiate in the meantime.
An official source at Xorriyyo confirmed the next day the airline had collapsed and the priority was to get passengers transferred onto other airlines. The trouble with that useful information was that very few people had been told. Most passengers including those who had already booked their holidays from around the world are still none the wiser. The source alleged that Xorriyo was owned by two cousins who split the company assets causing the airline to go bust. At the peak of the holiday season hundreds of people are stranded in Somaliland. They will probably have to ask relatives and friends to wire them money via Dahabshiil in order to buy new tickets. Dahabshiil money transfer is the unofficial banking system amongst Somalis.
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In Somaliland I learned people have to fight for everything. Being obsolete and insisting I had a connecting flight to Doha which I could not miss under any circumstances – seemed to do the trick. This was true, I did have another flight to catch, but if I had not insisted, I may still be there now. I was fortunate to been transferred to Osob Airline but this meant another hot bumpy bus ride to Berbera.
When I got there I heard my flight to Dubai was still stuck in Mogadishu. When it arrived it was carrying several hundred desperate refugees. The airport officials said that they often have injured people with bullets still lodged in them, arriving from Mogadishu.
Although it sounds rough it is a great way to see Somali landscapes and mountains. Several small villages line the way as well as the routine police checkpoints. In one small village we were hailed to stop by a man who was allowed to board the bus and asking for money. He said his name was ‘Ali- Gaabe’ (Ali the Dwarf) and that we should give him money so he could pray for our safe journey. He was a dwarf and people laughed at his audacity and his sense of humour so they paid him and I watched him hailed the second bus in our convoy to make his quick buck.
Xorriyo airline is registered UK company but has not yet officially gone into administration or declared bankruptcy. The travel agent I booked with in London also confirmed its collapse and said I was very lucky to get out as several hundred people are literally stranded there. My thoughts are with them but desperate looks on the faces of the refugees from Mogadishu will haunt me for a long time. Despite waiting three hours for the plane to arrive, I wish I stayed at the airport for just a bit longer. Long enough to hear the stories those families had tell and what horrors they had escaped.
ADDIS ABABA, August 11 2009 (Somalilandpress) — As she prepares to leave Addis Ababa, the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt reflects on the intense level of officialdom she has encountered in Ethiopia which she believes reveals much about the nature of power and responsibility in Ethiopian society.
I had not been in Addis Ababa very long when one of my predecessors came to visit.
His first question took me by surprise.
It was not, “How was I getting on,” or “What was going on in Ethiopia,” but: “Did I still have the BBC rubber stamp?”
Actually I did. Small, round, wooden handled, not particularly impressive.
“Good”, he said. “Don’t lose it. You won’t believe how long it took me to get it.”
At that point I had no idea what he was talking about.
My notion of rubber stamps came from countries like Nigeria, where every street corner boasted a small plywood booth where the local rubber-stamp maker plied his trade.
Getting a rubber stamp was just a matter of paying your money and coming back in the afternoon to collect it.
A good rubber stamping gave a letter a nice air of authority, but it was not something to be taken too seriously.
But not in Ethiopia. There a rubber stamp conveys absolute authority and without it no document is genuine.
This was brought home to me when I lost both my passport and residence permit. The immigration department offered me a temporary permit, to tide me over for a few days until my new passport arrived.
Bureaucracy meant it was difficult to retrieve an impounded satphone
I showed them the duplicated slip I had just been given by the British embassy, informing me that replacement passports were now printed in Kenya and the process took at least six weeks.
The official peered at it very doubtfully.
“How do I know this is really from the British Embassy?” and finally, the killer argument: “It doesn’t have a rubber stamp.”
Of course something this important cannot just be bought on any street corner.
My predecessor had gone through an elaborate process of getting official authorisation – a “Fikad” – complete with rubber stamp from the authorising ministry, before a BBC stamp could be issued.
Ethiopia’s obsession with these authorisations can be written off as insane bureaucracy, or as a make-work scheme to provide jobs for civil servants. It is both of those, but above all it is a way of shifting responsibility.
Take my problem with the satellite phone or satphone which served as an antenna for the BBC studio. I had taken it to London for repair and on the way back I was stopped at customs.
It is the Catch-22 answer everyone in Ethiopia dreads: ‘I cannot give you permission because you do not need permission’
The customs officer clearly had no idea what it was but he certainly was not prepared to get into trouble for letting me bring it into the country.
“Did I have authorisation for it?”
“Er, no whose authorisation did I need?”
With the air of a man making it up as he went along he thought for a moment, then proclaimed “the Telecommunications Agency,” and impounded the satellite phone.
Waiting game
The next day I presented myself at the agency.
“Was I going to connect it to the Ethiopian telephone system?”
“No.”
“Was it going to interfere with wireless transmissions?”
“No.”
The official there looked relieved. Then I did not need his permission.
That clearly was not going to do at all.
Without a piece of paper and a rubber stamp I was never going to get the satphone back.
It is the Catch-22 answer everyone in Ethiopia dreads: “I cannot give you permission because you do not need permission.”
Please, please would he give something, anything, with a rubber stamp on it to show to customs.
He weakened. Well all right, but only if I got an authorisation from the Ministry of Information. [ad#Google Adsense (200×90)]
So off to the information ministry, where the official in charge of the foreign press was friendly, but far too wily a bureaucrat to get caught giving me permission to have some dubious piece of satellite technology.
He offered an attestation that I was a fully accredited and responsible journalist. With a stamp.
“Not good enough,” said the Telecoms Agency. “Try again.”
This went on for some time until finally everyone’s back was covered. I was allowed to pay an eye-watering sum of money in customs duty and retrieve my equipment.
Rubber-stamped dictatorship
Of course the dark side of this is that if nothing can be done without an authorisation, then with an authorisation, anything becomes permissible, and all responsibility is lifted from your shoulders.
In the days of the Derg, the brutal military dictatorship that ruled Ethiopia from the mid-1970s until 1991, every arrest, every interrogation, every killing was documented, authorised, and filed.
And every piece of paper was kept, and is still there, in a vast, chilling archive. And every single sheet, I am prepared to bet, carries the correct rubber stamp.
Meanwhile I have carefully filed all the paperwork relating to the satphone, and if I go back to Addis Ababa in years to come I will check that my successor still has it.
It may seem a strange question, but you will not believe how long it took me to get it.
How to listen to: From our own Correspondent
Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only)
LONDON, August 11 2009 (Somalilandpress) — One of Africa’s largest oil producers, Angola, is much tougher in negotiating deals with Asian firms than critics might suggest, a new report claims.
UK-based think-tank Chatham House says the country does not fit the stereotype of weak African states being exploited by resource-hungry Asian tigers.
Their report contrasts Angola with Nigeria, which it says has mismanaged its relations with Asian firms.
It says Nigeria has put $20bn (£12bn) of infrastructure at risk.
‘Playing politics’
In Angola, President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos has been in power for almost 30 years, boosting stability and helping to create a functioning state-owned oil company, Sonangol, the report says.
The scale of the corruption, mismanagement and non-execution of projects in the Obasanjo years has sent shockwaves through Nigeria
Chatham House report
Angola emerged as the second-largest supplier of oil to China last year, helping the African country secure at least $13bn in oil-backed loans from Beijing.
“While Nigeria was playing politics with its Asian partners, Angola was driven by economic necessity to quickly access funds to finance its reconstruction,” the report said.
The BBC’s Africa analyst Martin Plaut says the co-operation between Angola and China reflects the fact that Beijing, unlike the West, has played a major part in rebuilding Angola after its long civil war.
Legal moves
Nigeria’s dealings, on the other hand, have been bogged down by corruption and mismanagement.
Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo sought partners in China, India, South Korea and elsewhere to buy oil blocks in return for billions of dollars of infrastructure.
But not a single barrel of oil was ever produced by Asian national oil companies in Nigeria, leaving the Nigerian economy with no tangible benefit, the report said.
“The scale of the corruption, mismanagement and non-execution of projects in the Obasanjo years has sent shockwaves through Nigeria,” the report said.
“His intentions were good but officials failed to spell out the full implications of the scheme. And many used the scheme for private profit.”
When President Umaru Yar’Adua took power in May 2007 many deals were revoked – and a Korean firm has taken the Nigerian government to court over the issue.
HARGEISA, 10 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Waris which actually means Desert Flower, By the way I have Somali colleagues who I work with, to my surprise they couldn’t translate the meaning of her name but thanks to the internet world I finally found out that Waris means a flower that can bloom even in the roughest climate.
Who is Waris?
Let me tell you a little real story I learned about Waris Dirie, she was born in 1965 in the region of Gallcaio, Near the Ethiopian border at a Somali desert. At the tender age of five, she underwent the inhuman procedure of genital mutilation. This horrible tradition is still practiced worldwide today, both by Muslims and Christians. According to estimations of the United Nations, more than 8 000 girls become victims of this cruel crime every day.
At the age of 13 Waris fled from a forced marriage to a man, who could have been her grandfather in age. After an adventurous escape she arrived in London and worked there as a housemaid and at McDonald’s.
Messenger of Peace!
Waris was appointed UNFPA Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on 18 September 1997. As Special Ambassador, Ms. Dirie has toured African countries speaking out against the practice and lending support to UNFPA and national programmes that seek to eradicate FGM. As a young girl in Somalia she survived the traditional form of FGM that kills hundreds of women every year.
After achieving international success as a fashion model, she decided to tell the public of her ordeal and to dedicate her life to ending the practice and improving the status of women. Ms. Dirie’s work is part of an international advocacy campaign to stimulate awareness of and support for human rights, gender equality and reproductive choice, especially for women in developing countries.
The Movie
A Recently a movie is made which tells the story Waris Drire journey from Somalian Desert to the biggest catwalks of the world. The movie is going to be released on 08.10.2009.
Filming Locations: UK, Germany, Austria 2009
Genre: Drama
Running time: 120 minutes
Distributor: Rialto Film AG
Trailer : Desert Flower 2009
Desert Flower is a shocking story that compassion and disbelief causes. Ethiopian Super Model Liya Kebede, who plays the leading role, Liya is a credible actress for the story of Waries. It is supported by the lively presentation by Marilyn Sally Hawkins.
The Story is actually goes as follows:
At 18 years, the Somalierin Waris Dirie (Liya Kebede) in a London fast-food restaurant by star photographer Terry Donaldson discovered. Within a short time it becomes a sought-after top model in the international fashion world. Despite the luxury and success of the young woman to earth and always remembers to its African roots.
As a child Dirie grew up in the simplest situations in the African desert. At the age of three she was the brutal tradition of female circumcision to the victims, what their life has changed severely. With 13 years before she escapes a forced marriage to Mogadishu, where they are the family of the mother is protected. This gives her a job in the Somali Embassy in London. Some years later it is in danger of deportation to her homeland. Dirie appeared in, lives on the street and accidentally learns the living artist Marilyn (Sally Hawkins) know. With its help she succeed in starting a new life.
In an interview with Marie Claire describes her difficult childhood, and makes the subject
of circumcision to the public.
Well readers , Waris Dirie decides to end her life as a model and dedicate her life to fighting this archaic ritual. What can we do to help her achive her goal? What can we do to Eliminat Female Genital Mutilation? I will leave this to you guys! Leave your comments and discuss about it and support Waris Dirie.
HARGEISA, 10 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) — This is not about who won the Presidential election which took place in Iran on 12 June 2009. Probably, it was President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who won the election but by a smaller margin. Even though, the election itself was conducted with a great deal of sophistication and organization the way the votes were counted and the way results were announced have caused a great deal of concern and tribulation. Once the victory of the incumbent Ahmadinejad had been announced, there was an out pour of people who took to the streets in the capital Tehran and in other cities.
As the fallout has progressed, from some quarters within Iran, there are even calls to imprison and try the Iranian opposition leader and former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi who lost the election. The imprisonment and trial of Mr Mousavi would only damage further the standing of Iran. It could also widen the gulf created within its society.
The greatness of any nation is not the potency of its weapons but how it treats its own people. In Iran the way peaceful protesters were beaten up and imprisoned has undoubtedly tarnished the standing of the Islamic Republic. Not to mention, the ongoing trials of imprisoned protesters would not help settle things but stir up trouble for Iran in the long grass. If convicted, it is most likely that many of those on trial would be executed.
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The world is concerned what is happening in Iran. The Iranian government should not fight its own people but try to win the battle of ideas created in the aftermath of the elections. The Islamic Republic of Iran should heal and not by its actions widen the rift created by the mishandled elections. It should seek reconciliation within its people. It should not lay blame on other nations.
It is human nature to seek change. It is very natural a wide section of the Iranian people to seek change. There is nothing wrong with that. It was to that effective that brought President Ahmadinejad himself to power.
As citizens of this world what happens anywhere concerns us all. What is happening in Iran too concerns the world. Iran should release the majority of protesters on trial before the holy month of Ramadan which is expected to start from 21 August 2009.
Written by Abdullahi Dool
Writer and former Diplomat of Somalia
Hornheritage@aol.com
__________________________________________________________ Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial
HARGEISA, 10 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) –- Somaliland youth across the country have been learning ways to empower themselves and develop new leadership skills this week in a one-day workshop as a part of an initiative headed by CK Consultancy Group.
The training was organised by Kaltum Osman from CK Consultancy Group, based in the UK and Somaliland Culture & Sport association (SOCSA). After visiting the centre Kaltum had identified what would be beneficial to the youth and what training they would need while she is visiting Somaliland.
The workshop was held at the SOCSA center last week, hundreds of young boys and girls attended all aiming to gain different skills and ways to tackle different types of challenges. Part of the center’s objective was to provide a leadership platform from which to learn and grow and strengthen the community with their leadership skills. They also emphasised ways of developing ties and interacting with Somaliland youth from abroad.
The training focused on identifying the meaning of a leader, leadership and management, requirements of the Somaliland youth to become leaders all of these by giving examples of the past great leaders in the world. The trainees understood the meaning of a true leader and what he/she will need to become a one.
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Speaking to Somalilandpress, Kaltum said “young people are the leaders and future of Somaliland, they need to be empowered and equipped with life long skills, they also need to be given the chance to participate and have voice in management, development and decision making”.
“I was privileged to have this golden opportunity to work with young Somalilanders, who were amazing to work with, and I look forward to work with many more in the future” she added.
CK Consultancy Group provides, social development trainings, workshops, research (qualitative and quantitative), and project evaluations.
Kaltum Osman is Social Anthropology, as a social development research consultant, she is experienced in strategic development training, Youth leadership, mentoring and empowerment.
It is the Catch-22 answer everyone in Ethiopia dreads: ‘I cannot give you permission because you do not need permission’ 
