Bartamaha (Virginia):- The 2nd Annual Somali Diaspora Youth conference took place in Virginia at George Mason University on July 31 and August 1, 2010. The theme of the conference for this year was Building Bridges for a Better Tomorrow.
The conference emphasized the need to build bridges among the Somali Diaspora youth, the Diaspora community around the world as well as those left in the ancestor country of Somalia. The conference provided a venue to learn, gain experience, and share knowledge with others. The variety of the topics presented were impressive and issues addressed that impact on our community particularly Somali youth were very relevant to all involved.
The attendance of the conference was about two hundred and the participants were from as far as Canada, Minnesota, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia, among other states. I was very impressed with the talent of the Somali youth, be it in the presentations, poetry or the skits that reflected the crisis faced by the Diaspora youth who are torn between their ancestral land and their new adopted country.
Throughout the conference, the participants expressed their pain and the deeply held desire to bring peace to Somalia by building bridges among the Diaspora community.
I was pleased with the speeches given by the varies speakers, particularly the youth that emphasized the importance of knowing our identity, that we are first Muslims before we are Somalis and that the only way to fix the problems of Somalia depends on how strong our connection to our religion, Islam, is.
The ultimate goal to solidify our community efforts and increase solidarity within our Diaspora community and bring sustainable peace is through commitment, loyalty and desire to meet the challenge of finding sustainable peace and prosperity for our suffering people in Somalia regardless of their regional affiliation. Youth presentations captivated the whole audience, and in some cases, brought tears to their eyes.
I was extremely proud and overwhelmed with joy to have witnessed such a talented young speakers who were well-versed with the various issues that affect our community. The poetry session blew my mind away and captivated my interest and attention. These young poets poured their heart and soul into their performances.
In my view, the conference was an overall success and one that I am glad to have attended. I want to thank the Somali Student Association of George Mason University (SSA-GMU) for all of their efforts in helping making the conference successful and beneficial, particularly the SSA’s treasurer, Amina Salad. However, I will be remiss if I don’t mention the fact that without Sadia Ali Aden the conference would not have materialized. Sister Sadia worked nonstop everyday and every-night perfecting the conference through conference calls, running errands and contacting several organizations and speakers to come and participate at the conference. I greatly support and appreciate Sadia Ali Aden very much and I wish her the very best in this life and the hereafter.
It’s now time to prepare for an unforgettable Somali Diaspora Youth conference in 2011. Where: Columbus Ohio.
A Reflection Article
By: Awil Jama.
Well done brother Awil…. Now what’s left is just the videos insha’Allah