MINNEAPOLIS Reg Chapman (WCCO) ―Hundreds of Somali Americans from across the country, United Kingdom and Canada are gathered at the University of Minnesota’s Law School for the second annual Somali Youth Summit.
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The summit has international attention both for its agenda and its goals: to educate Somali students on critical issues so they can develop their own plan of action.
“We want to create our own leaders and start them when they are young,†said Abdisalom Aato.
Identifying and tapping the leadership potential of young Somali Americans is the goal.
Organizers hope the interaction between young people will create leaders who can help solve problems in the community.
“We have a lot of conflict going on here and back home and the only people who can solve these problems is the youths,†said Muhamoud Treek.
The top five issues facing Somali young adults are defined and participants are asked to come up with solutions. In addition, the entire exchange is broadcast live on the internet.
Topics that discussed are Islamic cultural identity, surviving peer pressure and change through higher education. They are not concentrating on a past that centers on war.
“You can hear people say there is a lot of conflict going on [with] Somali youth in the twin cities or in Somalia but we close that doors. We are thinking about the future.†said Treek.
In 2008, 1.5 million people participated via computer or by purchasing a DVD of the summit.
Organizers say young adults from all different backgrounds are invited to attend the summit on Saturday and Sunday.
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Source: WCCO
