Some of the books I read in 2019

1. Things fall apart, Chinua Achebe.
   
2. A man of the people, Chinua Achebe.
   
3. From a crooked rib, Nuruddin Farah.
   
4. North of down, Nuruddin Farah.
   
5. Ignorance is the enemy of love, Faarax M. J. Caw.
   
6. The youth of god,Hassan Santur.
   
7. 21 lessons for the 21st century,Yuval Noah Harari.
   
8. The closing of the muslim mind, Robert R Reilly.
   
9. World Order, Henry Kissinger.
   
10. Ten arguments for delating your social media account right now, Jaron Lanier.
    
11. The post American world,Fareed Zakaria.
    
12. Why nations fail, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.
    
13. Somalia: The missed opportunities, Mohamed Sahnoun.
    
14. Somalia:State collapse and the threat of terrorism, Kenneth menkhaus.
    
15. Mogadishu memoir,Hassan Abukar.
    
16. Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment,Francis Fukuyama
17.  The real politics of the horn of Africa, Alex de Waal.
18. Call me American, Abdi Nuur Iftin.
19. Out Of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa, Keith Richburg.
20. Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo.
21. The World as it is, Ben Rhodes.
22. In the Name of Our Fathers, Abdirizaq Y. Osman.
23. Everything you have told me is true, Mary Harper.
24. No longer at ease, Chinua Achebe.
25. Qab iyo Quursi,Abdi Farah Said.
26. Maanafay,Mohamed Dahir Afrah.
27. Rich dad poor dad, Robert Kiyosak.
28. Development Theroies, John Rapley.
29. State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century, Francis Fukuyama. 
30. An African Miracle: State and Class Leadership and Colonial Legacy in Botswana Development,Abdi Samatar.
31. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid.
32.  The Israel Lobby and U.S Foreign Policy, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt.

Macallin Bilaal:A Tribute

Across all ages, teachers have played a critical role in the development of children and youth. It is undoubtedly a timeless relationship that has emerged with human civilisation. And on a personal level, I, too, credit much of the growth I've undergone academically and as a contributing member of society to a remarkable teacher. My recollections are littered with fond memories of my first teacher, Bilaal Caad, who taught me how to read and write. He was a great teacher and mentor to many. 

I started at his Quranic school — Dugsiga Macallin Bilaal —  at the tender age of three, when there were few opportunities besides religious institutions for children to get educated. Growing up in the small town of Burtinle, where the Somalia-Ethiopia borders meet in the northern part of the Somali peninsula, I used to be told that there weren't even that many Quranic schools operating in my hometown back in the mid-90s. In fact, there were only two, and Macalin Bilaal's school had the highest enrolment rate. 

I was also told that Bilaal Caad settled in Burtinle merely a few years after Somalia's devastating civil war outbreak. At that time, a well-organised Sufi group dominated the town's Quranic education sector. So it was perhaps natural that they initially perceived him as a threat to their monopoly position in vying for students. And as a result of this feud, his first school was set on fire, most likely because they wanted to deter him from continuing to compete with them over students. 

Some voices of that time, who witnessed the bickering first hand, said that much of the hostility had sectarian undertones as Macalin Bilaal was of Salafi persuasion, while his adversaries were members of Sufi groupings. Yet, in the end, Macalin Bilaal's steadfastness prevailed, permitting him to move his school into an even bigger building than the one they've burned to the ground. 

To me, his unique sense of humour distinguished him from the archetypical Quranic teacher in Somalia. Not only was Macalin Bilaal's habit of giving funny names to all of his students — which he somehow managed to remember —  but also because he successfully combined likeable humour with discipline, something his adversaries couldn't pull off.

Beyond his outstanding qualities as a teacher, he also showed great interest in philanthropic causes such as fundraisers for the poor, Iftar dinners that he hosted at his private residence during Ramadan and drought relief projects. Macallin Bilaal stood up for all kinds of good causes. He simply spared no effort from facilitating scholarship opportunities abroad to supporting orphan centres across Puntland. Today his former students include doctors, engineers, lawyers and clerics who reside on all parts of planet earth, fondly remembering their beloved teacher.

By God, I do not know of any individual I've ever met who's more deserving of being taken as a role model than Macallin Bilaal. In this post, I wanted to celebrate and honour his legacy and express my deep gratitude and admiration so that I may tread his path and follow in his footsteps one day. May the Almighty bless our teachers!

BOOKS I READ IN 2018

1.Mogadishu Memoir, Hassan Abukar.

2. Governance: The Scourge and Hope of Somalia,Ali Ismail Ismail.

3. Abdirazak Haji Hussein: My Role in the Foundation of the Somali Nation-State, A Political Memoir. Abdirazak  Haji Hussein(Edited by Abdusalm Salwe)

4.Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo

5.Representations of the intellectual, Edward Said.

6. The lions biding oath and other stories, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf

7. Understanding the Somalia. Conflagration: Identity, Islam and Peacebuilding.

,Afyare Abdi Elm

8.IT takes a school, Jonathan Starr.

9. War Crimes: How Warlords, Politicians, Foreign Governments and Aid Agencies Conspired to Create a Failed State in Somalia, Rasna Warah.

10. In Defense of a Liberal Education, Fareed Zakaria

11. The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament, Wael Hallaq.

12.Somalia: A short fiction, Martin R. Ganzglass 

13. The Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism, Tariq Ramadan

14.Among the Somalis, Ingeborg Vardøen

15.Animal Farm, George Orwell

16. The Road to Zero: Somalia's Self-Destruction. Mohamed Osman Omar

17. Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Pol itics,Michael Ignatieff

18.Himiladaada Hano, Maxamad Ismaaciil Maxamad ( Siibad)

19.The prince,  Niccolò Machiavelli

20.The art of war, Sun Tzu

21.The 48 laws of power, Robert Greene

22.Inside Al-Shabaab: The Secret History of Al-Qaeda’s Most Powerful Ally,

Dan Joseph and Harun Maruf

23.On Writing Well, William Zinsser

24. How to Read a Book,Mortimer J. Adler
25. From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role, Fareed Zakaria.

Puntland Elections: Thoughts and Expectations

Puntland has successfully held its fifth presidential election and a new president and vice president were elected on 8th January, 2019. Said Abdullah Deni, a successful businessman and former federal planning minister, was elected president while former minster Ahmed Elmi Osman was elected as vice president.

Garowe was bustling during the election season as many people from other cities and abroad came to campaign for their respected candidates. The restaurants, café houses, and shopping centers greatly benefited from the election fever. All the hotels were booked and even the houses were used as inns to accommodate the influx of people.

This election was different from the previews ones as it looked as though it was one-person one vote event. The candidates toured in most of the regions and received a warm welcome in every city they visited. 

The top presidential candidates also, for the first time, presented their written political manifesto to the public so the citizen can hold them to account.

The youth played an integral part in this election as they were campaigning for their candidates on social media. The youth have shown that they are ready to actively participate in the political process.

Civil society groups have actively engaged with traditional elders to select/elect MPs based on integrity and not to choose based on money. They have also called for holding free and fair election. Traditional elders met with vetting committee to ensure the process to be fair and transparent.

The candidates for state parliament spent thousands of dollars to get elected and presidential candidates spent millions of dollars in campaigning, making this election the most expensive one in Puntland’s history.

On the night of the election, a huge amount of money change hands as many MPs took bribes from different candidates.

Even though many MPs took a chunk of money, corruption was not the only determining factor for victory because the candidates who paid most of the money lost in the first round of the election.

Surprisingly, the incumbent, former President Abdiweli Gaas, sought reelection only to lose in the first round. His defeat reinforced the notion that Somali incumbents never win a second term.

The federal government backed a candidate who had the distinction of spending millions of dollars—the most in the campaign—but strangely exited in the first round. This candidate was rebuffed by the MPs as he was seen as a liability due to his dubious connections with Mogadishu.

What we should expect from the new Administration

The new president is inheriting worsening security and crippling economy from his predecessor. The security situation in Bosaaso has been deteriorating for the last one year. Al-Shabab used to carry out targeted assasnations in the past and now ISIS started a similar terror campaign. ISIS and Al-Shabab take extortion money from business people in Bosaaso and those who refuse are killed. The two terror groups have bases in the Bari Region and pose an existential threat to the people and the government of Puntland and they ought to be dealt urgently.

The new president needs to re-organize security forces that were neglected by successive governments. The security forces are still clan-based and need to be overhauled into national forces. They should get training, equipment and regular salaries so they can efficiently do their duties of safeguarding Puntland.

The president needs to instill new blood in the bureaucracy - with commitment to integrity and diligence. The previous parliament disbanded the Civil Service Commission—a hotbed for incompetence, corruption and favoritism—and appoint a body with competent, honest, and fair-minded members.

President Deni should also improve public financial management and curb rampant corruption, mediocrity and favoritism that were the hallmark of the past regimes. He should develop new development projects as well complete outstanding projects, such as the Ceeldaahri-Ceerigaabo road, Garowe-Galkacayo road, which stopped due to corruption, and finally the Garacad Port.

The relationship between the federal government and Puntland was not good and Deni should work with Mogadishu on finding a viable solution for ending the ongoing spat. He should de-escalate political confrontations between Puntland and the federal government and enhance collaboration; a working relationship based on respecting the constitution.

The clan-based election system has proved to be disastrous because it always leads to polarization, animosity between clans, and the emergence a new crop of elders bent on carving their own niche. The new president must start democratization process in his first year and not wait until the last years of his term as his predecessors did.

The president should set a timeline for his seven goals that he pledged during his campaign and prioritize its implementation.

Finally, I would advise the new president to avoid any interest group that want to hijack his government and tarnish his image. The president has a five-year term and probably he will not get re-elected for a second term and therefore he should focus on leaving a remarkable, memorable legacy.

The nagging question is whether the new president will honor his campaign pledges or renege and, hence, follow the footsteps of previous regimes, which were notorious for corruption, nepotism, favoritism and unfulfilled promises. Only Time will tell!

Abdirahman Issa

Cadced99@gmail.com

BOOKS I READ IN 2017

1.Desert flower, Waris Dirie.

2.Tale of boon’s wife , Fartumo kusow.

3. Think Big,  Ben Carson.

4. Out of Mogadishu, Yusuf Haid.

5.In the name of our fathers Yusuf, Abdirizak Y. Osman.

6.Dal dad waayay iyo duni damiir Beeshay ,Mohamed D. Afrah.

6.Che Guevara, Richard Harris.

7.Between Somaliland and Puntland, Markus Hoehne.

8.Gifted Hand, Ben Carson.

9.Africa's first democrats, Abdi Samatar.

10.Guban, Abdilatiif Egga.

11. Alchemists, Paulo Coelho.

12. It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, Colin Powell.

13. THE SUICIDAL STATE IN SOMALIA: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SIAD BARRE REGIME, 1969–1991, Mohamed Haji Ingiriis.

14.The Golden years of Somalia, Mohamed Ali Hamud.

15. Adultery, Paulo Coelho.

16.The Spy, Paulo Coelho.

17.Black Mamba Boy, Nadifa Mohamed.

18.Halgan iyo Hagardaamo, Abdullahi Yusuf.
19.The Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram Kidnappings & Islamic Militancy in Nigeria, Helon Habila.
20.A Challenging Transition in Somalia: A Story of Personal Courage and Conviction, Abdiwali M Ali.
21.Halgankii Tukayaasha, Abdi Said Abdi Ismail
22.Xadka Ridada, Abdi Said Abdi Ismail.
23.How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

DAUNTING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT NEEDS URGENT SOLUTION

The Somali youth face a daunting challenge in getting employment in their country.

According to a UN report, 70% of the population in Somalia is under 30 years old and the youth unemployment rate is approximately 67%, which is the highest in the world. Every year, thousands of youth graduate from local universities without any foreseeable future for securing employment. Job prospects are dim and depressing.

In the past few weeks,  a phenomenon of a Somali young man, who posted his picture and contact information on a billboard in Mogadishu, went viral on social media. Abukar Ahmed Hussein graduated two years ago from a local university in Mogadishu with a degree in information technology. Ahmed has applied for numerous jobs for the past two years but to no avail. His billboard posting was a radical departure from how people normally look for work. Perhaps, it was a desperate attempt to be noticed from a crowded field of job seekers in a market stingy with employment opportunities. Whatever his motivation was or the odd technique he employed, it paid off. Hussein got job offers from several companies. What once was a stale, bleak job market suddenly opened up for him became promising and real. He finally settled for one: Astan TV.

What saved the day for this young job seeker was a combination of several factors. First, he broke the traditional method of job application. Second, he was not afraid to try a new approach for applying for a job. Third, his message on social media propelled him to an unexpecting level—the attention of companies who otherwise would never have noticed him. Unfortunately, Hussein’s story, while unique, is not the norm for many Somali youth.

Lack of employment opportunities has forced thousands of youth to immigrate to Europe, risking their lives and leading some to perish in the high seas. The youth face an array of barriers—lack of quality education, work experience, relevant work-related skills, employability skills, and merit-based recruitment process.

Somali universities do not prepare students for the job market. These institutions have no academic and career development centers and hence produce graduates who cannot write a simple resume and a cover letter. The federal government promised to create two thousand jobs for the youth, but it turned out to be nothing but an empty promise. Nepotism is still rampant in the government and the only way one can secure employment is through connection to elders, businessman and politicians. There is no merit-based system in the government that guarantees a fair employment opportunity for all and eliminates the middle person.

The government should come up with a national Youth Employment Strategy that aims at creating decent jobs for young people to reach their full potential. The strategy should include skills development initiatives, placement mechanisms and youth entrepreneurship development. The private and public sector should create an internships program that provides training, mentoring, and coaching to recent graduates to get hands-on experience and facilitate their entry into meaningful employment.

                                   

In a nutshell, Somali youth are valuable resource and both public and private sectors have responsibility to provide jobs to ensure the Somali youth are able to contribute to the development of their country. The exodus of youth to neighboring countries and Europe will continue until employment opportunities are created. An unemployed young is not only a burden on the society, but he/she poses security risk in a country like Somalia, which is still recovering from the aftermath of civil war.  Moreover, the young people are the cornerstone in the development and the well-being of the country and therefore their employment issue must be tackled urgently. 

Abdirahman A Issa

Cadced99@gmail.coom

Mogadishu International Book Fair: Changing the narrative of the city

Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia hosted on 13-15 Sept the 3^rd year of Mogadishu International Book Fair. The book fair organizes each year by New Horizon, a non-governmental organization that focuses on civic engagement. The fair promotes the culture of reading, Somali language, and heritage and it has brought together writers, poets, artists, storytellers from all over the world. The event includes book launches, Exhibitions of photography and fine art, Keynote Guest Lectures, Panel discussions, and debates.

I have attended the first day and last day of the book fair and I want to share with you here on my thoughts on this event.

It was the first time in my life to participate in such a book fair and really impressed how well it was organized. I came at 10:00PM, a few hours after the official launch. When I entered the hotel there were many people outside the hall that the event was taking place. The participants outside the hall were taking a selfie, posing for photos and a far corner near the kitchen many youths were sipping café and drinking water.

I have taken a badge from a lady who was sitting the entrance of the hall, registered my name and entered the hall. A panel discussion on persevering the Somali language was going on when I entered the hall. A panel from Somalia Academic of culture was discussing how to improve the writing of Somalia language and preserve it. I was very much interesting to see the books and I toured the books presented at the event. Many of the books presented were written in Somalia language and mostly written by youth. There were many booksellers who were present to present their books and Loox press that publishes books.

The event changed the narrative of a city that was once known as the most dangerous city in the world. The city has been recovering from war and destruction and heading to development. The event was trending on social media and Twitter interaction has reached more 5 million. Thanks to the youth who did this wonderful job!

I have noticed that most participants were youth who are under 30 which is very encouraging that the gun was replaced by a pen. It’s promising that youth are competing for knowledge instead of a gun.

The most youth were complaining that books were quite expensive and most of them could not afford thus preferred to hang out outside and take a selfie instead of interacting with writers and network with professionals.

Finally, I would suggest to the organizers to make books cheaper and affordable and organize small events apart from the annual one to encourage reading and writing.