Britain funds human rights abuse in Ethiopia

The UK government is providing financial aid to human rights abusers in Ethiopia through funding and training paramilitaries, who perpetrate summary killings, rape and torture in the Ogaden and elsewhere in Ethiopia. This program sheds some light on the matter.

Meles Zenawi and Genocide in the Ogaden

Some of us know what is going on in the Somali region currently occupied by Ethiopia. But the extent of mass killings, rape and terror in the region is not something i believe many Somalis yet understand. Indeed the mass killings has been classified as a "genocide" by rights groups. It is therefore incumbent upon you to educate yourself about what our fellow Somalis across the colonial border is going through with the aid of the "moral" and "righteous" west. You can start with watching this documentary and spreading this to your immediate family and friends and hopefully they will do the same.

           


        
             

New Initiative Enables Somali Farmers to Produce Food Assistance

For the first time, Somali farmers are turning themselves into suppliers of high-quality food assistance for their fellow Somali people. A new initiative backed by the European Union, the government of Austria and two United Nations food security agencies has helped Somali farmers achieve this major agricultural breakthrough in a region of the country that was gripped by famine less than three years ago.




          

Let's take a fresh look at Somalia: Abdi Latif Ega at TEDxMogadishu

Abdi Latif Ega is a Somali novelist and scholar at Columbia University. His recent book, Guban, is a kaleidoscopic tale of the Somali revolution, which deftly interlocks stories of all strata of society-interlopers, interlocutors, diplomats, camel herders, revolutionaries, military personnel, and clan leaders, to name but a few. Documenting both the brutality of the national dictatorship and the international pressures of this cold war driven world. Guban brings together the immediacy of journalistic reportage with the imaginative expansiveness of the novel.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

            

        

              

'Last Hijack' Combines Animation & Documentary Filmmaking To Tell Personal Somali Pirate Story

From indiewire :

 Another contribution to the evolving "Somali Pirate" movie canon.

This one is a documentary titled Last Hijack, described as a journey into the world of a Somali Pirate from his POV, exploring how and why he came to live that particular kind of life. That's certainly encouraging - that the filmmakers opted to tell the story from the point of view of a Somali man, instead of the expected and typical opposite. The film is also somewhat unique thanks to its combining animation (for sequences involving dreams, memories, and fears) with documentary filmmaking (for scenes documenting everyday life) hybrid approach in exploring how one Somali pirate named Mohamed, came to live such a dangerous existence.

Here's more:

Somalia is the worldwide capital of piracy, and Mohamed is one of Somalia’s most experienced pirates. But in his homeland, a failed state, Mohamed is just another middle-aged man trying to make ends meet. Far removed from the glamour and adventure of the pirates of books and movies, Somali pirates face increasing scrutiny and stigmatization both at home and abroad. Now Mohamed is engaged and both his parents and his in-laws pressure him to change his ways before the big wedding day. Mohamed senses that the golden age of piracy may be coming to an end, and with pressure mounting to provide for his loved ones, he must decide whether to risk everything for one last hijack.

Directed by Tommy Pallotta & Femke Wolting, and produced by Wolting and Bruno Felix, the film made its world premiere at the Berlinale this month, and will next screen at the SXSW Film Festival next month.

Check out its trailer below:

Somali poetry

I had to share this wonderful Somali poem. This clip pretty much captivated me when i first stumbled upon it. The man reciting the poetry also invokes religious and national unity, two things that do not exist today in Somalia. Here it is.