Yes we can!!!!!!

I've realized that there's one thing I've been taking for granted for quite some time, that being TIME. I find myself spending hours on various meetings, ranging from attending community advisory to reducing youth violence meetings you name it, and at the end of the day I feel that the results are pretty much the same. It seems that the only thing that ever gets accomplished in these meetings is the art of talking. I admit that I can't take myself out of the problem, but really its tragic.

I attended most of these meetings believing that it will help in the process of organizing and voicing the needs of the community, not to say that it hasn't done that, but just not in the scale I was hoping it would.

I feel that with the number of meetings held by Somali officials across Mpls, the state of our community should have long been transformed. So where are the results of all this endless meetings after meetings that have been taking place for as long as we've been in America? Well it seems as though that most of these meetings are led by selfish leaders who are only in it for their own self interest. These meetings lack young motivated youth who deeply care about the state of the community, who hold no hidden agendas as most of today's leader do.

It times young people take the lead to be the change they wish to see in their world, starting from their neighborhoods. Its time we all start investing in our neighborhoods, because if we don't you can bet that no one else will.

So we are we waiting for? Let's stop this trend of meetings, and start mobilizing around issues of concern. Let's not be a community of talkers, who can't back their talk. I know that there are far more good people, than those who intend evil, but its a matter of making this year the year we take back our name and show the rest of the state what the Somali Community is made of.

So what do you really know about the Somali community?

It seems as though there is a buzz surrounding the Somali community lately, one that wasn't there before. So it pushes me to ask, what has changed? Well I shall tell you, it seems as though the sudden interest comes from the trouble the community faces readjusting to a new country.

With the ongoing youth violence, and the young men leaving for Somalia, the community has become media's favorite. You are sure to find a story about the missing men going to Somalia to fight a holy war, and what that means for the Somalis residing here to the youth who have taken arms against each other. The title always being "SOMALI".

Having lived in the U.S for quite sometime now, this has led me to ask yet another question, how come when other Americans such as a white Caucasian man commits crimes, his place of origin is never brought up? They simply go on to say " a St..paul man has killed his entire family today", never once bringing up whether his German or Jewish. So why not do the same for the Somali Community?" 

Its not fair for any community not only the Somali's to have their name dragged in the dirt and watch their community only when something tragic happens. Where is the media when young college students come out to the local community centers to volunteer their time? Well they're definitely no where to be seen, but the minute something terrible happens they can be seen in the front line with their cameras.

Its time people ask of the media to report on the important things that give meaning to our existence. Things such as those who are giving back, students who are excelling in their studies, not on youth who have taken arms against each other and not on clan warfare in the Somali community. Unless we speak, the media will continue to report on what they think people want to see.

So the next time you hear anything about any one community, remember that there is far greater good things taking place, that the media fails to bring to attention. So get out there and get involved and be your own judge.

Put your thoughts on paper

My poem might not rhyme
But it carries a message one that concerns our time

We live in a society that focuses on dreams
Even if those dreams mean for a 14 year old girl to starve herself due to low self esteem

Were too busy to stop for second and ponder
To evaluate all the corruption thats taking place and then we wonder

Why is that the world is full of so much pain?
Why can't we learn from the past and what have gained?

I'll tell you what we gained an increase in depression
And more ways to hide our true feelings because as they say, "make a good first impression".

Building bridges of understanding

I hope this reaches you all in the best state of health and spirit. Our community has forgotten the reason why we escaped to America, because it seems as though the bullets have followed us to our new homes and in this case Cedar Riverside, the “little Modgisho” of Minneapolis. On Monday Sept 22, 2008 a brother was killed @ 5:15pm. This man was not involved with gangs or any sort of violence, but a young man who was attending college to make something of himself. He decided he wanted to give back to his community, something that not too many college folks do.

I am writing this as college students who knows that college itself is hectic, but our youth won’t wait for us to get done with our textbooks. We all have to find it within ourselves to find time to be out there serving the community. We cannot and I repeat cannot wait on for the elected officials and the law enforcements alone to serve and protect our families. If they did, then this wouldn’t be the third brother in a span of 3 months to be killed. My respective peers, I write to you as a peer who feels that " young people can play a greater role in the community." I say this time and again because, we are the light and hope of our failed nation, and it is tragic that many have forsaken the community.

I know there are young people who are working each and everyday working to better the situation here in Minnesota, such as the youth that have created SYNC. SYNC is short for Somali Youth Network Council. This organization was created in hopes of bringing together all the places of worship in Minneapolis and community centers to better work together in the solution process.

I beg and plea with everyone who is reading this to please reconsider your purpose and your role in the community. You cannot leave the responsibility of cleaning up our community of violence and gang activities to outsiders. We’ve stayed quiet for too long; it’s time we get ORGANIZED. It’s time that we learn of what city services that are available to work with us. The resources won’t come to us, we have to go and find out about them. Who better to do that than us, college students who have the time, energy and passion of unifying our countrymen?

This isn't something new in our community (it isn't the first and it won't be the last) if we don't stop finding excuses as to coming together and attending to these ongoing shootings. When will we call out "enough is enough" and confront those who are responsible? The killers are non other than Somali fellows. Today is the day, as suggested time and again to wake up and get involved with the community. Get out there and empower these youth who have turned to drugs and violence as a means to escape poverty. Get out there and do something, let's not hide behind our textbooks and use the mentality that "if I stay away from cedar, then I’m cool." That's not necessarily true because this young man only came to Cedar to give back to the community, today it was him and tomorrow it could be you.

Please take this as a reminder that tomorrow is not promised for anyone of us. Let's take advantage of each day as if its our last. Let's stop being selfish and careless and start thinking about life after death. Whether your in cedar or not, you won't be able to escape death.

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, then we truly live life. May Allah show mercy to all those affected by these killings. Pray that and always know that there is always hope despite fear and uncertainty.

I urge you all to join and work with organizations such as SYNC to get involved in the process of cleaning up our streets. They can't do it alone without the help of us, for the job of bettering our community isn't for just a few, but a responsibility that many have failed to do.

Let's be PROACTIVE rather than REACTIVE when something tragic happens...

One People, One Nation, One Language, One Religion, One Culture!

Therefore, there shouldn't be any room for division.