Hiiraan Online
Sunday, June 22, 2014
The Global Somali Diaspora Conference in Istanbul Turkey resumed today for the second and last day of talks, negotiations and agreements to decide on the future make up, board of trustees, board of advisers and the executive leadership of the organisation.
This meeting was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Professor Emrullah Isler who spoke of his deep admiration of the Somali people and once again reiterated the importance of the Diaspora as a tool for change in their home nation. The Deputy Prime Minister, like the Turkish ambassador to Somali before him yesterday, affirmed his government’s commitment to stabilising Somalia and rebuilding the economic, social and institutional frameworks to make it into an effectively functioning state for the future. Professor Emrullah Isler went on to speak about Turkey’s past and present ongoing assistance to Somalia and inform the Somali Diaspora that his country was going to stand by them and their home country while they are going through the difficult process of change.
“Our aim is that Somalis becomes a major actor in their own national destiny. We are helping to build their human capital throughout our educational institutions here in Turkey and we will continue to strengthen our ties and relationship with Somalia and its people,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. Professor Isler concluded by stating that Somalis are always welcome in Turkey and that they should treat it as their home too.
The Deputy Prime Ministers speech was followed by key note public addresses by the Former Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia Osman Jama Kalun and Somali organisational leaders in the Diaspora.
Osman Jama Kalun expressed his gratitude to the conference organisers and praised them for their efforts, ambition and professionalism. He spoke of the importance of the Diaspora and their contribution to their nation and the uniqueness of this Global Diaspora conference in Istanbul.
“It is the only conference or gathering of Somalis I have attended where people have been united by an idea. This is unique and refreshing,” said the former Somali Deputy Prime Minister.
The Diaspora organisational leaders and individuals who contributed and were celebrated at the conference for their contribution to Somalia were many and included Dr. Fatima Sh. Ali Jimaale. She qualified and worked as a Psychiatrist in Denmark before been inspired to return by an article in Hiiraan online about the ill treatment and lack of medical support for mental health patients in Burao. Dr. Jimaale spoke movingly about the ills of khat abuse by Somali men and labelled it as one of the main causes of their mental ill health whilst praising the Somali women everywhere for struggling on despite the absence of support from their men in many cases she witnessed both in Somalia and abroad.
Dr. Jimaale and other Diaspora leaders encouraged their counterparts everywhere across the world to contribute in the best way they can to rebuilding Somalia.
One of the key purposes of today was to create an organisational name and governance structure through the election a Board of Advisers and a Board of Directors as well the rest of the senior management team that will be tasked with driving forward the organisation. This was successfully done by conference delegates who chose members from their own home countries and continents. The executive leadership team will be decided tonight including the leader of the organisation. The new organisation born today out of the present delegate’s collective effort and agreement was named Global Somali Diaspora.
All the delegates interviewed expressed their gratitude to the conference organisers for allowing them to be a part of such a “special process.”
“I am from Ireland and I met so many amazing people at the conference who did not even know Somalis lived in Dublin my new home,” said Hani Gacal of the Somali Youth of Ireland organisation based in the capital of the Republic of Ireland. “Today I feel I have a network across the world to work with to help my community in Ireland.”
“Perhaps this is the birth of an organisation that was missing in the Somali Diaspora experience in the last 24 years,” said Ibrahim Yusuf a member of the Australian community representing them at the international conference. “Inshallah it could be the catalyst for change in Diaspora engagement with all Somali stakeholders and governments across the world.”
“This Diaspora organisation will be born with great expectations and we hope that they can connect all aspects of Somali Diaspora affairs and issues to the home nation and their national governments too. It will not be easy but with determination, coordination and collective effort this organisation can go very far,” said Ali Shaamey the Director of operations at the influential Minnesota Somali Chambers of Commerce in America.
HOL will release the names of all the elected members of the organisation as soon as they are finalised. Reporting on the conference will continue until the end of the conference tonight.
HOL English News Desk