After the recent targets in Somaliland by the extremist (Car Blasts), this question of Somaliland recognition kept popping in my head. What makes the international community silent about it?

On May 18th, 2008, Somaliland Republic (former British Somaliland) celebrates 17 years of self-rule and thriving democracy since it has decided to re-instate its sovereign independence from Somalia after the fall of Siad Barre regime in 1991. As a Somalilander myself who run away from Siad Barre's atrocities as a young man in the late 1980s and settled in the United States, I have a mixed feeling as I see my people celebrating the 17th anniversary of Somaliland's birth. On one hand, I am extremely proud of the people of Somaliland, and its leaders for what they were able to achieve for the past 17 years. On the other hand, I am less excited, and amazed by lack of African Union's role in leading the way to promote the Somaliland's cause by sending a strong signal to other African countries that they do care and reward for peace, stability, and democracy (acknowledging people's choice). It is very clear why European Union is very serious about the status of Kosovo. Answer: EU is planning to avoid risk of war and violence that would again destabilize the Balkans region. The million dollar question is why the African Union is not far sighted to avoid a potential and imminent war between Somalia's Southern Leaders, and Somaliland that will undermine the stability of the whole region?

Somali's Southern Leaders are not known to respect the rule of law and the wishes of its citizens, it is the main reason that Somaliland people are fully determined to fight for its sovereign status following its roots of independence time from Great Britain on June 26th, 1960. Thirty one countries that are members of the United Nations recognized Somaliland as an independent state before uniting with the Italian Somaliland on July 1st, 1960 to form what was known as Somali Republic. Somaliland is only seeking recognition within the borders received at that moment. Somaliland, not officially recognized by any state, has been functioning as constitutional democracy with a President directly elected by the people, added by a parliament and local government also directly elected by the people. Somaliland did not even have a university for 31 years of union with the southern Somalia, and today they have four universities despite its lack of recognition. They have four private owned telephone and mobile operators where they did not have any in the past 31 years of union with the South. And the list goes on.
Some people do not truly understand why people of Somaliland decided to go alone, and broke its partnership with the South. Some of the people even speculate that the issue of Somaliland is tied with the stability of the Southern Somalia, and the union will be back when the rest of the South becomes stable. As a matter of fact, there are many reasons why Somaliland re-took its independence, and broke its partnership, but in my personal view, I would only focus on two important reasons:

1.British Somaliland has voluntarily entered a union with Italian Somaliland in pursuit of irredentist dream of "Greater Somalia" (including parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti). It was very clear to everybody in both regions that it was never intended to stop with the union of the two regions, but to pursue the other 3 remaining regions. Therefore, that dream has effectively died when Djibouti got its independence in 1977, and decided to go alone without joining the existing union. If Djibouti people had that freedom to make that choice, it is only fair that the people of Somaliland can make similar choices to decide on their faith. The main argument here is that the Somali union in 1960 did not achieve the reason it has been formed which was a greater Somalia, and Somaliland's voluntary union at that time was based on that. And if that dream did not materialize, Somaliland could go alone like the other regions did where Somalis live including Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
2.Another very crucial point that made the people of Somaliland go on separate ways from the South is the suffering and injustices that the people of Somaliland endured for 31 years of marriage. They have suffered at the hands of Southern rule governments particularly during Siad Barre's 21-year rule. The whole world knows that those governments even bombarded Somaliland cities. Therefore, it is a trust issue. If you had a business partnership with another person and you have suffered and lost everything, and you re-start your business. Would you again trust to create another partnership with that person? It is fair to say that the people of Somaliland have a trust issue with their brothers in the South, and will not join them again with union despite a lack of recognition by the International community. Most Somalilanders, who only know Somaliland because they were either young or born after Somaliland re-took its independence in 1991, would tell you that if there was such a Southern domination in the past, it is certainly a history, only refers the unity in the past tense.

It is important to note that AU sent a fact finding mission to Somaliland in 2005 in order to respond to the concern that Somaliland recognition would create a fragmentation of Somalia, or other AU member states, the African Union fact finding mission in 2005 concluded "the case should not be linked to the notion of "opening a Pandora box", and the report recommended that AU "should find a special method of dealing with this outstanding case" as soon as possible. Unfortunately, AU actions stopped there. Why we Africans can not decide for ourselves, while Europeans are doing so and EU leading the way. I hope I can one day be proud of our African leaders through the African Union leadership when I see that they are taking a far sighted approach like the EU doing on Kosovo.

The more the African Union delays dealing with the Somaliland case, the more it makes the situation in East Africa difficult, and risk of war, and even equally important the more the AU credibility is on the line. Somaliland case is a time bomb for the African Union and the International community could not really afford to ignore. On the other hand, Somaliland's multi-party democracy system is rarity in Africa, and the Muslim World, and the African Union needs to seriously consider Somaliland's formal application of AU membership to reward for people's choice. Somaliland is a state where the power truly belongs to the people.

But I still ask myself- where is the International Community outrage?

Yesterday, it was a beautiful evening, warm and soft and very still. I watched a dance troupe of moths pirouette outside on my house window screen, attracted to the light from my desk lamp inside for I have switched all the lights off, and had not pulled the curtains. The variety and sizes of these supposedly nighttime dancers were quite amazing - some so tiny they seemed almost like a speck of dust, others as long and broad as my hand, others with shiny red eyes, still others with antennae three or four times longer than their bodies. I watched them with fascination as my lamp illuminated their bodies against the black space beyond. Round and round they went, all attracted to and mesmerized by something bright and beautiful that will always be just out of their reach. Why were they struggling so much to get in? I asked myself. Suppose I did let them in, what whould have happened. sadly, I shall never know for I never did so.


So, today morning, I looked out through the same window. Across the street, my neighbours help was knocking the gate. She wanted to enter into the compoud, I thought. Its a conclusion that I made from her acts. Why did she want to get into the compoud?


About twenty metres or so, the night guard was washing his face from an old flower vase, I guessed after a long nights job. Why was he at it?

Thats when I got the answer. Thats when I knew why the moths were trying to get in. Thats why I knew why the househelp wanted to enter the compoud. Its because it was time. It was their time. Their time was then...which is basically they felt their time was NOW!

My dear friends I also thought. Many of us are in one way or another doing something at that moment. It was out time to do what we were doing. We should all have felt that OUR TIME IS THEM...which was...NOW!!


Our lives are not as straight as they should be. Life is a batch of moments. We have happy times and a couple of sad times thrown in. There are dizzy spells or side effects from the medicines we take, ran ins with friends we meet, bosses kicking our asses, matatu drivers messing us up, but friends, lets not wait for tomorrow to complain. Our time is NOW. We have to start feeling positive and sure that everything will be fine. Lets start believing strongly in ourselves. Lets not abandon our friends or even try to be anti social, lets make this our time. The shortcomings we face just underline what things are really important in this short stretch of life we're given. Invite them for a drink...(no one takes coffee anymore..or so Kinyua thinks)


Never feel isolated. Never indulge in self pity, never feel as though the universe keeps plotting aganist you. There are potential solutions for this. Look at yourself in that office mirror...or the one in your bag...or the one at the dressing room. Never again ask what bright creative you needs to do to get a solution. Be yourself. Make the moment you are in yours. Control your life. Do it NOW, not tomorrow. Do not let your friends do it for you.


Tell your friends/neighbours little things that would make them smile – what the’d eaten for supper, what was the most interesting site they observed that day, what interested then most in the days news. Its your time to make them happy, and not vice versa.


If its night, just go out, look into the sky and the millions of stars - make a wish on each one, a simple wish that all your friends are well.. In making these wishes, let your hands reach up to heaven to try to touch a star or two, to move them to grant your wish - in trying to touch heaven and the stars, however, you shall feel as though you want to reach and tough all your friends. Do try and do it tomorrow. No. Do it NOW. This is your NOW!


Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life — learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Do that some NOW.


Flush all bad dreams and ideas down the cess pit. Forget about the sad bad things that have happened to you over the period. Look and touch yourself. You can feel it. You are alive and well. Start a fresh live NOW. This is your time. Your time is NOW.


From NOW, let people not only interest you. Forgive all those that have wronged you. Be friendly and close to them. Respect them the way they will respect you. Let your soft touch weaken them. Let your goodness enamor them. Let your virtues captivate them. Let your trust engross them. Upon securing their trust, your mind and soul will finally find peace and contentment. The time to do it is not tomorrow. Its not this evening. Its NOW. This is your NOW!

Finish all the outstanding business NOW, and not tomorrow.....and am off...to finish my book...Unfinished Works of Samira Hassan....NOW!

25 de noviembre - Día Internacional de la Eliminación de la Violencia contra la Mujer.

Today is my first day to post anything on blog....although I created my blog a month ago but I was taken by car blasts in my office compound. It all happened suddenly and I don't know what the reason behind it is. The so-called insurgencies that call themselves Al-Shabab claimed the act.

Heavens what is going on here.....why is that happening with Somalis? For over 20yrs we were lawless with no direction at all and it never gets enough...now some sick people calling themselves Islamic movements are in the picture and they are killing their own people!!! Hey, as I said it never gets enough, now we have sea pirates and they are hijacking ships like no tomorrow at all. What really kills me is that no one is doing anything; they are just there watching how lousy and horrible the country is getting every passing day. Now we have Al-Qaeda cells hiding under all these chaos and using fake name like Islamic Courts Union and Al-Shabab. American sent the Ethiopian troops to backup the Transitional Federal Government and till today it is getting worse then any improvement.

I am from Somaliland (North West Somalia) where the Southern part of Somalia was in chaos, Somaliland was enjoying peace and stability. Our economy is weak but we were surviving well, we have our currency, government structure and Military forces that made lots of other Somalis jealous and envious to blast us with three different planned car blasts and it been claimed by Al-Shabab insurgencies. Is it fair??? We will never find out.

Today while I was taking the bus to the office I was hearing the BBC breaking news/latest news on Somalia pirates, the Al-Shabab insurgencies is upset because the pirates hijacked an oil ship belongs to Saudi Arabia; they were upset enough by saying it is no where in the Islamic religions that tell us to hijack or take what other Muslim brothers own!!! DAH!!! And where was the Islamic religion when killing innocent people and by the way MUSLIM too!!! Gosh, are they for real; they are so much confused that they don't know the right from the wrong, where is it in Islam religion that encourage killings of innocent people Muslim or non-Muslim!!!

I just ask everyone that we pray hard for them to get WELL and SANE!!

Qual é o tamanho do sofrimento que o amor suporta, aceita, exige?

O que acontece quando o sofrimento dos mocinhos do filme parece ser menor e mais passageiro que o seu?

Acho que filmes de Guel Arraes são difíceis de ver quando se tem coisas que ficam martelando na cabeça a cada frase que te dizem, a cada música que toca no rádio, a cada fala que você escuta.

São muitas palavras, muitos gestos, muitas pausas... todos muito cheios de significado, de emoção, de confusão. Na ficção e na realidade.

Ou será tudo isso ilusão? Imaginação? Representação? Invenção...

Acho que talvez... esse Romance deixou minha cabeça mais bagunçada do que antes. Mas só acho.

Uma das coisas que me perguntei é se existem alguns filmes que você tem que ver com a pessoa certa (inclusive se a pessoa certa for você mesmo), se faz diferença - na realidade e na ficção. Será?

Acho que sim... ou que talvez... e tenho a impressão de que esse foi o caso.

El 16 de Noviembre es el día Internacional por la Tolerancia.

Bueno voy a empezar a contar mi historia con el significado de la tolerancia... Tolerancia es poder respetar, comprender y aceptar una cosa con la que no está de acuerdo.

Y ¿Por qué necesitamos una sociedad tolerante? La respuesta es muy sencillo. Porque vivimos en una sociedad donde tenemos mucha diversidad (que es riqueza para mi. )

Y en Aragón, en un pueblecito que se llama "Pina de Ebro".La Comarca de Ribera Baja del Ebro y Ayuntamiento de Pina ha organizado una Jornada de Jóvenes con talleres, bailes y tambien participación de ONGs para la sensibilización de jovenes porque es un pueblo rico con su diversidad.



Como Asamblea de Cooperación Por la Paz, estabamos allí con otras 2 organizaciones más de Zaragoza (Convive y Comite de Solidaridad Internacionalista). ACPP estaba allí, ejecutando una parte de un proyecto educativo de ACPP; "Test de Tolerancia".

Gracias a todos/as las más de 50 participantes a nuestra actuación y también Mirella y Daniel.. Han hecho muy buen trabajo... Y los joneves de Pina, teneis mucha suerte...


Seguid siendo tolarentes...

es Arto Tuncboyaciyan... Un hombre que dice:

"El aire no conoce nuestra nacionalidad, el agua no sabe de donde somos"

Que buen dicho...

Gracias por todo...

--------------

Bu adam Arto Tunçboyaciyan... diyo ki:

"Hava bizim nerenin vatandasi oldugumuzu bilmez, su da nereli oldugumuzu bilmez"

Tesekkurler "esim"in deidigi gibi "Arto Abi", her seferinde icime ferahlatiyorsun... Iyi ki varsin...

-------------

this is Arto Tunçboyaciyan... says that:

"The air doesn't know citizen of where we are, and the water doesn't know from where we are"

Thanks for all...

Y ya hemos empezado a pensar que vamos a "comprar" para quien...

La Asociación Amigos del Orfanato Estrella de la Mañana de India nos invita a su mercado de Navidad para las compras solidarias en Zaragoza...



Viernes, 21 de Noviembre 2008 de 17 a 21 horas
Sábado, 22 de Noviembre 2008 de 10 a 21 horas
Domingo, 23 de Noviembre de 2008 de 10 a 21 horas

en Parque Primo de Rivera (Aula de la Naturaleza Pº Renovales s/n (Antigua Piscina de Las Palmeras)

Change...
Change...
Change...
That is what happened
That was what Obama preached.
Peace...
Peace...
Peace...
Not heard
Change is coming..
It truly came
Change...
Change...
Obama changed.
That is a new concept in America
Change...
Let's laugh for change.
Change is possible.
Change...
We are all change.
New order in America
Change will change thinks
Change...
Fix America and renew hope
Change is permanent.
Change is Obama...
Celebrate Change first.
Then ask questions
Because Change is change.
Change...
Now that it is on ground.
Change will rebuild America
Change...
In my little opinion.
Change proved me wrong, and...
Change...
Only Change...the real change.
Change is definitely going to change things
Change is as of the beginning.
Change is Obama, the 'change-bearer'
The "Change-maker of America"
Change...
Truly came to America
Like never before...
Change! Change! Change!
That name is good---

The nay sayers have spoken loud and clear we heard them but we never believed them not even for a second. Today the truth has seen the light.

A black man from kenya is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

This is somthing that needs not be crying about, but rather a time to hold hands and say ENOUGH.

May God bless all those who have learnt a lesson or two from this Obama effect.

Ethiopia, a country of chronic food shortages and malnutrition, has launched an agriculture commodity exchange in a daring experiment to raise food production by creating a safe, transparent agriculture market.

The idea to create a commodity exchange was hatched by a former senior economist at the World Bank, Eleni Gabre-Madhin, who was born in Ethiopia and educated in the United States. Gabre-Madhin did her doctoral research on the role of markets in developing countries and refined her ideas while at the International Food Policy Research Institute. She now is the chief executive of the exchange.

Gabre-Madhin said the Ethiopian government began to consider a commodity exchange after the food crisis in 2002-2003; a bumper crop and price collapse in 2002 were followed by drought that threatened 14 million people with starvation the next year.

"In the bumper harvest, prices fell so low that farmers could not repay their loans, despite abundant production. The next year, not enough food was produced to feed the population. This led the government to think about the market: 'Why don't people store grain from year to year? Why can't the market deliver in bad times and save in good times?'" she said.

Although Ethiopia is the biggest grain producer in Africa, its traditional markets are small because of narrow networks of trust among buyers and sellers. "Most farmers trade within 12 kilometers of their farms and only with people they know," Gabre-Madhin said. She said more than two-thirds of farmers have faced contract defaults, and only 4 percent have received legal enforcement of contracts.

In the traditional trading system, grain changes hands four to five times between producer and consumer. With each change, the grain is put into new sacks. This system enables buyers to know what they are getting in terms of quality and quantity, as the contents are inspected and weighed, but it is vulnerable to price shocks.

The Ethiopia Commodity Exchange began operating in April, creating transparency and predictability in the national market and connecting Ethiopian commodities to international markets.

The U.S. Agency for International Development provided $1 million to launch the exchange.

The exchange provides warehousing, a reliable payment system, real-time market information, and quality control. Producers sell directly to the exchange, which assures payment within 24 hours.

"In the past, truck drivers took payment in envelopes filled with cash. It was never certain if or how much of the money would make it back into the hands of the seller," Gabre-Madhin said. Buyers in the traditional system do not know the quality of what they get unless they open up the sacks and inspect the contents. The exchange has assumed the grading task and guarantees the quality, so a distant buyer can be confident of what he is purchasing.

The Ethiopian exchange is linked to commodity markets around the world, making it possible for a trader in India, for instance, to buy futures of the prized Ethiopian lentils.

As for Ethiopia's major export, coffee, 461 coffee suppliers have obtained one-year memberships on the new commodity exchange.

"We're going to disseminate New York prices on our trading floor, and we'll feed our prices to the New York market. That means if you are looking at Ethiopian, Colombian or Rwandan coffee, you will have a basis for comparison," Gabre-Madhin said.

Agricultural traders have deluged the exchange with applications for membership, which, in Gabre-Madhin's view, is a sign that market confidence is building. "Worries about getting paid and getting the expected quality are being eliminated," she said.

Gabre-Madhin said she expects the exchange will create incentives for farmers to bring more of their produce to market. In the traditional trading system, about one-fourth of Ethiopia's grain is brought to market. She said the goal of the exchange is to handle 50 percent of Ethiopia's grain production in five years.

She said that nearly half of Ethiopia's rural households are net buyers of food. "Poor people buy food as well as sell food, which means that markets matter a lot, even at this low level of income," she said.

The exchange is not without its critics. Some say it will not work as a market institution because government officials occupy six of the 11 seats of the board. Gabre-Madhin believes that the government's involvement with the exchange will help it learn quickly how markets function.

Another concern has been that the exchange will further increase food prices, which have doubled in the past year. If Ethiopia's food-deficient neighbors can buy Ethiopia's commodities, then there will be less food for the country's already malnourished people, critics say.

Gabre-Madhin counters that the exchange is not the panacea for all of Ethiopia's food problems, but it is an important element for a functioning agriculture-based economy.

Brazil will host the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings in 2008.

What is The G-20?

G-20 is an important forum to promote dialogue between advanced and emerging countries on key issues regarding economic growth and stability of the financial system. Brazil’s chair to this group aim to consolidate previous efforts and to give a stronger impetus towards a more balanced and stable environment for global economic.

Since 1999, the G-20 has contributed to strengthen the international financial architecture and to foster sustainable economic growth and development. In 2004, for instance, members agreed to the G-20 Accord for Sustained Growth and committed to standards of transparency and fiscal governance in order to combat abuse of the financial system, money laundering and terrorism financing. Moreover, the forum has dealt with financial crises, international co-operation policies and reform of international financial institutions.

For 2008, Brazil proposes dialogue on Competition in Financial Markets, Clean Energy and Economic Development and Fiscal Elements of Growth and Development. To follow with the discussions, there will be three technical workshops in the first semester and two Deputies Meetings. The objective of these meetings is to provide an updated view on those themes that will be further discussed on the Ministers' and Governors' Meeting.

As is usual practice, the organization of the G-20 events during the year will be shared between the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. This year the G-20 will work closely with South Africa and United Kingdom, and other G-20 members, whose valuable experience will help promote a successful term. South Africa, i believe would promote the African peoples interests.

I am optimistic this forum can make clear its objectives and give young people a space to express, but would the proposed dialogue fail, what is our hope and future? We are expectant that the G-20 would make aFRICAN DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH A PRIORITY IN THE FACE OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS!

From the dearest city Barcelona that for 5 years is in my life...

Helping to increase the food production of farmers in 25 to 30 of the countries most vulnerable to food shortages is a key aim of the United States' increased focus on agricultural development and food aid, says Josette Lewis, the top agriculture official of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

More than 920 million people worldwide do not get enough to eat. In 2007, the number of undernourished increased by 75 million because of rising food prices, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Addressing the World Food Prize Symposium held in mid-October in Des Moines, Iowa, Lewis said USAID especially wants to help small farms in sub-Saharan Africa double their yields of rice, maize and other staple crops by 2015 and increase farm incomes. The international community agreed in 2000 to a goal of cutting in half the number of people living in poverty and hunger around the world by 2015.

Cutting hunger and poverty in half is "an achievable goal," Lewis said, and one envisioned in proposed legislation now before Congress that would significantly increase U.S. support for agriculture development.

Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana and Robert Casey of Pennsylvania have proposed $10 billion in new funding for international agriculture programs. For the period 2008-2009, the United States has committed $5.5 billion in foreign food and agricultural assistance.

The United States wants to "strengthen every link of the food-value chain," including agricultural research and information sharing, credit programs for small farmers and the use of new high-yield seeds that are resistant to diseases and drought, Lewis said.

Lewis said the United States will support more training programs for farmers in developing countries to help them use modern food-production techniques.

The training will help developing countries reduce by 75 percent their reliance on food aid, she said.

Lewis said USAID also is focusing on improving the nutritional value of the food aid it gives for children under age 5 and is refining its community-based nutrition monitoring programs. In addition, USAID is refining its forecasting tools to obtain better information on where a food emergency is likely to occur.

The United States is already working with other donor nations on the implementation of a strategy presented in June at an international forum in Rome to address the food crisis. That includes providing immediate aid to countries most vulnerable to rising food prices. Between 2007 and 2008, global food prices rose 52 percent, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

The U.S. strategy also includes encouraging policies that can expand regional trade in farm products and ease infrastructure constraints such as poor roads and border checkpoints that slow trade, Lewis said.

In the long run, USAID plans to form partnerships with private-sector companies, she said.

She said a number of U.S.-based companies such as John Deere, Land O'Lakes Inc. and the Monsanto Company "have made it clear they are ready to step up" and partner with various organizations to help boost agricultural productivity and reduce poverty in developing countries.

"It's time for a second Green Revolution that enlists a broader array of actors," Lewis said, referring to the first Green Revolution in the early 1970s that increased agricultural yields through development of new varieties of grains. New types of disease-resistant wheat created then are credited with saving more than 1 billion people in Asia from starvation.

Also at the forum, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Edward Schafer and World Food Prize President Kenneth Quinn signed an agreement to enhance information sharing between the two entities and to bring more agricultural scientists and farmers from developing countries to the United States to learn about agricultural technology from their U.S. counterparts.