In Favor of the Tol Convocation: Why We Have to Give Our Blessings to the Gathering in Minneapolis

Members of the Awdal Community in Minneapolis decided last year to hold a convocation in their city, which in the words of an announcement they disseminated will offer an opportunity “to reflect on history, seize up the current milieu, interrogate the phenomenon of leadership, and, most supreme, explore novel ways for the community to organize itself for the tough challenges already here and others that, no doubt, the future will thrust upon us”. 

The inclusion of the word leadership in the announcement sounded alarm bells. It created in the minds of some that the gathering will be used as forum to launch a long distance assault on the performance of the incumbent while providing a favorable publicity for those campaigning to oust him from office. 

Last week I asked Ahmed I. Samatar, one of the principal organizers of the convention, about these concerns. Mr. Samatar, who is James Wallace Professor of International Studies and Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College, responded that “the convocation is in NO way concerned directly with the contemporary electoral politics in Somaliland”. He added that “ we are, thus committed to keep the conversation along lines that avoid any involvement with the prevailing contests in Hargeisa. On the contrary, our task is to begin exploring what the deep structural condition of the community looks like and then engage in a mutually respectful and solidaristic dialogue to discover commonalities that might become the basis for a renewal of our peoplehood as we battle the ravages of underdevelopment and disarray”. 

We all subject our decision making to a rational process. This process entails evaluating the pros and cons regarding the matter at hand. Having obtained the above affirmation from the person who will be responsible for the convocation, I choose to be in favor of it. Additionally, Mr. Samatar, who is a distinguished professor and a man with long experience in broadcast journalism, is best suited to tackle any controversy that may emerge, protect the integrity of the gathering from divisive interests, create order, focus positively on the objective of the gathering and ensure a successful outcome. 

The gathering will have nothing to do with the polity best suited for the people. This is not the purpose of the gathering. Attacking some one for one’s political views reminds us of the discredited tactics, Kacaandiid, used by Siad Barre to intimidate his detractors. If this tactic is used to attack people gathering to talk about the conditions of their people, it will be ineffective and backfire by motivating more people to attend. If there are people who do not approve of the gathering, let them hold a gathering of their own at another date and location- that is the responsible way to act.   

Every one would agree that our people need empowerment, not hand outs. There has been regression in their conditions, not progress. Kids have schools to attend but after graduation there are no job prospects such that when they finish school some of them risk their lives by venturing into the high seas in ill-equipped boats. There is unrestrained procreation while food production has declined from the levels of the 1960s. People depend on remittance and food imports to stay alive. There are severe shortages of water. The road ways are more rutted than ever before. Mortality rate went down. If you look at every index that measure aspects of human life you will find them to be at the bottom of the totem. When the current generation of the disapora that remits money age and is replaced by a generation that has no emotional links to the folks back home, it is difficult to see how they will survive. It is high time to enable the people to take care of themselves. To be fair this decaying process has been underway for decades and one single individual can not be held responsible. 

The controversy swirling around the gathering touches at the core of our integrity and sense of self respect. There is no reason to fear that organizers will allow it to descend into recrimination and finger pointing. There is nothing to be gained by going that route. This being the first convention of its kind, let us hope participants will get engaged in constructive discussion, demonstrate courtesy and respect to each other, refrain from inappropriate conduct and strive to produce an outcome that appeals to, and is supported by, every one. Let us hope it will be successful such that we will look forward to the one to be held next year. 

Let the convocation go forward & let us all give our blessings to it. 

Adan H Iman

Email: ahiman2@aol.com

Filed Under: Opinion