You’ve been SHOC-ed...

The other day, while I was on the train, I started thinking about things, as I usually do when I’m travelling.  My mind started wandering and my thoughts settled on the issue of Somalia and the Horn of Africa. After declaring famine last year, the UN has declared the area famine free.  Has that made the problem to go away? In my opinion, the problem is still there.

There have been many conferences discussing the issue of Somalia, ending poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  In my view, that is not the way to stability and a proper state infrastructure. There is a lack of Somali participation at all these conferences. I am asking you: who is going to make the decision for tens of millions of Somalis living in the country and the neighbouring countries? Will it be us in London? Us in Paris? Us in Rome? Us in Washington? Maybe us in Cairo? Or Istanbul? Dubai?

I believe the solution needs to be a Somali, local, home-grown one. While we are talking the talk, in Somalia, a group of organisations are launching a new SHOC. This initiative started less than six months ago, when three British organisations held a small conference in Mogadishu to coordinate the work of a group of Somali organisations. SHOC represents a new wave of humanitarianism, one who will send ripples at all levels and work to gel the fragmented social fabric of Somalia, from the South, to the North. From clans, to political parties, to various jamaat.

SHOC will shake the ground to bring the fruits from the depth of the land and surprise the people who think there can’t be a grass-root level solution for Somalia.

Let us pray together for our success to save the Horn of Africa and humanity as a whole!