Give women a chance because a different future is possible for Somalia

My vision for my life and my community is a very bright and peaceful one. A different future is possible for Somalia. I would like to contribute to the creation of a community that has the skills and the commitment to discuss hard social issues and solve tough problems cooperatively and peacefully. I would like to take action and do my part in this possibility. I would like to take a big part in what the future will bring to my community. I want to turn my dream into a vision for everyone to see in my community. I want to inspire them to also dream, and to dream big. I would like to unite other powerful courageous female voices who believe in the power and possibility of a peaceful Somalia. Women who feel that it is time to do what they feel deep down in their hearts needs to done in order to improve the situation in our community and indeed country. A change is needed so as to halt the current wave of death and destruction that the country has ever known the past 25 years. A change is needed to change and protect our daughters and sisters from sexual abuse and torture and our sons from being forced to becoming child soldiers and dying very young. A change is needed so as to relocate the more 2 million Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) living in and the outskirts of Somalia. A different future is possible for Somalia. A lot of possibilities await the women of my community; women whom I know can move mountains but currently are not doing so or are not aware of their full potential. Somali women have to come together as agents of change and not victims of war. I see a different future for Somalia. I see a different future for our youth who have grown up knowing only war and violence, and who are convinced the only way to resolve an issue is through the gun. I see a brighter, violence-free, disaster-free and progressive Somalia. I really do see this possibility. But we have to work towards it and someone has to start somewhere. I think we should all invest in this bright future, at any cost.

The famous Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said ‘never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has’. We have to give women a chance because a different future is possible for all Somalis living in Somalia. We can have a different leadership for the future in Somalia. Yes we can and I would like to take the lead in developing and communicating this vision to a small group of Somali women who have a very good and in-depth understanding of the situation and context. The women will each have a different role to play and make sure that they each do their part. Women are known to multiply what they are given. Women are natural builders, constructors and multipliers of knowledge, resources and everything else. The fact that I am in Somalia and already on the ground will be an added value. Also the fact that I am already discussing the vision I have for my community with VOF members is also a good beginning. I have spoken to several persons about my vision and they have all been supportive of the idea. Becoming one of the Voices of Our Correspondents will help me achieve my goal in that VOF can be an excellent platform where Somali women can meet, engage in dialogue, create synergies, mobilize resources and plan for the future. Together we are stronger, together we have a louder voice and together we are more indeed more visible. Together we can brainstorm about we can reach out to our communities to take ownership of this vision. I have seen some very outspoken Somali women right here on World Pulse -some of whom are also living in my Somali and we need to unite and explore more how we can use our vision to lead, mobilize and inspire as much as possible other people who are not in the same country as us, so that other (Somali) women who want to join us in making our vision a reality, may also do so.