Ainashe.net

Following is a note from UNDP-USA Somalia section:

Somalia has been without an effective government for over fifteen years and because of this public education has been almost non-existent. As education costs rose fewer and fewer people, especially women, were left without the most basic education. Since women are disproportionately affected by the shortage, they are often left unable to advance into higher education. Just two years ago, a number of Somali women were recruited into the journalism program at Puntland State University. Almost all the women were forced to drop out because they could not afford tuition! Since education and women’s empowerment are some of the necessary backbones to development it is essential that this change.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the African Virtual University (AVU) are working to make huge strives in the education of Somali women. They realize that only through education can real change happen and can an effective government take hold. $1000 is all it takes to cover a Somali women’s full tuition and her course materials for a one year training program. This small donation can help provide women with a variety of skills ranging from medicine to communication business and help them create a new stable Somalia.

Help give Somali women the opportunities they deserve.

To donate, please click here. For more information on UNDP-USA, please click here.

This presentation may be of interest to Somali community in Columbus Ohio.

The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Public Health and the OSU Center for African Studies are pleased to sponsoring a presentation on:

“Health and International Humanitarian Assistance: 30 Years of Evolution”
Dr. Ron Waldman, MD, MPH
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
USAID, Team Leader, Pandemic Planning/Humanitarian Response

Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Time: 3:30 - 5:00
Place: Younkin Success Center, Room 150
1640 Neil Avenue (across from the OSU Medical Center)

Here is a list of current international vacancies in Somalia.

Ainashe.net encourages qualified Somali nationals to apply for these vacancies!

“Daawanaayow waa dalkaagii”

I know this site is being neglected for a while! However, I am inundated with lots of tasks with tight deadlines that are competing for my attention. Unfortunately, blogging had to take the back-burner in recent weeks. Having said that, I would like to say to the loyal Ainashe.net readers that I feel your frustrations and I intend to resume blogging shortly.

In the meantime, please seek alternative source of news and commentary elsewhere.

Also, I would kindly ask you to stop your angry emails! I am already tired and exhausted and your flaming emails makes me feel letting my readers down and that sense of guilt exacerbates my dissatisfaction with my current predicament, which is, lack of sufficient time to do many things.

I need a holiday!

Ainashe.net will resume tomorrow night! Insha Allah.

I know it is a cliché to say that “I have been busy” and it may not be a sufficient excuse for my tardiness. However, the fact is that I have been inundated with lots of pending project deadlines. As result, I was unable to update the site as often as I would have liked. Nonetheless, I am back in business, at least for now and I intend to begin my regular updates by publishing stories twice a day. The first update will appear around 6am (Eastern Standard Time) in the morning and later in the evening around 8pm; once Amina goes to bed! Yeah, you guessed right; my duties as a father have a paramount priority!

Thank you for your patience, please stay with us!

United States State Department has issued following “Public Announcement” Friday, May 5th 2006.  (more…)

Save the Children is currently looking for an Emergency Planning & Coordination Adviser to work within Save the Children’s Somalia Programme team to help them develop, shape and finance appropriate operational responses to the situation. This short term role is being put in place to follow-up on an initial viability and scoping study. Depending on how the funding situation develops, there may be opportunities to continue with this position in the longer term. You will predominantly be based in Nairobi, Kenya where our main office for the Somalia is located. There may be occasional trips to the field, usually of short duration.  Information on our existing work in Somalia can be found here.  You may like to click here for job description and how to apply this position.

Ainashe.net strongly encourages qualified Somalis to apply for this position. 

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) invites applications for the position as Programme Manager for the continuation of a programme in support of returning refugees and IDP’s currently living in Puntland. The position is based in Bosaso in Northeast Somalia. The programme has three main components: Co-ordinated action to meet immediate basic humanitarian needs in IDP settlements; provision of alternative livelihoods for drought affected rural populations; and advocacy for human rights and peace-building including working with traditional leaders on revision of customary law.  

Click here to view announcement or here. 

“Mama” Kadija, Amina and me will spend the day tomorrow at the Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. In case you are wondering; no I am not getting a hip replacement or anything like that! We will be waiting for the arrival of a new member of the Ainashe family; a baby!

Unfortunately; I will not be able to update this portal before Thursday, March 30th, 2006. Please bear with us! Thank you.

The United Nations’ Food Security Analysis Unit for Somalia made a Press Release announcing the launch of a new online Digital Library (DILI) for Somalia. 

I checked it and I liked it a lot; loads of online resources on Somalia! Check it out by clicking here. 

There is a fundraising event organized by the Somali community in Minnesota in association with Somali student in that state. The fundraising event is for the benefit of the starving Somalis in the drought hit regions of our country. As the saying goes, “daawanaayow waa dalkaagii…

FEATURING:
Documentary on the drought
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
And many other prominent Somali and American speakers
TIME:
Friday, March 24, 2006. 6:00-10:00 PM
LOCATION:
Sabathani Community Center: 310 E 38th St. Minneapolis, MN. 55409. USA.

Following is Press Release by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. It reads: 

Press Release: 15 February 2006 

Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Special Advisers on Horn of Africa.

The Government has appointed Special Advisers on the Horn of Africa. The Government’s Special Adviser on the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Marika Fahlén, will lead and coordinate Swedish efforts to support a peaceful solution to the conflicts in Sudan and Somalia, and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The assignment includes contacts and dialogue with the relevant governments and international actors as well as with Swedish stakeholders and organisations with active interests in the Horn of Africa. 

Click here to learn about the Swedish Government. 

I am unable to upload the audio file I recorded last night. Apparently, the file is too large (4.15Mb) as a result the host server rejected it. I believe the server configuration has to be changed. This is something my host has to do. Hopefully, it will be done by early next week. Apologies for any inconvenience caused!

Starting on December 1st 2005, Ainashe.net will podcast a weekly Radio Somali political program called “Waxay Illa Tahay”. The program is in Somali and it is intended for Somalis back home who do not speak English.

Click here to listen a short announcement for that new Somali program.

TEST AUDIO FILE

Ainashe.net proudly abides by the code of ethics of SPJ.

You may like to click here to view the code.

Civiblog is a one-stop-site for global civil society, devoted to providing an avenue to broaden the discourse of global issues. You can create your own blog free of charge and fully hosted. It is also easy to set up and maintain.

Check it out by clicking here.

There is a vote going on the Open Democracy website regarding the “Bad Democracy Award”. Check it out and vote!

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia says in his first television interview as a king:

I believe the day will come when women drive.

Women’s right to drive a vehicle should not be an issue for discussion at this day and age. Period! Having said that, I believe a rush to “modernize” the Saudi society will be a great mistake with serious political and security repercussions! Hence, change must come from within and it must be a change that does not conflict with the basic tenets of Islam.

The full interview will be broadcasted on ABC with Barbara Walters Friday, October 14th, 2005.

Click here to view excerpts of the transcript on Al Jazeera.

It appears that the Balkanization of Somalia is taking another twist with the planned declaration of an independent “Republic” in Sool and Sanaag regions. The new independent “Republic of Sool and Sanaag” is to push back the political and military encroachment of Somaliland in the southwest and Puntland on the Southeast. The political architects of the new republic claim that they would like to be part of United and federal Somalia when the political conditions come right!

No date is given when the declaration of the new independent Republic will take place. However, sources close to political leaders of the Sool and Sanaag peoples were quoted as saying that it come within weeks.

The capital of the new Republic of Sool and Sanaag is yet to be determined.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been receiving loads of inflaming emails from angry Ainashe.net readers complaining about my failure (thus far) to publish my report regarding my recent trip to Somalia. Some of the readers were so angry that they gave me an ultimatum by saying that I should sit down, draft something and publish the final report on this page within weeks or else! Some even speculated that the reason why I did not complete that widely anticipated report is that I have been bribed to silence by Riyaale and his regional government cronies. Others have said that I was too lazy as any Somali or any African for that matter.

What can I say; I understand their frustration and anger!

I am sure many of those readers will find “I have been busy” as an insufficient excuse for my sluggish blogging schedule in recent weeks. However, I am quite certain those readers will be more sympathetic to me if they knew that I am currently baby-sitting my three month old daughter; Amina. As any infant, Amina needs twenty four hour attention and round the clock nursing and care. Indeed, I cannot take my eyes off her even when she is sleeping peacefully in her crib albeit the surveillance equipment monitoring every movement and every sound she makes! (more…)

We changed our domain name from Ainashe.org to Ainashe.net and we are in the process of rebuilding the site soon. Please come back and visit us again soon. Thank you.

My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Asad Ainashe