Our dear brothers and sisters, as we endeavor to reconcile our past with the present, understand our anger and alienation against and from ourselves and the rest of the world we must focus our attention on unconditional positive regard

Our dear brothers and sisters of Somalia; both in Somalia and in the Diaspora, We SYLF feel very honored to have secured this great opportunity to reflect with you on the joys and challenges of our journey as a nation towards peace. Ladies and gentlemen, we hope that as the world celebrates the International Day of Peace, Somalia begins to thrive, helping future generations find ways to join mind and spirit, self and society and compassion with wisdom.

As we reflect upon the dynamics of violent communal conflict that has torn Somalia into pieces for the last twenty years, we hope that we shall all be guided by a passion for social justice, abhorrence of war, belief in personal and communal commitment to peace and faith in our ability to bring back Somalia into the family of nations.

Our dear brothers and sisters, as we endeavor to reconcile our past with the present, understand our anger and alienation against and from ourselves and the rest of the world we must focus our attention on unconditional positive regard. We must summon our courage and respond to the call of compassion, love, kindness, forgiveness and reconciliation. We must find ways to include mindfulness for others and integrate our passion for social justice with our contribution to the process of peace building. We must work diligently to stop the recurrence of war and improve the conditions for peace in our beloved country. Brothers and sisters as we foster, cultivate and nurture awareness of our deep and profound common humanity and interdependence which is our need for each other, we must shun the concept of self-righteousness and independence which only leads us to division, dehumanization and destruction. Whether in Somalia or in the diasporas we must learn to see ourselves as one people, one nation.

Fellow countrymen, we appeal to all of us to emulate the rest of the world where peace and stability thrives. Let us today celebrate our diversity as this is the richness of humanity for as Desmond Tutu puts it, ‘We cannot be fully human alone.’

We strongly appeal to all of us to recognize the futility of further war, the inevitability of creating a shared future and thus call upon each and every Somali person wherever we are to undertake the first steps on the long road to rebuilding trust and mutual acceptance.

Let us create an intimate, intense interdependent, conscious and self-reflective learning community in which our future generations can grow, stretch and reach out to all others. Let us all realize our profound responsibility in the process of creation of peace in whatever humble way we can. Let us lead ourselves and others against the prejudice that has bedeviled our community, let us strive to discover each other at deeper levels, and together, let us protect ourselves from the volatility of armed conflict, extremist teachings, oppression of women, grinding poverty and the melting glaciers that threaten the existence of our community.

As we look back to the ruins of the past twenty years, let us today release the enslaving attitudes, positions and responses that do not serve the fluid and transcendent cause of peace and harmony. Let us all offer the greatly needed reconciliation and forgiveness. Let us embrace the truth that we are tightly bound together in a bountiful and trustworthy web of life. Compassion for the entire world’s inhabitants is the secret to all happiness and the key to the peaceful and just Somalia that we all dream of.

To the Somali leaders; governmental, religious and traditional, in your hands lies the fate of Somalia. The decisions made today will greatly determine the direction our beloved country takes tomorrow. The people of Somalia, the international community and the entire world are watching every move you make. Would you want to be judged harshly by History?  We challenge you to stand up and be counted!

As the leaders of Somalia, you have the duty to light the path of peace, compassion and the protection of all beings and steer our beloved country to the advancement of human consciousness. You should strive to enrich our country with the capacity to meet the core material needs of the Somali population and the insight to simultaneously address their security concerns and promote respect for human dignity. The time for a new era in Somalia is now, the time to create a mutually beneficial, vibrant, progressive and prosperous society is now!

May God bless Somalia and the people of Somalia 

Najma Ahmed Abdi

CEO- Somali Youth Leadership Forum  (SYLF)