Voices of Today for Tomorrow

The Somali Students’ Association at York University (SSAY) is an organization with a track record of work within the Somali Community in Toronto and abroad. We have been working alongside many established and well-known community organizations and businesses for the past 15 years. Recently, we have witnessed an alarming rise in the drop out rate amongst Somali Youth, latest estimates states that the Somali community has the third highest drop out rate, at 36.7%.  Also our community has seen deaths and incarceration rates increase at a startling rate, which we believe is the result of a lack of education within our community. Quite frankly, the importance of education is clear.

We believe that only with a proper education can one realize and maximize his/her full potential. Today there are many campaigns promoting the importance of education. Governments around the world have created laws to ensure that students attend schools until they have, at least, a basic level of education. Despite these efforts, many youths will not see the value in education and completely ignore its benefits. Many parents and children in Somalia and from the Somali Diaspora will tell you that the inflated cost of providing a decent education is very prohibitive on families within the community. Education is not only essential to the creation and re-establishment of a stable, progressive society; it is essential to the development of what we today call “sustainable development”.

Sustainable development is the maintenance of Somalia through education balanced with an awareness of the immediate needs of the nation’s people; while working towards a long-term vision for the nation’s stability. We must continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for us through education.  On February 20th, 2010, We, The Somali Student Association at York University embarked on a journey to educate our community about the social ills that have recently become prevalent.

The Symposium entitled Voices of Today for Tomorrow aspired to motivate Somali youth and hopefully evoke positive change. We hoped to accomplish this goal by focusing on aiding high school students to realize the importance of accessing a postsecondary education, the different fields they can pursue, and also provide the opportunity to network with Somali students who are attending universities and colleges within Toronto and abroad.

The main theme of the conference was “education”, but speakers introduced their own topics to also address other issues such as the lack of Islamic identity, culture and the crime rate amongst our youth.  The speakers included Said Dirie, Qasim Hersi, Ahmed Elmi, Ahmed Hussein, Mark Persaud and Fauzia Warsame. Entertainment included poetry from several performers and a unique presentation from Naqrumo.  Overall the event attracted over a hundred attendees, who were a mixed crowd from high school and university.  The goal of the conference was to educate the youth about what is going on in Somalia while simultaneously encouraging and motivating them to continue their studies beyond high school

. Educating the youth -who are the future of Somalia as well as Canada- will help in the establishment of a civil society where the ideals of freedom and liberty are respected and tolerated. It is upon the youth to take the lead and help Somalia in its rebuilding phase.
“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth” Laertius Diogenes

Ahmed Ahmed,
President of the Somali Student Association at York University