The
Djibouti Congress of the Somali-Speaking Writers Club
of
the International PEN
26
June 2003
The General Meeting of the
Somali-Speaking Writers Club of the International PEN was held from 24 to 25
June 2003 at the People’s Palace in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti. The
Congress was attended by some forty delegates from as many places as the
Republic of Djibouti, Mogadishu (the capital city of Somalia), Somaliland
regions, Puntland regions, Ethiopia, Kenya; as well as from UK, Sweden and South
Africa. The General Meeting was boosted by the presence of the three patrons of
the Somali-speaking PEN, the acclaimed novelist, Nuruddin Farah, the leading
poet Mohamed Ibrahim Hadrawi and the vetran journalist Ismael H. Tani; they have
provided valuable advice.
The General
Meeting was held within the framework of the ‘Somali Creative Community
Week’ inaugurated on 24 June by President Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of
the Republic of Djibouti who was kind enough to provide much needed
encouragement and support to the week-long cultural event organized by the
Somali-speaking PEN and participated by over 150 writers, poets, performing
artists and journalists from around the world (see separate report for details).
A letter of congratulations sent by the International Secretary of PEN
International, Terry Carlbom, was read out at the opening ceremony in the midst
of the keynote speeches.
The Congress
was opened by the Chairman, Maxamed Daahir Afrax, who started with reading the
proposed agenda, which included the reports of the President and Executive
Committee,
delegates’ comments, guidelines for a new actionplan, a number of motions,
arising issues and the election of a new governing body.
When the agenda was adopted the Chairman presented a concise overview of the
Centre and its various activities over the past years as well as the challenges
lying ahead. This was followed by the official report of the outgoing Executive
Committee presented by Omar Adan Qadi, the Hon. Secretary. After an extensive
discussion of the report, the need to revitalize and strengthen the activities
of the Centre has been emphasized. To achieve the goals and the objectives of
the organization it was decided that working committees be formed to facilitate
the expansion of the organization and to establish its branches in all the
Somali-Speaking areas in the Horn of Africa and in other parts of the world
where there are Somali communities. The first 8 branches will be established in
the Republic of Djibouti, Southern Somalia (Mogadishu) the Northeast (Puntland),
the Northwest (Somaliland), the Somali regions of Ethiopia, United Arab
Emirates, Sweden and Canada.
To sum up,
following are the main resolutions of the Congress:
1. To move the main Office of the Somali-Speaking Writers Club of the
International PEN from its temporary base in London to the city of Djibouti;
2. To make Somali the official working language of the organization while at
the same time all important documents will be translated into English;
3.
To issue an appeal to the Somali political groups and administrations to
respect and safeguard the freedom of expression and freedom of press;
4. To give mandate to the Executive Committee to complete the formation of
six standing committees agreed upon;
5. Guidelines for an engaging plan of action for the coming period;
6.
To make the responsibility of the Executive Committee to negotiate with
the editors of Hal-abuur Journal of Somali Literature and Culture to find
the best way to cooperate.
As
its last item of agenda, the General Meeting has elected a new executive
committee as follows:
Maxamed
Daahir Afrax – President
Said
Jama Hussein – Vice President
Omar
Adan Qadi – Hon. Secretary
Said
Daud – Treasurer
Idris
Yusuf Elmi – Chair of the Language Development and Translation Committee
Mohamed
Siad Duale – Chair of the Activities and Literature for Peace Committee
Mohamed
Abdillahi Rirash – Vice Chair of the Activities and Literature for Peace
Committee
Sa’ad
Ali Shire – Chair of the Authors’ Rights Committee
Nima’an
Abdullahi – Chair of the Communications Committee
Abdisalam
Isse Salwe – Chair of the Diaspora Writers Committee
Mariam
Arif Gassim – Chairwoman of the Women Writers Committee
Omar
Said – Membership Secretary
Ahmed
Isse Awad – Administrative Secretary
Khalid
Maow – International Office Co-ordinator
The following
branch co-ordinators have also been appointed:
1. 1. Hashi Abdillahi – Co-ordinator of the Djibouti Branch
2.
Abdi Muhumud Amin – Co-ordinator of the South Somalia Branch
3.
Mohamed Hashi Dhama Gariye – Co-ordinator of the Somaliland Branch
4.
Abdulqadir M. Wa’ays – Co-ordinator of the Puntland Branch
5.
Abdullahi Sh. Ahmed – Co-ordinator of the Ethiopia Branch
6. Omar
Abdulaziz – Co-ordinator of the United Arab Emirates Branch
7.
Awad Abdirahman – Co-ordinator of the Sweden Branch
8.
Burhan Warsame – Co-ordinator of the Canada Branch
The patrons
were re-elected as:
Nuruddin
Farah
Mohamed
Ibrahim Hadrawi
Ismail
Hussein Tani
The General
Meeting/Congress was winded up at 7 pm on 25 June 2003.
