Multicultural Media and the Somali Community OMMI Annotated … · 2014. 6. 19. · a) Somali residents’ attitudes and practices in relation to the arts; and b) Neighborhood arts

Multicultural Media and the Somali Community OMMI Annotated Bibliography

1

Reference Alegado, K. (2009). Somalia and the Digital World. COMA, 120.

Source Type Research Paper

Target Audience International Communities, NGOs, Academics

Geographic Scope Transnational

Data Collection Method

Textual Analysis

Key Words Digital Divide, Internet, Somali

Abstract and Key Findings

Internet access in Somalia is helping economically disadvantaged group such as women to connect into the outside world—internet usage could have both negative and positive impacts.

Annotation The article surveys some of the recent effects of Internet usage in Somalia given the country’s political instability and the scarcity of telecommunications competition or regulation from a Somali perspective. The survey seems to be an analysis of secondary sources, both academic and news media. The author identifies several ways that Somali Internet usage has overcome the Global digital divide: by connecting geographically distant family and friends; enabling international money transfers; and empowering Somali users, including women, to follow local and international current events. The author is ambivalent about the potential of the Internet to unite the country and writes that the primary users of the Internet in Somalia are foreign development agencies and diplomatic missions, academic and community organizations, businesses, and limited Internet cafes.


2

Reference Auld, C. (2007). Shape-Shifting Mediascapes: Social Change and Diasporic Media Online. Research Report in Social Anthropology (p. 189). Lund University.

Source Type Conference Paper

Target Audience Somali in the Diaspora, Academics, Practitioners, Communities

Geographic Scope Europe, Sweden


Focus Groups, Interviews

Key Words Postmodern Media Communities, Electronic Media, Somali Websites, Somali Artists Online


Website is a vehicle for Somali community to propagate their voices as well as to do business—advertisement oriented business. Some use it as advocacy while other use as propaganda machine.

Annotation This article, from an anthology of papers presented at the 2006 Somalia International Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) Conference on the Horn of Africa in Lund, Sweden, provides a discourse analysis of several cases of social activism in online media created by members of the Somali diaspora community. The article also chronicles relevant political and technological developments in the last fifteen years that have affected the Somali diaspora. The cases mentioned include: a web project to introduce a dialogue on the experiences of Somali refugees and immigrants to Canada; an online magazine that documents the Somali-Canadian experience and provides Somali news to the community; Hiraan Online, an Ottawa-based Internet hub of Somali news and cultural links; Somalitoons, which uses humour to document Somali-Canadian experiences; Amin Amir, a Somali-Canadian satirical cartoonist; Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-Dutch film maker and blogger who is a women’s issues activist and politician; and “Qabyo,” a film about Somali women arriving in Canada and negotiating conflicting cultural norms. Auld concludes that the outpouring of Somali diaspora social activism online demonstrates the community’s hope and willingness to struggle for the peace and reconstruction of their country. The author undertakes her discourse analysis based on data collected from web projects that she has been involved with herself and a review of some other websites.


3

Reference Brinkerhoff, J. M. (2006). Digital Diasporas and Conflict Prevention: The Case of Somalinet.com. Review of International Studies, 32(01), 25–47. doi:10.1017/S0260210506006917

Source Type Academic Journal Article

Target Audience Academics



Literature Review, Content Analysis

Key Words Somali internet, digital diasporas, internet


Recent research on the Internet and terrorism confirms the Internet’s enabling features for terrorist activities, including its ease of access, anonymity, and international character. While the Internet can serve as a tool for nefarious purposes, little research has focused on whether and how the Internet can be used to prevent conflict and, ultimately, terrorist activities. This research focuses on one group that might be considered a resource base for violent action: diasporas from failed states. Research shows a strong correlation between marginalisation and violence. On the other hand, fostering a shared identity, inclusive of liberal values, and promoting carefully framed discussion and debate may reduce psychological incentives to engage in violent activities. This article examines the case of one digital diaspora – a diaspora organised on the Internet – to explore these hypotheses. Specifically, the case of Somalinet suggests potential for the Internet to promote liberal values, channel frustration into verbal debates thus diffusing tension, and create communities that counter the marginalisation conducive to violence.

Annotation The author hypothesizes that digital diasporas, communities of foreign nationals that are connected by the Internet, have the potential to prevent and lessen feelings of marginalization that may result in diaspora members supporting conflict and violence escalation or resurgence at home. The article is based on a case study of a website called Somalinet, through an interview conducted with the website’s founder and the observational analysis of several of its discussion threads, where members participate in uncensored conversations on various topics, about Somalia, the Somali identity, and more general topics. This hypothesis is taken up as a counter-weight to recent research that suggests that diasporas can be fertile ground for recruiting supporters of violent extremism at home. Somalinet was found to be a community-bonding tool that built the social capital of its members and where members generally supported peaceful resolution of conflict. Digital diasporas are posited as tools for monitoring diaspora opinion climates, providing a sounding board for diaspora members to explore issues, and moderating group opinions, although Somalinet seems to have limited utility in terms of mobilizing any actual action, peaceful or violent.


4

Reference Bjork Ademola, S. R. (2001). Watched Weddings: Circulating Videos and Transnational Community-building Amongst Somalis in Finland. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

Source Type Thesis

Target Audience Academic

Geographic Scope Finland


Key Words Refugees, Somalis, Video recordings, Weddings



5

Reference Byrd, E., & Gadwa, A. (2009). Working Effectively with Somali Residents through the Arts. University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Source Type Research Report

Target Audience Public, Academics

Geographic Scope City of Minneapolis


Interviews, Survey Methods, Listening Sessions

Key Words Somali residents, arts, Somali community


Our objective is to empower arts providers (non-profit performance spaces and arts organizations, academic art departments and exhibition spaces, and commercial music venues) to work more effectively with Somali residents, the neighborhood’s largest immigrant group, by: 1. Assessing interest and capacity by examining: a) Somali residents’ attitudes and practices in relation to the arts; and b) Neighborhood arts providers’ interest, motivation and capacity for becoming more responsive to Somali residents; and by 2. Providing arts providers with community-recommended guiding principles and practical advice for working with Somali residents. Research Methods To achieve our objective, we: Interviewed a wide-range of people in the community, including Somali leaders and artists, and non-Somali arts community members who have worked with Somalis through the arts; Held listening sessions with arts providers, and Somali elders and youth; Reviewed relevant literature; and took advantage of informal opportunities to gain familiarity with Somali culture and Islam.

Annotation This report is part of a Minnesota community-based neighbourhood revitalization program in a neighbourhood with a large Somali immigrant contingency and attempts to encourage community arts initiatives to engage with the Somali community. The report is based on interviews and listening sessions with community members and organizations, literature review, and informal cultural immersion in the Somali community, as well as a survey to determine the level of interest of local arts providers to interact with this community. The authors found that the Somali community in this neighbourhood is largely interested in various kinds of participatory/collaborative arts, especially for community-building and intergenerational and intercultural communication, but that they are constrained by their access to resources, both financial and otherwise, cultural sensitivity issues, language barriers, as well as a lack of engagement and awareness between providers and the Somali community. The authors conclude that arts providers must engage with the community to build trust and work towards shared goals, employ cultural sensitivity, increasing visibility and accessibility of projects, and initiating art forms that are desirable to the Somali community, for instance, poetry, theatre, and crafts that have a participatory element.


6

Reference Charmarkeh, H. (2009). Usages et appropriation des TIC: Le cas de la diaspora somalienne en Amérique du Nord. Revue Universitaire de Djibouti, 6, 33–51.

Source Type Academic Journal

Target Audience Academics, Researchers

Geographic Scope North America


Literature Review

Key Words Somali Diaspora, North America, Information and Communication Technology


From Mombasa to Djibouti, Addis-Ababa to Sana’a, the Somali people became a transient group on its way to settle in Europe and North America and become part of the growing Somali diaspora. Nearly 50,000 people of Somali origin reside in the United States of America (Kusow and Bjork, 2007), thus the Somali diaspora is dispersed across the world. Beyond the national borders, the Somali diaspora created links of solidarity based on identity, ethnicity and religion. This transnationality is, for the most part, facilitated by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In addition, within the context of mobility and migration, Information and Communication Technology links a displaced people with their homeland. As such, the internet becomes similar to an umbilical cord of the Somali diaspora, a connector to the lifeline in Somalia, and a mirror of their identity and culture. Does ICT significantly affect the Somalia diaspora? Can it be considered a catalyst that accelerates the processes of diasporisation for Somalis?

Annotation The article explores the literature on how ICTs are affecting Somalis outside of Somalia, especially in North America, in terms of creating the diaspora by facilitating connection and communication, in the formation and reinforcement of a collective Somali diasporic identity. The author uses the traditional nomadic character of Somalia to illustrate how the Internet has become so important for displaced Somalis to connect and communicate with other members of the diaspora and with those in Somalia. Of particular interest for our study is the article’s focus on aspects of the Somali community in Canada. The article concludes that although Somali diaspora web sites have opened up a new space where Somali identity and culture are de-territorialized and fragmented based on ethnic and political divisions, the Internet paradoxically helps to foster a sense of cultural belonging for diasporas. The author is ambivalent about the consequences of an Internet-based Somali diaspora because of its potential for reinforcing collective identity and its simultaneous ability to reinforce ethnic and political divides that will be detrimental to the reconstruction of Somalia.


7

Reference Charmarkeh, H. (2012). Médias ethniques et pratiques médiatiques des Somaliens au Canada. Les enjeux de l’information et de la communication. Retrieved from http://w3.u-grenoble3.fr/les_enjeux/2012/Charmarkeh/



Geographic Scope Canada


Survey Methods, Interviews

Key Words Identity, Immigration, Somali Diaspora, Information and Communication Technology, Representation


L’expérience migratoire, loin de constituer la perte d’identité de l’immigrant, engendre souvent de puissantes formes de mobilisation culturelle et sociale. Cette mobilisation est de plus en plus visible de nos jours, en raison de l’accès facile aux différents moyens de communication. Les Somaliens au Canada, par leur utilisation quotidienne des vidéos, de la télévision et de la radio, tentent de maintenir leur identité culturelle. Les pratiques médiatiques de la communauté somalienne expriment la volonté de se créer un espace permettant à la fois de développer un point de vue négocié et critique sur sa représentation dans l’espace public canadien et de proposer une vision spécifique du monde vécu. Le processus de conception de cet espace correspond à la nécessité de créer des « traces » pour la reconstruction symbolique de la Somalie ravagée par la guerre depuis deux décennies. The experience of migration, far from being the loss of identity of the immigrant, often results in powerful forms of cultural and social mobilization. This mobilization is more visible today due to easier access to different means of communication. Somalis in Canada are trying to maintain their cultural identity through daily use of videos, television and radio. The media practices of the Somali community show the desire to create a space both to develop a negotiating point of view, critical to its representation in the Canadian public space, and to propose a specific vision of the world lived. The design process of this space reflects the need to create "traces" for the symbolic reconstruction of war-torn Somalia.

Annotation This article examines the role of Somali ethnic media in the Somali diaspora’s experience of identity creation. The data for this article were drawn from surveys and individual interviews done with a diverse, snowballed sample of first- and second-generation Somali immigrants in Toronto and Ottawa. The article shows how the Somali media in Canada exemplifies the tension in the lives of members of the community who are adapting to new Canadian lives and also trying to preserve their cultural identities and histories. Somali Canadians engage with the ethnic media as a community building activity, both as a medium of self-expression and as an archive for the collective identity and memory of the Somali diaspora.


8

Reference Charmarkeh, H., & Couton, P. (2010). Entre anciens et nouveaux médias: les pratiques communicationnelles des Somaliens au Canada. Canadian Journal of Media Studies, 8(1). Retrieved from http://cjms.fims.uwo.ca/issues/08-01/charmarkeh_couton.pdf



Geographic Scope Canada


Survey Methods, Content Analysis

Key Words Refugees, Social Mobilization, Information and Communication Technologies, Identity, Somali Diaspora


Les mouvements de réfugiés engendrent souvent de puissantes formes de mobilisation sociale et politique reposant sur des médias ethniques. Cette mobilisation est de plus en plus aisée de nos jours, en raison de l’accès facile à des moyens de communication multiples et rapides et soulève la question de son effet sur l’insertion des immigrants concernés. Dispersés entre l’Afrique, l’Europe et l’Amérique du Nord, les Somaliens forment une communauté expatriée véritablement transnationale, qui tissent de nombreux liens familiaux, claniques et politiques grâce à ces outils communicationnels. Ainsi, on peut parler d’un processus de formation d’une identité somalienne et de mobilisation diasporique médiatique. Mais ces pratiques communicationnelles diasporiques sont variées, mettant en jeu différents niveaux technologiques, idéologiques et culturels. Nous concluons que la diaspora somalienne s’érige en une communauté transnationale complexe qui s’approprie des médias dans le but de préserver sa culture et la transmettre à la deuxième génération, tout en la transformant et en l’adaptant à un environnement social et politique nouveau.

Annotation This article seeks to understand the role of ethnic media in the lives of the Somali diaspora in Canada in terms of how and why they use which media. The research used in the article is from a quantitative questionnaire on media usage given to first- and second-generation Somalis in Ottawa and Toronto, as well as a content analysis of several media productions, both traditional and new medias, originating from the Somali community in Canada. What is unique about this article is its exploration of both new and traditional media usage in the Somali community and their role in the collective Somali identity. The article concludes that the Somali community in Canada utilizes media in order to preserve and communicate its cultural identity to subsequent generations while adapting to new social and political contexts. Media engagement provides Somali-Canadians the opportunity to evaluate and renegotiate their values and traditions in relation to others.


9

Reference DeStephano, C. C., Flynn, P. M., & Brost, B. C. (2010). Somali prenatal education video use in a United States obstetric clinic: A formative evaluation of acceptability. Patient Education and Counseling, 81(1), 137–141. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2009.12.003



Geographic Scope United State


Focus Groups, Surveys

Key Words Refugee Health, Prenatal Education, Transcultural Care, Education Video, Somali, Pregnancy


Because of low health literacy and low priority in seeking prenatal information, health education videos were explored for acceptability by Somali refugee women in a clinical setting. Methods: Focus groups led to the development of six targeted Somali prenatal education videos. Somali participants were recruited to view programs, and completed an 8-item survey prior to regularly scheduled prenatal appointments. Following the clinical visit, providers completed a 4-item survey indicating the video’s helpfulness in facilitating client–provider communication. Results: All study participants ‘‘strongly recommended’’ and rated the videos as ‘‘appropriate for Somali clients.’’ Providers indicated 24% of appointments were ‘‘more interactive’’ with 72% finding videos ‘‘somewhat’’ or ‘‘extremely helpful.’’ Conclusion: Preliminary results from this pilot study suggest that a video format for prenatal education is acceptable to Somali clients with most clients preferring video health education materials presented in the Somali language.Practice implications: Culturally tailored health education video series for Somali women appear well for use in a clinic setting to facilitate client–provider communication.

Annotation This article presents the results of a pilot study of a prenatal health education video’s reception by pregnant Somali women living in Minnesota. The video was developed after focus-groups conducted with post-natal Somali women and was to be run on a popular Somali cable channel, in the Somali language and incorporating elements of Somali culture on several important topics regarding all the stages of a pregnancy, from preparation to post-natal care, and the role of the father. The study was conducted by having participants watch the video before prenatal doctor’s appointments and then fill out a questionnaire; healthcare providers then filled out a questionnaire after the appointment to indicate how the video affected the appointment. The study concluded that participants considered the video to be helpful, especially to first time mothers, in terms of the amount and helpfulness of the information, and participants appreciated the language, and cultural elements and sensitivity of the video. The greatest limitation of the study is that participants were recruited from women who were already engaged in prenatal care, whereas one motivating factor for the study was that many Somali women do not seek prenatal care, or seek it very late in the pregnancy.


10

Reference Drake, S., & Mutua-Kombo, E. (2009). Somali Language and Oral Tradition in Post-conflict Life in the US: What Does the Future Hold? Africa Media Review, 17(1&2), 109–122.

Source Type Journal

Target Audience Public, Academic

Geographic Scope U.S.


Community action or emancipatory research and action research approaches

Key Words Somali Refugees, Language, Oral Traditions, Culture, Post-conflict Setting


As global conflicts increasingly force people to leave their homelands, it is important we become aware of the issues that impact on different aspects of refugees’ lives in foreign lands. A variety of problems are associated with forced migration, notably challenges of cultural adaptation such as language issues, cultural assimilation, cultural adaptation, identity, loss of social networks of relatives, friends and neighbours, harsh climates, racism and so on. This article discusses some of the concerns expressed by Somali refugees living in Mid-West United States of America. They fear that the Somali language and oral traditions might be lost if attempts are not made to preserve them. Specifically, the authors examine the efforts to and challenges of preserving the language and oral traditions in a post-conflict setting. The article concludes by pointing to a question about the future of third generation Somali-Americans who have adapted the English language and see no economic and social benefits in the Somali language for them.

Annotation This article is concerned with a survey of the ways that Somalis living in Minnesota have sought to preserve and transmit Somali oral traditions and language for future generation given community concerns over the cultural adaptation of third- and future generations of Somali-Americans. The research methodology used was one of participatory action and community or emancipatory research, through informal interviews and surveys conducted in both Somali and in English, as well as participant observation. Data were coded based on shared themes and analysed using constant comparative method. Participants were found to engage in the following ways of preserving their language and culture: family communication and storytelling in Somali; the effort to make Somali language educational, informational, and entertainment resources available; community cohesion and congregation in Somali places of business, worship, and cultural celebration; increasing Somali television media; bilingual mentoring and tutoring; and Somali literacy classes, for young people and for those who have been refugees all their lives.


11

Reference Farah, A. O. (2009). Diaspora Involvement in the development of Somalia. DIIPER Research Series.

Source Type Working paper

Target Audience NGOs, International Communities, Researchers, and Somali Diaspora

Geographic Scope Comparative analysis between Somali Diaspora in Europe, Middle East, and North America


Survey Methods, interviews, Literature Review

Key Words Somali Diaspora, Remittance, Diaspora Support


Information technology is increasingly being used to increase the links between Diaspora and the Somalis in Somalia. An interesting case is the new satellite TV station, Universal TV. This station also shows a typical global Somali business venture as the station is owned by a businessman based in the UK and Dubai, running businesses in telecommunication and satellite instruments.

Annotation This article was commissioned by the International Committee for the Development of People (CISP) to examine the ways that remittances from the Somali diaspora, which make up a great proportion of household incomes in urban Somalia and amount to far greater effects than humanitarian aid, affect Somalia’s development, especially in terms of funding community-based education projects. Remittances have been increasingly used to invest in business opportunities in addition to providing income to families. Research for the article was collected from a variety of anecdotal sources, literature, and development reports on the Somali diaspora. Given limited statistical information available for Somalia, much of the information presented is guesswork. There are some examples of remittances being directed toward educational projects, and the authors are optimistic that this trend will continue and connect diaspora remittances to community and NGO programmes to make a greater impact.


12

Reference Greene, C. (2008). The Impact of Radio on Political Change: A Practitioner Perspective. BCO Impact Assessment Study (p. 195). Building Communication Opportunities.

Source Type Report Section

Target Audience Academic, Public

Geographic Scope Comparative media analysis—Somalia, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Rwanda etc.


Observational Analysis, Textual analysis

Key Words Independent media, Diaspora, Conflict Area, BBC Somalia


Perhaps the key lesson from this look at media impact is that it is a sine qua non that a message will only achieve impact if the medium through which it is disseminated is trusted by those targeted. A second lesson is that those promoting a message must have a very clear understanding of the target audience and their media usage habits. From these two points we can further conclude that media in general and radio in particular can have an impact on behaviour, including political processes, so long as certain conditions are present. These conditions include: • A regulatory and general legal environment conducive to development of media. • The ability of media outlets to develop trust among their target audiences. • A congruity of message between what the media say and what other trusted sources (political, religious, medical, educational, etc.) are saying. • A pre-existing degree of social cohesion in the community that is targeted. • Sufficient popularity of relevant output to attract a sizeable audience and generate debate among the target community.

Annotation This article discusses the impact of radio in zones of social and political conflict, based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. The author posits that radio programmes may be able to have some small effect on political actors in conflict situations and on other social issues like FGM in Somalia. The effects, however, may be positive or negative, large or small, or simply reinforcing of already present social trends. Diasporas are mentioned as one community that particularly engage with radio media, especially the Somali diaspora for whom their oral tradition of poetry, singing, and story-telling is so critical. Radio is especially useful in areas with low literacy and access to other forms of media. In areas where there is a framework that is favourable to radio, media that builds trust, understanding, and credibility with a reasonably cohesive target audience, radio can have a real impact.


13

Reference Guerin, P., Hussein Elmi, F., & Guerin, B. (2006). Weddings and parties: Cultural healing in one community of Somali women. Advances in Mental Health, 5(2), 105–112. doi:10.5172/jamh.5.2.105



Geographic Scope Hamilton, New Zealand


Survey Methods, Interviews, Focus Groups, Participant Observation, Ethnography

Key Words Multicultural Mental Health, Refugees, Women, Cultural Activities, Mental Health Promotion, Early Intervention


Refugees who are resettled in western countries, particularly Muslim, female, and African refugees, are at a high risk for 'mental disorders,' especially when they are then marginalised racially, socially, religiously and economically. In a small city with no specialist services for refugee mental health, a group of Somali refugee women found their own ways to cope with the enormous challenges facing them. In this paper, we describe some of these ways by drawing on many years of ethnographic and participant observation, reflecting specifically on the role of weddings and parties and the embracing of cultural dance, music, and dress on well-being.

We aim to show how community-initiated activities can be therapeutic as social approaches to mental health promotion and early intervention. We also discuss how 'westerners' and mental health and other professionals can contribute to facilitating this process.

Annotation This article is based on ethnographic information and participant observation over a seven-year period in a Somali refugee community in New Zealand regarding the positive mental health and well-being outcomes of women’s participation in community celebrations and weddings. The evolution of these parties is indicative of the evolution of the community in its new environment and reflected the stage of adaptation and comfort level with their new lives. The social interaction associated with these celebrations was not limited to the event itself for the women, but extended to all aspects of the preparation that the community collaborated on, and provided a significant social support network, based on kinship, which limited and mitigated the incidence of mental illness in an at-risk demographic.


14

Reference Horst, C. (2006). In “virtual dialogue” with the Somali community: the value of electronic media for research amongst refugee diasporas. Refuge: Canada’s periodical on refugees, 23(1).

Source Type Journal Article


Geographic Scope Kenya


Survey Methods, Interviews, Participatory Research

Key Words Xawilaat, Dabaab, refugees


This article illustrates the methodological potential of electronic media such as the Internet and e-mail for research amongst refugee diasporas. It will first describe research amongst Somalis in Kenyan refugee camps, which demonstrated the importance of transnational networks in the survival of refugees in the camps. The intention of the research set-up was to provide an alternative approach to common depictions of refugees, which often ignore their agency. A focus on agency, referring to every individual’s level of choice and power, is as much a methodological decision as a theoretical or epistemological assumption, since people’s agency clearly manifests itself in knowledge creation. After describing the possible dialogical nature of academic knowledge creation, the article moves on to illustrate how electronic media can play an important role in this. There are a number of apparent advantages to the methodological use of the Internet and e-mail in research, though at the same time pitfalls should not be underestimated. Nevertheless, when studying refugee communities that are dispersed across the globe and make active use of electronic media, “virtual dialogues” provide fascinating new insights.

Annotation This article explains the researcher’s methodology after a participatory research study of the conditions of social security and the survival of Somali refugees in Dadaab, Kenya given poor conditions and limited humanitarian aid. The author found that traditional Somali social security networks had been transferred and innovated to supplement insufficient aid in refugee camps and that remittances were used to get the products and services needed, as well as investing in resettlement in other countries. After the initial fieldwork, the author relied on what she calls virtual dialogues to continue her collaboration with Somali refugee diasporas by posting research reports on the Somalinet website and opening up a discussion forum where anyone could comment or e-mail the author. Research was also collaborated on through virtual discussions with UN and NGO staff. The article concludes that virtual dialogues can overcome some of the limitations of conducting fieldwork, such as distance and connecting socio-politically disparate populations, although it has its own limitations in terms of the representativeness of participants who are on the Internet.


15

Reference Iginio Gagliardone,I,& Stremlau, Nicole (2011). Mapping Digital Media: Digital media, conflict and diasporas in the Horn of Africa. Open Society Foundations.

Source Type Series Papers

Target Audience NGOs, Public

Geographic Scope Horn of Africa—Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea


Literature Review

Key Words Digital Media, Horn of Africa, Diaspora, Hybrid Media


The Horn of Africa is one of the least connected regions in the world. Nevertheless, digital media play an important social and political role in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia (including South-Central Somalia and the northern self-declared independent Republic of Somaliland). Th is paper shows how the development of the internet, mobile phones and other new communication technologies have been shaped by conflict and power struggles in these countries. It addresses some of the puzzles that characterize the media in the region: for example, how similar rates of penetration of media such as the internet and mobile phones have emerged in Somalia, a state which has not had a functioning government for two decades, and in Ethiopia, one of the countries with the most pervasive and centralized political apparatus in Africa. The paper also gives particular attention to the role played by diasporas, which have been highly influential in starting the first websites, blogs and forums covering the politics of the Horn and facilitating debates among Eritreans, Ethiopians and Somalis living at home or abroad. The paper concludes by discussing the often-innovative, but little acknowledged, ways in which digital media have blended with their predecessors to fashion unique hybrid media and communications systems.

Annotation Despite the diversity amongst the countries of the Horn of Africa, the article attempts to trace the development of new ICTs in the context of the variety of social and political conflicts in this region, as well as the role of diasporas in this development, through a literature review. Conflict situations in the Horn of Africa have lead to a variety of media and technological innovations with younger generations who are more removed from traditional conflicts, both at home and in the diasporas, being exposed to and becoming more committed to universal values. Political considerations sometimes limit the usefulness of available technologies that would lead to increased, and more affordable, connectivity of the Horn to the rest of the world. The Horn of Africa is at a crossroads where the explosion of ICT developments will lead either to a very controlled situation, or to an open model, which may enable political mobilization and further creative ICT innovations.


16

Reference Issa-Salwe, A. M., & Olden, A. (2008). Somali web sites, history and politics. Aslib Proceedings (Vol. 60, pp. 570–582).

Source Type Conference Paper

Target Audience Academics, Public



Interviews

Key Words Deportation, History, Politics, Somalia, Worldwide Web


Purpose – The collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic in 1991 led to a world-wide diaspora. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyse Somali web sites in an attempt to demonstrate how they reflect the troubled history and politics of the homeland and continue to interest, involve, bring together and divide Somalis world-wide. Design/methodology/approach – Web sites were divided into categories, and a study of the community/political category was conducted. Visits were made to the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, and face-to-face interviews conducted. E-mail contact was maintained with a number of Somali webmasters. Findings – Community/political web sites was the most numerous category, with the majority being named after a geographical area associated with a group of clan lineages or sub-lineages. They contain news, opinion pieces and other features in Somali and on some web sites in Somali and English. While web sites usually declare that the opinions in articles are those of the authors alone, they are unlikely to publicise views with which they are not in agreement. Originality/value – The paper illustrates how web sites enable members of one diaspora community to keep in touch with a political situation at home that is exceptional, and to involve themselves in its controversies, should they wish to do so. It also shows how the web site has brought a new dimension to traditional methods of feuding.

Annotation Through a combination of virtual ethnography, content analyses, and surveys, both electronic and face-to-face, this article examines various Somali web sites and discusses what characterizes and differentiates them. Web sites were categorized as: professional or business oriented; news sources; radio new stations online; personal information, like blogs; religious; cultural or literary; and community or political. The proliferation of Somali web sites recently is not surprising given the massive displacement of Somalis and web sites are a way of connecting the diaspora communities and appeal to the oral and artistic culture of Somalia. While the Internet is instrumental in connecting members of the diaspora to one another and to Somalia, web sites also have political and social fragmentary effects.


17

Reference Issa-Salwe, A. M. (2008). The Internet and the Somali Diaspora: The Web as a Means of Expression. Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies, 6(1), 8.

Source Type Journal Article




Interviews, Textual Analysis

Key Words Computer-mediated Communication, Belonging, Somalia


Internet provides Somalis with a new dimension of Expression. While the Internet creates a sense of belonging and sharing for Somali groups, it is also an agent for the fragmentation of Somali society. While Somali websites tend to depict cherished cultural homogeneity and the shared heritage of Islam, they also portray political and social divisions. A group is held together by what it has in common. Information sharing is one important method through which commonality is reinvented and strengthened. But, in the Somali context, there is also the play of different interpretations of history in a time of generalized chaos. Consequently, Somali websites capture the turbulence of a contradictory time of collective identity and fragmentation.

Annotation This article is a theoretical paper about the use of computer-mediated communication by Somalis, both at home and in the diaspora, and how it reflects the political strife going on in Somalia. Web sites can be characterized base on their subject matter, the largest category of which is community and political websites. Web sites are often founded and named for Somalis originating from a specific geographical region, indicating the fragmentary potential of Somali websites, but can also be founded for professional, general, political, cultural/literary, religious, and personal interests. Somali web sites thus represent the fragmented and tumultuous Somali politics and cultural identity.


18

Reference Issa-Salwe, A. (2010). The Internet Medium and Poetry Transmission: The Poetry Combat of Doodwanaag. Warsheer News.

Source Type Research Report

Target Audience Academics, Public

Geographic Scope Middle East and UK


Interviews, Textual Analysis

Key Words Somali Community, Oral Culture, Poetry, Internet


The Internet technology has given the Somali poet a new perspective. As he/she wants to be heard in places far away from his home thus craving a spatial extension, the web is just the right tools to enable him/her to reach a global audience. Literature is one feature that the majority of Somali websites have in common. Another feature is Islamic section. These two features demonstrate the importance which Somalis give to their most enduring heritage: literature and Islam. Next to these two features comes the audio facility. The audio uses an analogue of oral media. Because of its oral output, it has the potential to allow Somali orality to reach new heights. This paper will use a Somali poetic combat known as Doodwanaag to analysis the new dawn of Somali poetry being transmitted via the Internet. This poetry combat is one of the first computer-mediated Somali poetry combat.

Annotation Given a strong traditional Somali oral culture, this article examines a relatively new type of online Somali poetry called Doodwanaag. Cultural and literary web sites are one the important categories of Somali web sites that seek to preserve Somali culture, both traditional and modern. Doodwanaag is a type of what the author calls “poetry combat” and presents poetry on a single subject and conforming to the same structure by several poets, who use their poetry in a collaborative project. The poetry recitations are all inspirational poems about the political problems of Somalis and are meant to incite a participatory, peaceful mind set and peace solutions amongst youth by highlighting the importance of unity and peace. New kinds of online poetry like Doodwanaag are ways of reaching out to the world and to diasporas to express Somali identity and struggles.


19

Reference Mahdjoubi, L., & Moobela, C. (2007). Integrating Our Nation’s Diversity: Exploring the Roles of Multimedia in Fostering Multicultural Participation. The Potential of Visual Simulation in Encouraging Participation of BME Communities in Planning: Lessons from the Barton Hill Redevelopment in Bristol, United Kingdom.

Source Type Report

Target Audience Practitioners, Policy Makers

Geographic Scope U.K.


Survey Methods

Key Words Multimedia, Multiculturalism, Civic Participation, Networking


This report is the fourth and last in the series of publications on the potential of multimedia in fostering multicultural participation in planning decision-making processes, a research project funded by the British academy. The report presents a comparative analysis of the results of a series of consultation events conducted on the (re)development of the Barton Hill settlement in Bristol, United Kingdom. In order to put the subject matter into context, the report begins with a synoptic overview of the material content of the preceding three volumes of reports. Between them, the three reports sought to: establish and consolidates the case for the adoption of more innovative approaches to participation of minority and ethnic communities in planning decision-making processes; identify and discuss the prevailing methods of communication in planning participation in the United Kingdom; and present a non-technical overview of an array of the key communication media technologies that can potentially be tapped as tools for encouraging participation of minority and ethnic communities in planning.

Annotation Previous reports in this series on using multimedia to engage multicultural members of a community to participate in decision-making found that multimedia has utility for increasing engagement in populations with barriers to participation in their wider communities, networking media can help to communicate with audiences whose participation is desired, and multimedia tools are uniquely useful in engaging multicultural communities because of their interactivity and flexibility in overcoming potential language and cultural barriers. Following from this research, the present study is a comparative analysis of still pictures and a visual animation of a community centre redevelopment project in a UK neighbourhood, based on questionnaires, to find the best multimedia option for engaging multicultural audiences in community planning consultations. Although the differences were not very significant, the authors suggest that multimedia tools such as the visual animations have some potential for overcoming some important barriers to the participation of multicultural audiences in community decision-making processes.


20

Reference Makina, A. (2011). The Impact of Globalization on Somali Culture.

Source Type Research Paper

Target Audience Business Community, Academics, Public

Geographic Scope Minnesota, U.S.


Literature Review

Key Words Globalization, Telecommunication, Somali Culture, Remittances, Diaspora


Since its inception in 1960 when it gained independence from Britain and Italy respectively after the merger of former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland into what came to be known as the republic of Somalia, the impact of globalization on Somali culture has evidently been beneficial and detrimental in many aspects. The idea that a nation cannot progress economically without a strong central government does not coincide with the current upsurge in globalization where its impact is being felt in every corner of the world including the “stateless” nation of Somalia whose economy experienced noticeable growth even with the absence of an effective central government. The immediate objective of this research is to uncover the negative and positive trends globalization has had on the Somali culture.

Annotation This article refers to the literature and reports on how globalization has affected Somalia, both positively and negatively, and how it has disproved the perception that economic development is impossible without strong political systems. On the positive side, Somali globalization has facilitated networks by which remittances are transferred from members of the diaspora back to Somalia and contribute to the funding of crucial health and education services amongst others, and improved social and business communication and travel routes. Globalization has also contributed to the proliferation of Somali arts at home and around the world. Conversely, globalization has had backlash effects in some areas where militant extremists have reacted to globalization by banning Western influences and extremist principles themselves have become globalized, expanding the reach of extremist organizations. The author also points to the diaspora’s loss of traditional culture as a negative effect of globalization.


21

Reference Mohammed, Z. (2011, July 28). Somali Media Rally Behind Famine Relief. Retrieved from http://newamericamedia.org/2011/07/somali-media-rally-behind-famine-relie.php

Source Type Website

Target Audience Public

Geographic Scope United State


N/A

Key Words Somali Community, Somali Media, Famine, International Aid


The famine now ravaging Somalia has stirred vivid memories for members of the Somali community in the United States, many of whom arrived fleeing similar conditions 20 years earlier. As Al-Shabab, the Muslim group that controls much of Somalia’s southern region, turns away international food donors, Somali media here are working to fill the void.

Annotation This news article discusses how given the denial of the need for international famine aid by the extremist group Al-Shabab in control in Southern Somalia, the Somali diaspora media in the United States have stepped up to organize and offer advice on how to effectively donate, for example through remittance organizations, to areas where international aid cannot be given due to security concerns. Concerns over how to reach the dispersed and constrained Somali diaspora in order to inform them of the need at home are being mitigated by radio stations catering to Somali Americans.


22

Reference Olden, A. (1999). Somali Refugees in London: Oral Culture in a Western Information Environment. Libri., 49, 212–224.



Geographic Scope London, U.K.


Interviews

Key Words Somali Community, Oral Culture, Communication, Television, Telephone, Personal Network


Political upheaval and civil war led to hundreds of thousands of Somalis fleeing their country in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some made their way to the United Kingdom. This paper gives an overview of the experiences of these people from an oral culture in a Western information environment. Twenty-five Somalis were interviewed in London. The rationale for their selection is discussed. The research found that Somalis communicate by telephone extensively. Adults who can receive it via satellite dish listen to the BBC Somali Service – broadcast to the Horn of Africa – in London. Young Somalis face problems due to their prior lack of schooling in the rural parts of Somalia and in the refugee camps, and because English is their third or fourth language. Word of mouth is the main way of finding out about study opportunities and jobs. Community associations help single parents with little English. Somali language publications are few. Use of the Internet is common among Somali professionals and university students. Research conducted over a number of years would be of value in assessing adaptation to a new information environment. Research on the information needs and interests of children born to Somali parents in the UK would also be of value.

Annotation The research presented in this article was collected by conducting ethnographic interviews, in English, with a snowballed sample of Somali refugees and two journalists in the Greater London area about their backgrounds and experiences since arriving in London. The author posits that Somali adaptation to Western information environments may be particularly difficult given the transition from the Somali oral tradition to a disabling environment where immigrants cannot speak the language and are often constrained by the information they get from fellow Somalis. Conversely, those Somalis in the UK who are well educated are making the transition to a written communication environment. This study is limited to those Somalis who arrived in the UK as adults and acknowledges the need for future studies to address the unique informational abilities and desires of Somalis born and/or raised in the UK.

Documents

Multicultural Media and the Somali Community OMMI Annotated … · 2014. 6. 19. · a) Somali residents’ attitudes and practices in relation to the arts; and b) Neighborhood arts