The Kenyan government feeds it Islamist radicalization?

Deadly attacks in the Somali neighborhood of Nairobi, death of the Islamic Figure Makaburi Mombasa ... The news of the Islamic group Al-Shabaab in East Africa, was charged this week. According to Roland Marchal, a researcher at CERI Sciences Po and specialist sub-Saharan conflict, the Kenyan government condones the killing of Islamic leaders, giving grist to the radical Shebab ...

Attack of the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi (Kenya), September 2013 - Photo DR Maria Elena / Youtube

 

JOL Press: In light of recent events in Kenya, combined with the terrorist episode of Westgate in September 2013, should consider a new confrontation between Kenyan forces and the Shebab, as was the case in 2011?
 

Roland Marchal:  Since the late 2000s, the Shebab recruited, Somalia, many activists from East Africa. These were militarily trained and fought on Somali territory. The Kenyan intervention in 2011 has dramatically changed the situation.

Since then, a series of incidents was fearing the worst. It occurred after a major crisis within the leadership of the organization in June 2013. At the time, management was strengthened by the involvement of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Was observed once a deliberate policy Shebab, whatever its position inside Somalia to export to the countries of South Africa militia that had formed. It was also able to see the change on the websites of the Shebab, which began to provide much more than Somali Swahili literature. The attack of Westgate was the first effect of this change.

The Kenyan government has real problems vis-à-vis its Muslim minority. A wide peaceful dominant, it is not unified and includes people from the coast, the Somali North Eastern and locals trays. One finger of suspicion that a number of religious leaders in suspected links with Al-Shabaab, are executed on the orders of government, although he denies any responsibility.

The current question is this eradication of the most radical Muslim personalities policy will she kill the problem in the bud or poison?

JOL Press: The Islamist leader called Makaburi killed Tuesday in Kenya, he was part of these targets in the Kenyan government?
 

Roland Marchal:  He was killed on the outskirts of Mombasa, Aboud Rogo Mohammed as another Muslim preacher in 2012. Others will surely follow.

Western embassies in the region also share this concern for the management made by Kenya of religious radicalism. According to them, the Government of Kenya feeds radicalization of certain sectors, particularly on the coast. The minority Initially, these Islamists will acquire on the basis of these murders, repressed or never officially reported.

JOL Press: The activism of Islamists and their current influence in East Africa they require sending forces (NATO, EU ...), as the Seleka in Central and Boko Haram in Nigeria?
 

Roland Marchal:  Activists supporters of terrorist methods are extraordinarily minority.Including among Muslim opposition to the coast, which has claims vis-à-vis the Government of Kenya. This opposition does not advocate a priori, violence and radicalization. But the political "left hand" led by Kenya encouraged to use violence. This radicalization of public opinion on the coast is cultivated by the Shebab militia, who are creating the social basis they lacked.

Boko Haram began as a civil movement. It became a military that from the moment its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed in a police station, by agents of the Nigerian state.

The EU does not see this repressive policy of a very good eye, and seen rather as an indirect agent of radicalization, which legitimizes even terrorism, as a response to state violence.

JOL Press: The Kenyan government can not allow a radical Islamization develop on the coast, especially when we know the vital importance of ports in the Kenyan economy ...
 

Roland Marchal:  can not calm the crowds if you do not understand their claims. Groups from the coast just looking to get politically hear what the Kenyan government responds with a denial and an amalgam between protesters and the Shebab.

The error is dangerous, and recalls that committed by the Americans and the Ethiopians in Somalia in the early 2000s. She finally gave credibility to a small radical group has since become the Shebab, while heavily minority in Somali Islamism, non-violent and incomparable with terrorism.

Why Kenya is not he plays his role of State, namely negotiate with certain segments of public opinion that disagrees with them?

JOL Press: The Rise of Islamist radicalization and influence the Shebab do it depends not just the catastrophic state of Somalia (despite the relative stability of Somaliland)?
 

Roland Marchal:  Somaliland is quiet only because this is the Shebab stability and enables it to logistics, funding ... In addition, the relative safety of Somaliland involves considerable efforts Ethiopians, Americans and Brits! For now, this tripartite interest coincides with the Shebab. The day when this is no longer the case, as in Puntland today, secure postcard that you describe in Somaliland will fall away.

As Somalia has not found unity and territorial sovereignty, the actions of the Shebab and the development of its influence can not be contained. In addition, it should avoid providing arguments Shebab in its policy of regional recruitment.

Interview by Roman Lacoste JOL Press

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Roland Marchal  is a research fellow at the  Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI - Sciences Po)  and conflict specialist in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Kenya: More diplomatic missions opened, including in Somaliland, says Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho

The PS said another consular office will be up and running in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is seeking independence from the war-torn Somalia.

Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho

By Ally Jamah Nairobi, Kenya:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cited expansion of the country’s diplomatic missions as one of its major achievements in the last one year.

While giving the scorecard of the ministry for the last one year, Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said a full embassy had been opened in Algiers, Algeria, while consular offices have been opened in the Somalia port city of Kismayu that is being controlled by the Kenya Defence Forces.

The PS said another consular office will be up and running in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which is seeking independence from the war-torn Somalia. The ministry was also planning to open new embassies in Morocco, Angola, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Egypt and Cuba.

Mr Kibicho said the ministry has diplomatic presence in Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and will open consulates in other major cities of those countries including Lagos, Arusha, Capetown and Goma.

Bilateral trade 

The PS further said the ministry had concluded bilateral trade agreements with Nigeria, China, Angola and Sri Lanka to boost Kenyan exports. He added that the ministry had linked the Kenyan business community with businessmen in Japan, China, Ethiopia and other countries through business-to-business forums. He said the ministry had been able to consolidate Nairobi as an international diplomatic hub that has seen the upgrade of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Kibicho said the ministry had managed to negotiate to have Kenyans placed in key posts in international organisations where they can influence policy for the benefit of the country.

He said the ministry had also established a liaison office to help county governments establish international contacts instead of the devolved units going directly to open offices in foreign countries.

Source: standardmedia.co.ke

OPINION: Welcome to Sheffield

It’s very easy to get caught up in arguments about immigration, or asylum, or refugees.


Simply raising the topic in a debate immediately puts each side on the defensive.

One wishing to extol the virtues of people with differing cultures coming together for the common good and the other tip-toeing around the topic and not wishing to offend while stating the case that left uncontrolled it can cause more problems than it solves.

There’s a third side, of course, which is less thoughtful and doesn’t care about the damage it does to communities when such views are aired.

Yesterday Sheffield City Council became the first local authority in the UK to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state after a motion tabled by Labour Coun Mohammad Maroof was passed by the full council.

Some may say that the council should be debating matters closer to home.

But that would be to misunderstand how the motion came to be.

More than 2,000 signatures had been collected on a petition of support from Sheffield’s Somaliland community.

That is quite a sum of people. It demonstrates the strength of feeling that this is a topic important to a great many people who call this city home.

After World War Two many Somalilanders settled in Sheffield and have contributed greatly to the city.

The same could be true if Syrian refugees begin to arrive in Sheffield as they flee the civil war in their country.

Sheffield MP and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and council leader Julie Dore have been at loggerheads over the terms of whether any refugees will be accepted into Sheffield.

Our ‘City of Sanctuary’ standing is something we can all be proud of and shows, in true Sheffield style, we just get on with life and encourage newcomers to do the same.

The Star is confident that the city will do its bit to help some of the most vulnerable refugees.

Coun Dore and Mr Clegg have clashed for the best of intentions but helping others is in the DNA of Sheffield whether it is Somaliland or Syria.

Italian navy rescues 730 migrants from sea

By Rebecca Walezak

730 migrants were rescued by the Italian navy from two overcrowded boats Wednesday.

According to CNN the boats left North Africa and were heading to Sicily’s Agrigento province. The boats were losing their ability to float in water and none of the passengers had life jackets. There were 124 woman and 29 children total on the boats.

These overcrowded vessels are reportedly common by Sicily. Over 300 deaths have happened due to these shipwrecks. In the last year, over 12,000 illegal migrants were found at the shore of Sicily. According to the European border agency Frontex, they are, in majority, headed to Libya.

Other migrants that have appeared come from Syria, Somalia and Eritrea.

WSJ reports a similar situation in which the Italian navy rescued 1,100 migrants off the shores of Rome. The migrants were also being transported from Africa.

The U.N. refugee agency is trying to determine what is causing the high number of illegal migrants and build legal alternatives for them so dangerous ocean travel is not necessary.

Teen held over missing 'terror' man

A teenager has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a terror suspect who escaped surveillance by dressing in a burka.

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed was last seen fleeing a London mosque in a burkaPA

Anti-terror officers arrested the 17-year-old man this morning on suspicion of conspiring with another to breach measures in a notice issued under the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpim) Act 2011, Scotland Yard said.

The arrest is in connection with the abscond of fugitive Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, who was last seen fleeing a London mosque in women's clothing last November.

Mohamed, who was subject to a Tpim, is understood to have received training and fought overseas for al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based cell of al Qaida that was behind the attack on a mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that killed at least 67.

The 17-year-old, who was arrested by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) at 7am, has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.

Tpims apply restrictions such as curfews, exclusion from certain areas and controlled access to computers to individuals the Home Secretary believes to have engaged in terrorism-related activity but it is not possible to prosecute or deport.

Mohamed was confined to his home overnight for 10 hours, was not allowed to leave Great Britain, was only allowed one bank account and was only permitted to have one mobile, computer and landline among other restrictions.

It emerged he had been allowed to remain on the streets despite being remanded in custody three times for suspected breaches of his Tpim. He was most recently granted bail in August last year, three months before he vanished, following allegations that he had tampered with his electronic monitoring tag.

Tpims expired between January 2 and February 10 for seven out of the 10 men subjected to them, while the remaining three suspects saw their notices revoked as two - Mohamed and Ibrahim Magag - absconded and one is in prison. Magag vanished in a black cab on Boxing Day 2012.

Tpims expire as they have a two-year limit on their use, unlike the terror control orders they replaced in January 2012.

Source: thecourier.co.uk

Somaliland: International recognition of Somaliland will boost its economy

Bottling factory in Somaliland [Abdi Robi and Tanq Tarey]

As African leaders gather in Brussels for the EU-Africa summit, the foreign minister of Somaliland writes that despite substantial help from the EU, the country still faces important economic hurdles on its path to development, which could be remedied partly by international recognition.

Mohamed Yonis is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland.

The fourth EU-Africa summit provides an opportunity to highlight the successes of the valuable partnership between our two regions, as well as future areas for cooperation.

 With the European Union’s support, Somaliland has become an established democracy. It has improved the health, education and general well-being of its citizens.

However the progress we have achieved is at risk. Our peace and stability were hard-won, but they may come under threat without sustained international support to stimulate further economic growth.

 Without international recognition, Somaliland is unable to access financial support we need to grow our economy. We are also denied a seat at the table to discuss issues that will directly affect both Africa and the international community, such as the offer of a new trade deal for the continent.

Nevertheless, Somaliland has worked closely with the EU over many years, and we welcome the continued international support that our continent receives, particularly the increased attention on the Horn of Africa

 Just last year, European donors pledged 1.8 billion euros to end the ongoing conflict at a Brussels conference, declared as a ‘New Deal’ for Somalia.

 In Somaliland, our hope is that a small portion of this generous assistance will help us to cement our stability and increase security, to the benefit of us all.

Within the New Deal, Somaliland was able to protect its independent status through the Somaliland Special Arrangement, ensuring that we are able to maintain complete control of our future, and continue our strong development.

Somaliland has experienced a great deal of progress since declaring independence in 1991. Over the past two decades we have worked hard to create an island of peace in an otherwise difficult region. We have put in place functioning state institutions including police and armed forces. Terrorists find no safe haven within our territory nor do pirates off our coast.

 Since 2000, we have held five national elections, judged by international experts as free and fair, which have seen power transferred peacefully. Our government has introduced free primary education for girls and boys. Progress is being made in reducing child mortality and we are leading the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Horn of Africa.

I cannot put this all down to the indomitable spirit of my people. Without the support of international partners this would have taken longer to achieve.

The EU helped us hold a free and fair election in 2010 by providing substantial technical assistance. In partnership with Kings College Hospital in London, training has been provided to health care professionals. Access to primary education has been bolstered. Somaliland’s Veterinary Code has been developed – crucial in a country in which over two thirds of the population rely on cattle for their livelihoods.

 However, there are many challenges still to overcome. Somaliland remains poor, and while our economy continues to grow, the number of jobs has not kept pace with the number of young people looking for work.

Peace and stability are closely linked to prosperity. In collaboration with the international community, we need to find ways to provide our young people with livelihoods. We want to offer those graduating from our universities stimulating and rewarding employment to prevent both brain drain and illegal immigration, which affects both our continents.

Together, we must concentrate our efforts on helping youth across Africa to fulfil their ambitions and shape a better future for all. If we don’t, we may risk losing all that has been achieved.

In Somaliland, the foundations are in place to attract foreign investment to increase employment opportunities but we need sustained support from our partners to maintain this progress.

Our successes to date show that by working together African governments and the EU can create a more prosperous and peaceful continent.

Nevertheless, our biggest challenge remains. Despite real progress across the board and a history that saw us as part of Somalia for only three decades, we continue to exist in international limbo.

This lack of recognition is a major block to accelerating our development, preventing us accessing international loans, and getting a seat at the table to represent the wishes and the needs of Somaliland’s people.

Source: euractiv.com

‘Gleam of hope’ in strife-torn Somalia

Ayaka Suzuki yoshiaki miura

BY MIZUHO AOKI

While some African countries have made huge strides in terms of peace and security, others are still struggling to find their footing, a U.N. official who monitors development in the region said.

Ayaka Suzuki, 42, deputy director of the Africa I Division of the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations Secretariat in New York, said of the 26 countries her division monitors, Somalia is drawing extra attention as it emerges from 21 years of anarchy and conflict.

“There is a gleam of hope in Somalia,” Suzuki told The Japan Times during her recent trip to Japan to lecture on peace building at Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center.

“For the first time in 21 years, the transition formally ended with the selection of what everybody feels is a legitimate government,” Suzuki said.

“Somalia is the test case of the international community to support the new legitimate government to craft its peace and to form a federal state,” she added.

When civil war broke out in 1991 following the collapse of the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre, Somalia became trapped in a cycle of continuous conflict.

After 21 years of anarchy, Somalia finally held a presidential election in September 2012, won by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former academic, and a new internationally backed government was installed.

Suzuki, whose department advises the U.N. secretary-general on conflict prevention and supports special political missions mandated by the Security Council, said that the U.N. has accompanied the new federal government every step of the way.

The new leadership has received help to address very difficult questions related to constitutional review and support to increase security and the rule of law, she said.

Even so, security remains a huge concern as many rural areas are still under the control of al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants, she said.

“Security is the biggest concern for us in Somalia,” she said.

Last June, al-Shabab gunmen stormed the main office of the U.N. Development Program in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing 22 people. In February, seven Somalis were killed when a bomb targeted at a U.N. convoy went off near the international airport, media reported.

“We are putting a lot of our colleagues’ lives at risk, but this very much felt that if we don’t do this now, the opportunity for Somalia could be lost again for another decade or generation. But right now there is a fighting chance that Somalia can come out of this terrible period,” she said. “Even though it’s a difficult prospect, it’s much more promising now than it was three years ago or many years before.”

Source: japantimes.co.jp

SOMALIA: Somali parliament rejects Turkish company to manage Mogadishu main port

Somali parliament speaker

Muqdisho - Parliament of the Federal government of Somalia rejected a Turkish based company to resume the Management Mogadishu port.

In the 5^th meeting of the fourth session, Somali parliamentarians withdrew their decision consisted of four articles concerning the Main Mogadishu port management affairs.

Among the four articles of this decision includes

1: The federal government not to hand the port management before ensuring whether the handing over agreement is adhering to constitution of the country.

2: To make sure job security for the Somali youth currently working in the port.

Somali federal government of Somalia signed an agreement with Turkish company to take over the management of the main Mogadishu port.

Source: raxanreeb.com

Ethiopia: International Rivers Releases Leaked Copy of the IPE Report on Renaissance Dam

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

For those of you interested to read the IPE report, International Rivers Network, an environmental advocacy group out of California, released the leaked report today. This report is the one released just at the governmental level in May 2013. Out of respect for national interests, all three governments have kept this report out of public view since then.

Again, nothing particularly new in the report - the Ethiopians cooperated and their studies are what the report is based upon, but you can now read for yourselves. The biggest hole that I can see, and I discussed this with my EEPCO and Ministry hosts in Ethiopia at the time, is the lack of rigorous environmental baseline investigation - ecosystems - what is there that will be lost (are there Abyssinian lions?) and how the Blue Nile basin, as a total system, will be managed as a holistic system for soil conservation to reduce erosion of fertile topsoil, for biodiversity, for many things not addressed yet.

IRN gives their ideas and concerns in the article (also pasted below).

GERD Panel of Experts Report: Big Questions Remain

Construction on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam(GERD) – Africa’s biggest hydropower dam – began based on piecemeal preliminary studies and design documents, with only a very basic analysis of how the project would affect downstream neighbors, according to the 2013 final report by an international panel of experts established to evaluate the scheme. The megadam is being built on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, near the Sudan border, and has created conflict with Egypt over its downstream impacts; the experts' study confirms Egypt’s concerns that the project’s impacts could be significant and are not well understood.

The Ethiopian government reported last year that the panel’s report “showed that the Dam offers high benefit for all the three countries and would not cause significant harm on both the lower riparian countries”, while Egypt has repeatedly said the report calls for more analysis of downstream impacts. Because the report was not made public, neither side could be vetted. Egypt has called for mediation if further studies are not allowed; at this writing, Ethiopia had refused, and was continuing with dam construction. 

In March 2014, International Rivers received a leaked copy of the report.  The report documents numerous problems with existing analysis and a lack of analysis on a number of critical issues. The panel recommends further investigation into the dam’s hydrological impacts, including on downstream countries’ water supplies and power generation; risks from climate change, and geotechnical issues. The panel recommends “a full transboundary environmental and social impact assessment … conducted jointly by the three countries.”

The 10-member panel included two members from each of the three riparians (Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan), plus four international experts agreed upon by the governments. A geotechnical expert group was added later. The main panel met for about a year, and had four field visits to the dam site. While the panel's members were granted access to many key project documents (all of which remain confidential at this time), some key reports were not shared with them, including the critical geotechnical assessments for the main and saddle dams, and project cost-benefit analyses. 

One international dam expert who has seen the report states that it shows that construction on the project is proceeding on “an aggressively accelerated schedule” with little room for adjusting key elements of dam design to reduce harm or prevent problems. A number of key studies for the project are described by the panel as being outdated or in process. While references are made to some specific international standards being adhered to, overall, the process described seems chaotic and incomplete. It is also clear that there is precious little oversight on Africa’s largest dam project to date. While the international panel has brought a type of oversight, it may be too little, too late – and with too little teeth; it seems the panel does not have a continuing role in ensuring best practices as construction proceeds.

The panel’s report is almost a year old at this writing, yet its members have been mostly silent since their report was completed (as far as we know, none of the panelists have made public statements about the project). The Egyptian and Ethiopian governments continue the war of words, while at the same time construction on the megadam proceeds, and questions raised by the panel remain unanswered. 

Going forward, International Rivers recommends construction on the project be halteduntil all necessary studies recommended by the panel are completed, and a process is in place for ensuring public accountability on the project. Given the panel's findings, Egypt’s call for mediation in the process is reasonable, and donor governments and international bodies should support such a process.

The following summarizes some of the panel’s key findings and recommendations: 

• Quality of project documents: The present design criteria are “quite general, and do not include project- and site-specific conditions … The most essential geotechnical, seismological, hydro-geological, hydrological, hydraulic and structural design data should be compiled into a consolidated report and not scattered in numerous design reports.” The project’s main design report is outdated and does not reflect numerous and significant design changes to the project. 

• Safety: “The stability of the main dam and other main structures should be verified under consideration of additional geological and geotechnical findings.”  The panel believes more analysis may be necessary, but without having access to all information on this aspect of the project, cannot be sure. Nonetheless, they do question some assumptions on the project’s “shear strength” and raise concerns about sliding, seepage and other safety issues. “In view of the on-going construction works . . . highest priority shall be given to clarify [dam safety issues] as soon as possible. Structural measures might be needed to stabilize the foundation to achieve the required safety against sliding.” The panel also suggests design modifications for the saddle dam and further studies on the spillway dimensions. The panel recommends that the discharge of the “Probable Maximum Flood” used in the dam design be increased.

• Downstream changes to water flow: First and foremost, “The (hydrological study) is very basic, and not yet at a level of detail, sophistication and reliability that would befit a development of this magnitude, importance and with such regional impact as GERD.” Project studies looked only at the GERD site. “No upstream developments are taken into account, and no downstream flow records … are given as would be needed to assess downstream impacts.” The panel notes that, “given the proposed upstream cascade development of similar magnitude than the GERD, the upstream flow records could be of significant importance.” The panel notes that the hydrological report uses questionable estimates of evaporation from the reservoir (a key issue in how much water the dam will “use”), and recommends further assessments of evaporation. It also notes that the project did not quantify water losses through deep percolation during reservoir filling. Regarding GERD's impact on Egypt's water supply, the panel found that “mass balances represented in the report of water between the GERD and the High Aswan Dam could not be reconciled given the information presented.” The GERD also allows for greater expansion of irrigated cropping in Sudan, which could further reduce flows to Egypt; the panel recommends a detailed study on this issue. 

• Environmental impacts: Surprisingly little information is included on impacts on local people, ecosystems, fisheries or biodiversity. The official Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report was “strictly limited to the impact zones located upstream of the dam site in Ethiopia.” Downstream environmental impacts were not considered as being significant, and therefore several related socio-economic impacts are not addressed. Dam height was chosen without consideration of downstream environmental and socio-economic impacts. The panel recommends a full transboundary impact assessment be done. 

• Climate risks: The panel notes that the project did not assess the project’s sensitivity to climate change. A project of this scale and with such heavy reliance on rainfall patterns requires a better understanding of future hydrologic conditions to ensure the highest degree of flexibility and resiliency in its design and operation. The panel recommends a study that looks at the potential influence of climate change on the flow regime at GERD and further downstream. 

• Sediment and water quality issues: The project did not include an analysis of sediment deposition in the reservoir (a troublesome issue for dams on the muddy Nile). The panel notes that sediment flows downstream of the dam will be substantially reduced, with implications for floodplain farming productivity, navigation, Sudan’s brick industry, riverbank erosion, and biodiversity. The panel also recommends additional studies on water quality changes from the project, particularly on methane gas production and the depletion of dissolved oxygen levels in water releases that could harm fisheries and biodiversity downstream.

• Dam operations: Very little information on how the dam will be operated was given. At a basic level, both present and future needs for “peaking power versus base power needs to be assessed in more detail,” and “needs to be taken into account in (project) planning and sizing.” The report requests verification of the 6,000MW installed capacity. Furthermore, the Panel does not indicate if the dam was designed in a way to accommodate “environmental flows” (which can be used to mitigate impacts of a dam on a river). In all likelihood this was not considered as the panel writes that "it is not clear whether the present design considers (capacity, functionality) the minimum mean flows of the dry months release to the downstream countries” without use of power generation facilities or the spillway.  It is also clear that consideration of operation of the GERD in coordination with water systems in Egypt and Sudan was at a very preliminary stage during the writing of this report. The report strongly recommends additional studies of the GERD “in the context of the Eastern Nile System” in order to “quantify the downstream impacts in detail with confidence.”

Referendum: More than four million people are registered to vote in Scotland ahead of September's independence referendum

ELECTORAL Commission bosses say the figures reflect hard work put in by registration officers and the importance of the vote.

Blair Jenkins, Chief Executive of the pro-Scottish independence Yes Scotland campaign.

• By Crystal Chung

MORE than four million people are registered to vote in Scotland, elections watchdogs have confirmed.

Ahead of September's independence referendum, the Electoral Commission said there are now just over 4.1 million people who are on the electoral register.

People have until September 2 to sign up to the register if they want to have a say in the referendum, which will be held on Thursday September 18.

Andy O'Neill, the head of the Commission's Scotland office, said the figure showed the "hard work already put in" by electoral registration officers (EROs).

But he stressed: "That hard work doesn't stop now. EROs will continue to encourage as many people who are eligible to register to take action and get themselves registered before the 2 September deadline in order to take part at the referendum.

"The Commission will support EROs' activities by launching a public awareness campaign in the summer reminding people that the only way to vote at the referendum is to be on the register."

Yes Scotland chief executive Blair Jenkins said: "The drive to encourage as many people as possible in Scotland to register to vote on September 18 is a key part of our independence campaign. Every single one of us can make a difference this year. It is particularly important for our young people who have most at stake in the future of Scotland."

Sarah-Jane Walls, Yes Scotland's operations manager, said: "Referendum day is a landmark in Scotland's history when the eyes of the world will be upon us. Ensuring the highest possible turnout is vital to our whole democratic tradition.

"Imagine the regret about not taking part in such a monumental decision. And that is why we are appealing to everyone who is entitled to vote to make sure they don't forgo this amazing opportunity to help shape our country's future."

Source: dailyrecord.co.uk

Four Sullivan educators raising funds for Somali trip

Pictured: James Kindle, Laura Byard, Kaitlin Lindsey, Ayan Mohamed

Posted by: Steve Brandt 

Two days after the end of school in June, four Minneapolis educators plan to head off to a different kind of summer school.

Three teachers and a Somali-born bilingual aide from Anne Sullivan Communication Center plan to fly to Somalia in a quest to better understand the background and educational needs of Somali-American students who make up 60 percent of the school’s enrollment.

They’ve raised $10,000 of the planned trip’s budget, but still have $6,000 to raise. They’veestablished a web site where they’re appealing to the public for donations.

The belief giving rise to their travel is that they can better understand the needs of their students if they have a chance to learn more about the culture from which they spring. About 30 percent of Sullivan students are refugees.   

The four travelers are associate educator Ayan Mohamed, who was born in Somalia, and teachers Kaitlin Lindsey, James Kindle and Laura Byard.  All four work with English learner students at Sullivan.

Their two-week itinerary includes school and home visits in Somalia, Ethiopia and possibly Djibouti. They’re hoping that a deeper knowledge of Somali language and culture will help them build stronger relationships with their students and their families.

They're building on connections gained through Mohamed and her extended family.  She left Somalia at age 10 and will return for the first time at age 32. She's working as an associate educator at Sullivan while pursuing licensure to teach English learner students, which she expects to obtain this year.

Besides improving their own teaching, the Sullivan travelers plan to create what they’ve dubbed a Somali Newcomer Toolbox for other teachers. It will include a summary of their travel blog, sharing assumptions that were challenged and insights they gained; a visual presentation of recommended changes in teaching to benefit Somali students;a database of still and video images that teacher can use to make learning materials more relevant to Somali-American students, and adaptations of standard district curriculum to connect better with those students. They also plan presentations for Minneapolis teachers before school opens next August, and one the following spring for other Minnesota English learner teachers.

The educators already have invested considerable time in trying to become more competent in teaching refugee students. Three are enrolled in a Somali language and culture course. They visit student homes to build ties with families. They’ve independently studied Somali literature.

The major funding for the trip comes from a $10,000 grant obtained through AchieveMpls, the local administrator for the national Fund for Teachers. 

Source: startribune.com