Books for Peace
One of the most magical weeks of my life
was the one I spent at the Hargeisa International Book Fair in July 2012. Like many
things in Somaliland, I found it delightful, surprising and inspiring, a bit like
opening a box of secret treasures.
I have chosen to write about the book fair
because, in many ways, it represents in microcosm many of the good things about
Somaliland. It also shows how challenges can be overcome because the very idea
of holding such an event in Somaliland requires courage, imagination and
determination.
When I wrote a blog post about the fair, a
journalist from a respected international publication asked if I was joking, if
I had made the whole thing up. For many outsiders, the idea of a book fair on
Somali territory is impossible to imagine because for them the word ‘Somali’ is
associated with piracy, terrorism, war and famine. Somaliland suffers from a
similar image problem; most people don’t know it exists, and have no idea that
it is relatively peaceful, with a functioning economy, society and political
system.
Contributors to this book were asked to
touch on some of twenty themes offered for discussion. They ranged from the
environment to women’s empowerment, from youth employment to heritage and
culture, from the diaspora to diplomacy. As I went through the list, I realised
the Hargeisa International Book Fair embodied almost all of them.
One of my favourite sessions at the fair was
the one entitled ‘The Future of Our Environment’. The environmental campaigner,
Amina-Milgo Mahamud, showed us a film about how chopping down trees for
charcoal is wrecking the Somali environment. There was a speech by the
environmentalist, Ahmed Elmi, who looked quite the part with his enormous white
beard and white cloth hat.
At the fair, I bought a wonderful book,
written in English and Somali, called Environment
in Crisis: Selected Essays with a Focus on the Somali Environment. I read
about the precious resources of Somaliland, including the Zizyphus Tree, whose fruit
makes a nourishing drink and whose leaves are used to make shampoo and face
masks. The chapter started with a Somali proverb:
There
is a big Zizyphus tree on the surface of the moon with leaves matching, at any
given point of time, with the number of living people on the planet. When a
baby is born, the tree brings forth a new leaf and when a person dies, his or
her leaf withers away and falls from the tree.
I also read a chapter called ‘Me and My
Toothbrush Tree’ about the Caday tree whose twigs are used to clean the teeth
and freshen the breath. The next chapter was about Maydh Island, situated off
the coast of Somaliland, which is rich in birdlife. I learned about the Dragon’s
Blood Tree, which is so resilient that it can even grow out of vertical cliff
faces. It gets its name from its red resin, which is used as lipstick, medicine
and, to this day, as a varnish for violins.
The theme of ‘women’s empowerment’ was much
in evidence as the book fair gave women more public space than they usually
have in Somali society. Many of the presentations were by women, and several of
the most intelligent questions and comments came from young women in the
audience, who are often marginalised in Somali public life. Women also played a
major role in activities taking place outside the main hall, selling books,
refreshments, Somali handicrafts and clothes.
The Somali youth also had their day in the
sun. Enthusiastic young members of book clubs from all over Somaliland were
given the stage, as were young singers, dancers and actors. The Hargeisa
International Book Fair was far more than just a book fair – there was also poetry,
music, song, dance, theatre and more.
There was such enthusiasm for the fair
that, from day one, there were far too many people to fit inside the large hall
where the presentations were held. The organisers showed a typically Somali innovative
spirit, technological know-how and ability to think on their feet by
immediately setting up large screens outside the hall so people could see and
hear what was going on inside.
The fact that so many young people came to
the book fair revealed not only a thirst for knowledge, but also highlighted the
lack of activity and entertainment for the youth of Somaliland. Being young and
having nothing to do can be a dangerous combination. Just a few hundred
kilometres to the south Hargeisa, many young Somalis were finding distraction
by taking up arms and joining the various militia groups tearing apart Somalia.
I found myself thinking of this as I
watched boys, dressed in animal print costumes, sailing through the air, forming
giant human pyramids and throwing fire. They were members of the Somaliland
Circus, which performed on the last day of the fair. They were the same age as
those being forcibly recruited into the Islamist Al Shabaab movement and other
armed groups, across the borders in Somalia.
The book fair, which by 2012 was in its
fifth year, is the brainchild of the publisher, mathematician, computer analyst
and inventor, Jama Musse Jama, who is based in Italy. As well as trying to
revive Somali cultural life, much of which was destroyed by the long years of
conflict, Jama says he also started the book fair for the youth:
“At the end of the day, I did it for
young Somalis. Literature and culture give young people a wonderful way of
growing up, and allow them to make their minds up for themselves. The book fair
offers the Somali youth an alternative to guns; it gives them a platform to
come together and express themselves. It helps fills the vacuum left behind after
the war.”
Like so much in Somaliland, the book fair
only works because of volunteers, from those who give their time to plan and
organise the events, to the contributors who fly in from abroad. Young Somali
volunteers ran the book stalls with great professionalism, writing out a neat
receipt for every purchase. I ended up with many such receipts, as I could not
resist the books on sale. Among my purchases were a trilingual Physics book, in
Somali, English and Arabic, Somali translations of Anton Chekhov’s short stories
and George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and a book called ‘Somalis do not Lie in
Proverbs’, which was launched at the fair by the Russian Somali expert, Georgi
Kapchits.
The Somali diaspora plays a prominent role
in the book fair. Many of the organisers are based in Europe, and several of
the speakers came from abroad, including the London-based author, Nadifa
Mohamed, and the famous Somali poet, Said Salah, who is based in Minneapolis.
Much has been written about how the
diaspora helps Somaliland economically, mainly through remittances. But the
involvement of the diaspora in the book fair adds another dimension, showing
how the global Somali community can enhance cultural life in Somaliland.
However, the diaspora can also play a negative role by meddling destructively
in politics from abroad, or running irresponsible media operations.
‘Those who stayed behind’ sometimes feel
resentful towards members of the Somaliland diaspora who jet in from overseas
to take up political posts or flash their money around during the summer
holidays. But such feelings were not much in evidence at the book fair, when
both ‘sides’ seemed to bring out the best in each other. As one of the main
organisers of the fair, London-based Ayan Mahamoud, explains:
“The
diaspora has both something to give to and something to learn from the book
fair and Somaliland in general. We members of the diaspora should be humble
enough to learn from those who have worked harder than us and have done the
legwork. We are there to give people a platform to determine their own future,
to bring together youth groups, women activists and members of the diaspora,
who usually work in isolation from each other. The book fair brings together
youth from different regions of Somaliland so they can learn from each other.”
The passionate engagement of the diaspora
in the fair and other activities, and the amount of time it spends in
Somaliland, suggests the word ‘diaspora’ is in some ways misleading in the
Somali case, as so many people have a foot permanently in both worlds.
The book fair plays a significant
diplomatic role for Somaliland. Jama Musse Jama says it is a good advertisement
for the territory because it “shows that Somaliland exits and that Somaliland
is cool”. The 2012 fair was treated to a surprise visit by the British
ambassador to Somalia, Matt Baugh, and other senior European diplomats. Mr
Baugh could not hide his delight as he listened to the presentations and wandered
around the stalls. Security was discreet, a sharp contrast to the armoured
vehicles and heavily-armed bodyguards he is used to in Mogadishu. The
ambassador’s smile turned to slight embarrassment when he was presented with a
huge Somaliland flag; Britain, like all other countries in the world, does not
recognise Somaliland as an independent nation.
It was not only foreign diplomats who came
to the fair. Other foreigners also took part, including an editor from Penguin
Books, Helen Conford and the Korean-Brazilian film-maker, Iara Lee.
Helen Conford:
“When I arrived in Somaliland it didn't feel
much like London (beside the
numerous English accents on the plane) but the
Hargeisa Book Fair feltjust like the best Book Fairs and Literary
Festivals I've attended. Iwas struck by the range of publishing and the palpable
energy aroundculture; the mix of events and live
performances, authors and debate. Itwas very professional - in the best sense of the
word - and exhilaratingto be a part of.”
For the jazz clarinetist from New Orleans,
Evan Christopher, who played with the ‘King of the Somali lute’, Hudaydi, his
trip to Somaliland was the first he had ever made to Africa:
“In
America, most people don’t know what Somaliland is, let alone where it is. The
country is much greener than I expected. I thought it would be a desert! I
didn’t expect to find so many similarities between the culture of Somaliland
and the culture of New Orleans. It’s strange but both locales are dealing with
a large exodus after, in our case, the devastating flooding or our city, and, in
the case of Somaliland, of war. But, remarkably, in terms of the role of
culture in the rebuilding process, I have found a lot of similarities.
The book fair has led to constructive
dialogue and idea-sharing between Somaliland and Somalia, despite the often
tense and unresolved relations between the two territories. The director of the
Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, Abdi Aynte, has been to
the Hargeisa book fair twice, and was so inspired that he wants to try out the same
thing in Mogadishu:
“The
message I got from the events was that of peace, prosperity and civility. As I
returned to my native city of Mogadishu after almost 20 years in the diaspora
to start a think tank, I thought that a book fair would restore the cultural
prowess of the Somali capital, and would promote a culture of learning and
inquiry. More importantly, the book fair would contribute to the peacebuilding
efforts, and would create a platform for civil discourse and engagement.”
As the title of this book suggests,
Somaliland is at a crossroads. With so much international attention, time, manpower
and money being focused on Mogadishu and other parts of southern and central
Somalia, the issue of Somaliland risks being pushed into the backs of people’s
minds.
There does not seem to be much room for
manoeuvre in terms of its status. The new president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud, has said unequivocally that he believes in the unity of Somalia, and
that this includes Somaliland. Somaliland, however, says its independence is
non-negotiable.
Somaliland is under increased risk from Al
Shabaab, which has moved northwards after withdrawing from many of its southern
strongholds in Somalia. In January 2013, Britain urged British citizens to
leave Somaliland, warning of a ‘specific threat’ against Westerners. The
warning has already had an impact, with some Westerners leaving Somaliland or
cancelling planned visits to the territory. Even if the ‘specific threat’ never
materialises, the warning in itself has done significant damage to Somaliland’s
reputation, which has for many years been considered to be the safest part of
Somali territory.
Somaliland is also at a crossroads in terms
of its domestic politics. The government in 2012 took the bold step of further
opening up the democratic space by allowing more political parties to compete
in local elections, with the winning three allowed to contest national polls.
This resulted in a clan-related violence and a number of deaths, showing the
vulnerability of the political situation.
Somaliland is facing a new set of
challenges, but it has faced numerous obstacles before. The theme of the 2013 book
fair is ‘The Journey’, and Somaliland’s journey over the next few years is
likely to be difficult, but not impossible. The book fair shows how much people
can achieve with a little money and a lot of passion, imagination and
commitment. In this way, it resembles Somaliland, which in a space of just 20
years has built itself up from the rubble of war into a functioning polity. It
also shows what a crucial role art, literature and culture play in society, not
just as a form of entertainment, but in the case of Somaliland, offering an
alternative vision and choice to violence.
