NATIONAL SOMALI BANTU PROJECT

Somali Bantus in the USA, Breaking Free of the Past: Accessing Opportunity and Achieving the American Dream.

The National Somali Bantu workshop was held on August 15, 2008 at Holiday Inn in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme of the workshop was Somali Bantus in the USA, Breaking Free of the Past: Accessing Opportunity and Achieving the American Dream. The workshops were held from August 15th to 17th. More than seventy participants attended these workshops including community leaders, members from women organizations, scholars, educators, social workers, and many others. A representative from the Louisville Mayer's office opened the workshops by welcoming all participants to the city. After the opening Mr. Tom Goissi from the Office of Refugee Resettlement also made some opening remarks. Another participant who opened the event was Jennifer L. O.Brien, a Kentucky Refugee Health Coordinator.

The keynote speaker of these workshops was Prof. Catherine Besteman from Colby College's Department of Anthropology. Apart from the government officials, there were also a number of professors from different universities who spoke to participants, giving them advice on the best ways to succeed in the USA. The first day of the workshops were led by Prof. Omar A. Eno, director of the National Somali Bantu Project (NSBP) and Mr. Dan Van Lehman, co-director of NSBP. They explained to the participants the main purpose of these workshops and the outcome that they are expecting. The principle objective of these workshops was to further enable the Somali Bantu refugees to successfully integrate into the American society by helping themselves through a national network of CBOs. These workshops facilitated the transition of national Somali Bantu support away from service providers and onto the Somali Bantu leaders, who represent 15,000 refugees in approximately 40 cities in the US.

On the Second day of the workshops there were several panels, the first two panels were Social Experiences in Somalia and in the Diaspora, which was presented by Dr. Mohamed Abdulkadir Eno from ADNOC Technical Institute in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Ahmed M. Keynan from The Somali International Minorities of America (SIMA), Mr. Rasheed Farah from San Diego Unified School District and, Mr. Abanoor Saidi from the Somali Banaderi Community. The other panel was Working Towards Successful Future in the Diaspora, which was presented by Prof. Abdi I. Samatar from University of Minnesota, Prof. Abdi M. Kusow from Oakland University Rochester, and Prof. Hassan O. Mahadallah from Southern University Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Apart from aforementioned panels there are also other important panels which talked about Trauma Counseling for Children & Parents presented by Susan Rhema, LCSW, and Psychotherapy/Consultant. Empowerment and Self Sufficiency that was presented by Cheryl Hamilton, Immigrant Integration Consultant, Education & Literacy Improvement on Both Children & Adults that was presented by Julie Ross Scoskie, Director of Adult and Continuing Education Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Kentucky. Other Panels were about Citizenship, Green-Cards and Family & Social Issues presented by Geoff Verderosa and the last one was Organizational Capacity Building presented by Daniel Krotz and Dr. Barbara Eiswerth. The final day of the workshops was elections day for Somali Bantus to elect a national leader and they elected Mr. Ali Hussein Sheikh, from Portland, Oregon. They also elected the vice president Mr. Abdulkadir Yusuf from Buffalo, New York as well as council members to lead Somali Bantu communities in the USA and successful integration.

Prof. Abdi I Samatar presenting National Somali Bantu Workshops at Louisville, Kentucky	National Somali Bantu Project Director Prof. Omar A. Eno facilitating National Somali Bantu Workshops at Louisville, Kentucky
Mr. Abanoor Saidi from Somali Banadiri Community listening one of the presenters at National Somali Bantu Workshops
Mr. Rashed Farah San Diego Unified School District presenting at National Somali Bantu Workshops	Mr. Ahmed M. Keyna from Somali International Minorities of America presenting at National Somali Bantu Workshops
Mr. Rashed Farah San Diego Unified School District presenting at National Somali Bantu Workshops	Dr. Mohamed A. Eno and Dr. Catherine Besteman at National Somali Bantu Workshops
Mrs. Dowlay A. Mohamed and Dr. Barbara at National Somali Bantu Workshops	Dr. Mohamed A. Eno chatting with participants at National Somali Bantu Workshops