LooL The guy went beserk! Originally posted by Ibtisam: with the exception of North, who just needs a football to complete his look. lool Edit I was never there!

It only takes a little effort dear. I know how busy we all get in our lives but something needs to be done and we (been there, done that and bought the T-shirt) are the last option. If kids see and talk to people who have graduated and are now working on a regular basis that will give the drive they need to succeed. I would hate to think what the situation would be in 10 years time if nothing is done. Ibti, I know but how do you get parents to get to that stage. If know what is expected of their kids this year and next, what they need to achieve and how, they may just wake up and smell the coffee and that what you all need to do through informative Sat afternoon workshops at the local centres/mosques etc. It really doesnt take much of an effort if you all pull together.

When I see a drunk Somali I feel ashamed and I'm sure alot of other people do. Is it about how others will perceive Somalis? I suppose it is but when you're a minority in a country you feel like the majority will judge by what they see. Who know he could actually turn out a good example but I wouldnt hold my breath.

^^The action is with you dear. If parents are not informed, inform them. Lily, Forget those good for nothing people. I don't think the schemes they are running has any relation or is geared towards bridging the 'grades gap'. New schemes should be set up by people who KNOW what is needed seperately and use those centres as a base for talks, presentations, home work clubs etc.

It is time ya jamaaca. Something really needs to be done about the lack of educational accomplishment amongst our younger generation. There are many ways of getting the right support from local authorities and there are many ways of informing both parents and kids of how the educational system works, how best to achieve good grades, research tips etc which can all be conducted at the local community centres during the week. I'm aware of the good work by some SOLers and the good intentions of everyone but I think the situation is critical now. Kids just prod along day in and day out without any hope because there is no one there for them to look up to and provide that little bit of support when needed. Thats all it takes a little help. If any of you have any info on local initiatives please post them up. If we can help in anyway let us know but the onous is on you my dear friends. The young ones need as much support as they can get and what better examples/role models than you smelly lot? Adrift in the UKThousands of Somalis have come to Britain to seek a better life. The government is doing too little to help them integrate Jeremy Sare guardian.co.uk, Thursday June 5 2008 What does it feel like to lose your country? We read almost daily of the mayhem and spiralling violence in Somalia. But what of Somalis living in Britain? There are perhaps 250,000 British Somalis and asylum seekers living in London, Liverpool, Cardiff and Bristol and elsewhere, but they are almost an invisible minority. Despite the immense harm caused by this continuing social dislocation, little is being done by government to overcome it. The social exclusion of British Somalis is unparalleled and mirrors the isolation of Somalia itself. Unemployment is high and educational attainment is the lowest among ethnic minority groups. Culturally the Somalis are barely noticeable; there are very few festivals, little radio and only a handful of Somali restaurants. The reasons for the lack of culture and social participation of Somalis in 21st century Britain is, at least in part, subliminal. When any group emigrates in adversity, it holds on to cheering images of the old country. However, such is the extreme physical and structural devastation of Somalia, that the memories and longing are for a place which, effectively, no longer exists. This underlying psychological sense of loss, compounded by the traumatic experiences of war, has resulted in a collective withdrawal from active society. Ministers have referred ad nauseam to making a priority of social cohesion and countering any emerging extremism in Muslim communities. However, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) admits it ran "no specific programmes for the Somali community". It is not surprising there is no coherent policy or national strategy when responsibility is spread across the Cabinet Office, Home Office, Foreign Office and DCLG. It was hardly helpful to social cohesion for the government to announce last year the introduction of charges for asylum seekers who take English classes - a decision the Refugee Council described as "astonishing". The figures for educational attainment of Somali students are shameful for a government which prides itself on its commitment to equal opportunities. A survey in south London in 2006 showed just 33% of Somali students passed five GCSEs, compared with 59% for students from other African communities and 80% for Chinese students. If you combine the abysmal unemployment figures for Somali men (IPPR estimates this to be 65%) with substance abuse and growing domestic violence then the picture of social dysfunction is complete. The government's patriarchal approach of "treating everyone the same" is clearly wrong-headed and ineffectual. It needn't be this way. A recent study from Lambeth council showed that addressing the specific needs of the Somali community resulted in an extraordinary turnaround of GCSE results amongst Somali students. In one school, the numbers achieving five or more A* to C grades rose from 27% in 1994 to 100% in 2007. The council attributed the success of the programme to "a concerted attempt to reach out to parents, to overcome the language barrier and their lack of knowledge of the educational system". George Galloway, as Respect MP for Tower Hamlets, agreed with me that the government has not set out specific planning for the Somali community. Galloway's constituency has a Somali population estimated at 10,000 and he is very familiar with the plight of the community. "The government assumed a decade ago Somalia would be stabilised and it would be able to deport people back there. Couple that with the systematic attacks on the welfare state of the last two decades and you have a picture that is very different from the 1960s when the main immigrant communities were from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent. The government needs to recognise the Somali community is a resource to this country, not a problematic burden". With participation comes greater visibility but young Somalis lack the necessary role models. Mohammed Ali Mahmood, Britain's first Somali councillor, was elected in 2004 for the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool. He told me of his community's experience of disengagement and alienation. He was dismissive of Somalis making any kind of breakthrough in terms of political representation similar to Asian and African-Caribbean communities. "Somalis discuss politics more than most people and are very knowledgeable about current affairs but the political parties do little to encourage our participation." Ali has also suffered his fair share of plain old-fashioned racism from the establishment. He was delighted to be invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party soon after his election. "It was a big thrill for us. But when my wife and I tried to get through the entrance gate, the police reacted like we were al-Qaida." It's self-evident that Somalia re-establishing its own government and civil society would give the community here more hope and purpose but at present there is no prospect of that. In the last few weeks, the intense fighting in the capital of Mogadishu has forced much of the population out of the city to become refugees in their own country. The social and cultural isolation of British Somalis continues; the process of integration and finding a voice for their community is slow and is happening in spite of government efforts and not because of them http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/05/immigration.immigrationpolicy?gusrc=rss&feed=wor ldnews ps read the comments

Somalis express mixed views on peace talks in Djibouti by Abdurrahman Warsameh MOGADISHU, June 4 (Xinhua) -- "I hope and pray that the talks in Djibouti end in agreement between the government and the opposition so that we can once again live in peace and harmony," said Sirad Hassan, a young mother of two. Responding to Somali peace talks in Djibouti, Hassan said "We are really tired of this senseless and endless war. Enough is enough." Most people in the Somali capital Mogadishu have high hopes of the ongoing UN sponsored talks between the transitional government and leaders of the opposition, the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS). The second round of the talks has started this week. But some have their fears that the talks could go down the pathof the previous peace conferences held before for the warring factions of the near two decades of civil conflict. Harun Isse is a senior Somali citizen who has witnessed the 18 years of civil strife in Somalia and has seen the 14 other peace conferences held before, which failed to bring long lasting peace in the war-torn Horn of Africa nation. "The main problem in all these so called peace talks was that ordinary people's views were never taken into consideration," Isse told Xinhua. "The problem with these talks is that the mediators do not want to address the real issue which is the Ethiopian troops' presence in Somalia." Isse says if the Ethiopian troops do not withdraw from Somalia, people will always have pretext to continue the fighting because, he said, they believe they are fighting against an occupying force. The opposition members taking part in the Djibouti talks are not meeting face-to-face with government representatives with UN mediators shuttling between the two sides. The opposition leaders argue that they will not talk directly with the Somali transitional government until the government side agrees to a time-table for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. Ethiopian troops have crossed into Somalia late last year to help the Somali government oust an Islamist administration that had been in control in much of southern and central Somalia. Fighters of the Islamist group have since been waging relentless guerilla attacks against Ethiopian troops and Somali government forces and officials. Nearly daily attacks punctuated by roadside bombs, suicide car bombs and flare-ups of gunfights in the coastal Somali capital and other parts of the country, have become order of the day in the country. Thousands of people mostly civilians have either been killed, wounded or displaced from their homes as a result of the 18 month confrontation between joint forces of Ethiopian and Somali troops and insurgent fighters. The talks in Djibouti are boycotted by hard-line groups within the ARS and the armed Al-shabaab Islamist group. They say they will not negotiate with the transitional government as long as Ethiopian troops and other foreign forces are in Somali soil. "I am really very pessimistic about the outcome of the talks in Djibouti since it is not participated by all the warring sides in Somalia," Faisal Hussien, a young technician in Mogadishu told Xinhua. "Even if those attending (the talks) do come to an agreement, there will be others continue fighting because foreign forces are in the country." Hussien said as long as Ethiopian troops, seen as a historic enemy, are in Somalia there will be no hope for stability in the country. People in the capital follow the news of the ups and downs of the Djibouti talks and do freely debate the diverging positions held by the different sides in Somalia conflict. It is usual to see groups at tea shops listening to the news on the local radios' hourly newscasts and discussing the latest developments. Kulmiye Saeed, a Mogadishu resident, who was optimistic about the talks, said the fact that the two sides are willing to talk even through the UN is something that all should welcome. "Like they say the journey of thousand miles starts with one step, so this may be the first step to a comprehensive peace conference that might lead to the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops and the cessation of hostility and heralding of brotherhood and harmony among Somalis," said Saeed, as he sipped his cup of coffeeat a café in south Mogadishu. "Peace and prosperity is possible in our beloved country of Somalia," he said. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/04/content_8313207.htm

Subxanallah. What makes someone think he could do that in the first place? Where is Ngonge when you need him? Translate what the shouts of the cameraman were saxib.

Originally posted by NinBrown: not again...does anyone remember the last one...they should at least get a decent person to take part....Norf are you up for it mate. I would only get evicted on the first day for not mincing my words

Guess what. I'm watching game 1 of the Finals LIVE! I can't remember the last I did that. I'm talking at least 10 years! Its usually re-runs I watch due to time the difference. Go BOSTON!!!! Sorry PM

Diplomacy 101 ya Dukey

Now tell me If I or indeed Lander support the current SL admin Focus son and stick to the topic. The switching attention to SL is now predictable and boring. I know you have nothing else to offer laakin baliis try. Surprise me. I'm sure you have more up stairs or are all the rooms empty

Originally posted by Naden: He may be forgiven for drinking and being a slut but the angels of hell are sharpening their forks over his age lie. Twenty three, my foot. He looks like he's on the lumpy side of 30. 23? Is that whats on his profile? Add another 10 and you might be close.

Gibberish as usual.

We will have to instigate his early departure reer UKow!

I suppose you have to be unstable and 'up for it' to get on the show. I hope he gets voted out first. A bit campaign from reer UK to phone in next week should do it.

Ma kanaa Somali'a? Job Title is 'Toy demonstrator'. What is that lol?

^^So this is confirmed?? Can't see the pic

They say one contestent is a Muslim on the website. If he is Somali I really hope its a positive individual and not mid lumay.

Are you guys serious?

A good read Agnostic about atheism Tracy Quan guardian.co.uk, Monday May 26 2008 Article history Article historyAlbert Einstein's letter, containing a short rant about God and the Bible, sold recently for 25 times its expected price - thanks, in part, to professional atheist Richard Dawkins being one of the unsuccessful bidders. It's long been said that religion is a racket. Sales figures of other anti-God rants - much longer than Einstein's letter to Eric Gutkind - suggest that atheism may be catching up. But is it good for the atheists? As we know, it helps to have a book in circulation. Dawkins' recent work The God Delusion is nowhere near as big as the Bible, but shifting 1.5m copies is more than respectable. Book sales have a legitimizing effect. It's not just the growing number of readers who may be converted by a polemic. Monetary success confers an impressive, almost magical, aura. If atheism's a commercial success, associated with a certain kind of high-flying, worldly proselytizer, we may yet see the advent of an atheist sect - reclusive ascetics who wish to distance themselves from the more ostentatious non-believers. Atheist sects? Not as crazy a concept as you might think. In New York, there has even been talk of a "church" - a physical house of non-worship - for atheists. Start a church and, even if you remove all mention of God, a schism seems inevitable. What would Einstein do? His views on religion can't be summed up in one letter. They were, in some respects, inconsistent. Religion being what it is - huge, ancient, diverse - only the fanatical or the very dim can have a consistent response to its existence. Einstein found religion "childish" but described atheists as creatures who, harboring a grudge, were resistant to "the music of the spheres." In other words, resentful puritans. For it is not only Einstein's "music of the spheres" but music in general that must be tossed out when you refuse to appreciate religion. If you champion the splendors and benefits of Western culture, while claiming to oppose religion entirely, you are, metaphorically speaking, tone deaf. Whether your preference is Bach, Britten, Palestrina, Kanye West or Earth, Wind and Fire, you'll find some aspect of Christianity in the details. But reggae - such as The Melodians doing Rivers of Babylon, based on a psalm of the exiled Jews - can't easily be separated from religion, either. Run from religion, if you must, but you can't hide from song, sculpture, poetry, architecture, painting, tourism or food. Given that the influence of religion over the centuries has made them what they are, I can't help seeing something crude in the impulse for some to bash it. As a "cafeteria" atheist and secular Catholic, I don't share that impulse. Religion has given us some rather fabulous architecture, a lot of excellent paintings, a variety of head coverings - from yarmulkes through wimples, veils and turbans - which I , for one, find fascinating. Religion has often been the engine of tourism from which the laity could benefit. All sorts of people made a good living from pilgrims traipsing through Europe to check out the relics of the latest hot saint. Today, some of these pilgrim routes attract eager non-believers, as do many cathedrals and churches. For many tourists, the Way of St James pilgrimage route across the Pyrenees is an exercise in self-improvement through education, a recreational history lesson rather than a form of piety. Religion has staying power because it can adapt. I enjoy pilgrimage sites as much as I enjoy sampling the obsessive-compulsive cuisine born of a strict religious diet. (I might be wrong, but something tells me Dawkins is not a world class foodie.) When food is part of learning about the world (and how other people live), almost anything is worth trying once. Take a look around New York and you'll realize that halal is the new kosher. In Manhattan, the Jewish restaurants on West 72nd Street (one for meat, one for dairy) have disappeared - while halal pushcarts, dotting the midtown sidewalks, service the city's office workers. Some of my fellow atheists are to non-belief what being nouveau riche is to the traditionally rich. It's as though they've just discovered God doesn't exist, and they can't wait to tell you all about it. I cringe each time one of these noisy non-believers gets on their soap box. Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have helped me to understand how a genteel Anglican must feel about some of those "other" Protestants. As athiests become more strident a new snobbery arises - or a schism, so sects aren't out of the question. Some of us are too delicate for evangelical excess. Whether it's atheistic or religious, we find it embarrassing. Yes, religion can be abusive, and we're often told that religion causes war. When people kill each other in the name of religious identity, it's sickening. If I thought evangelical atheism could end violence, I would be happy to tolerate the embarrassment factor. But I'm not convinced it can. Christopher Hitchens, declaring that "god is not great," seems to have designed this phrase expressly to piss off the worshipful. Religion may be childish but so is a show of disrespect. If we're so comfortable in our non-belief, do we need to go around nettling the believers? While finishing my third novel, I faced a dilemma: whether to capitalise the G in God when referring to the Christian deity. God is more of a concept than a being to me, but the lower case "god" suggested by Hitchens just didn't look right. If Nancy, Allison, and Jasmine (fictional prostitutes in my novel) require the upper case treatment, it seems democratic to do likewise for God, who is also a product of the imagination. As a central character in so many other stories, God has legs, but I am not here to defend God's greatness. Or legs. I prefer to say that God ... is just OK http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/26/agnosticaboutatheism

It has been a long week of crisis management and insomnia. Time to go home for the weekend. Oh how I deserve a bit of grape tonight :cool:

Originally posted by LANDER: quote:Originally posted by xiinfaniin: Aaway ninkii bukkay ee waxaan meesha kusoo post gareeyey. Soo bax waryaa intaysan carradu iga bi'in... Xiinow, maxa ku daran abti Runta ku caadeyee adu sideed u aragta arintas. The negotiations should be held directly with the Ethiopians, and perhaps to a larger extent the Western Powers (i.e. U.S of A), heck that Frazer woman should present herself there as well. To assume talks between 'somalis' will bring about a lasting solution that is satisfactory to all stakeholders in a conflict were the national interest of Somalis is only represented by one side of the equation, is rather disingenuous. mida kalee su'al a ku waydiyo. Runta sheeg, qorintanka af somaliga markad isku eegto aniga iyo Norf iyo NGONGE, sadeexdena aya ugu liita? NGONGE hada tidha u ka xaarifsan yahay wa aqbali kara, ilayn ninkasi wa af-mishar ee laakin hada tidha Norfna u ku dhama, tasi ma aqbali karo In other words does anybody know where I can actually learn how to spell Somali, message me I promise to pay a fair wage Aryee, aar ninka naga qabta! I am offended that you even suggested inu Ngonge afsomaaliga igaga badiyo :rolleyes: As for you, I'm yet to read your afsomaali laakin kolayba wax badan ima dhaantid hadaad idhaantidba

Is Van Bommbel in the team? They may have a chance if he is.

Vaart and Van Bronkhorst are cr*p

or the infamous blue bag