Select young members of the Somali community did their part in learning about municipal politics Friday to help bridge the gap in their community.
“They are future voters and it’s important for parents and the community that our youth are informed about this process,” said Said David, executive director of the Youth Centre Open Heart in Edmonton.
“There’s a gap between the group that doesn’t have a chance, due to lack of education, and this group (that has) a chance to lead the community.”
Somali teenagers in grades 10 to 12 from the Youth Centre Open Heart spent the day at City Hall learning about municipal government processes. They also participated in a mock election.
Some of the group have lived in Canada their whole lives, while others are refugees.
“As future Canadians, this is important for their immigration to be part of the election and democratic process,” said David. “They can feel like they’re part of society.”
The tour was part of the City Hall School program. Usually geared toward elementary students, it was the first time the program has ran for older students. Linda Hut, program co-ordinator, said the city was proud to help out.
“It’s really empowered (the students),” said Hut. “Now they get to share their information with the community and family members. It’s a wonderful connection.”
Hut said the day was so successful that expanding the program to older groups could be ongoing.
Kairia Asowi, 17, was part of Friday’s tour and although she has lived in Canada her whole life, she said she feels the gap within her community when it comes to education.
“It’s a big problem,” said Asowi. “We need more information to the immigrants out there who don’t know where to go or where to get information.
“We are going to go door-to-door to talk to our neighbours and give them this information we learned today.”
David said the program is not only informative and helpful for the youth, but for their parents as well, who may not understand the election process and municipal government affairs.
“This may not have huge success right away, but this is just the beginning,” he said. “We want to form a healthy and strong community from this.”
Asowi said the tour was helpful in her understanding of politics and that she is proud to help lead her community to better understanding.
“It feels good to have this knowledge,” she said. “We need to tell our community and tell them to vote. We want to help them.”
In recent years, several young Somali-Canadian men, most of whom were involved in the drug trade, have been gunned down in Edmonton. In one 18-month span between 2008 and 2009, eight were shot to death.
Earlier this year, Premier Ed Stelmach committed to work with Edmonton’s Somali community.
Stelmach said the government had invested $450 million into the Safe and Secure Communities program which deals with various aspects to ensure communities are safe. He said the program is one of the most advanced in Canada.
Source: www.edmontonsun.com
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