A global community

-- Andrea Jackley

With a student population of over 60 percent female and of over 25 percent students of color, it is important that Metropolitan State put its commitment to diversity and civic engagement into action—particularly because of its rapid increase in international and immigrant students.

Students and faculty recently teamed-up with Somali Family Services (SFS), a nonprofit group of like-minded Somalis and Americans hoping to inspire global awareness and action, for a benefit concert to raise funds to construct a resource and service center for Puntland State University (PSU) in Garowe, Somalia.

PSU was founded as Puntland Community College in 1999 in a joint effort between Puntland State’s nongovernment organization KAALO Relief and Development Organization and Diakonia, a Sweden-based Christian development organization. The community college converted into the four-year university it is today in 2004.

PSU serves many internally displaced persons, or IDPs, forced to leave their homes due to civil disorder and the continuing struggle in Somalia. PSU stresses gender equality in its studies and has enrolled 90 students so far this year, 45 male and 45 female.

Construction on its resource and service center began last January, which will include a full-scale library, meeting room, computer lab with Internet access and one-stop shop that will sell snacks and refreshments. The project is intended to "strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations of Puntland through technology transfer and capacity building," according to the SFS Web site.

Current funding for the resource and service center came up $20,000 short of the needed $500,000. That’s when Abdurashid Ali, SFS cofounder and chair, and Tom O’Connell, professor of political science at Metropolitan State, stepped in.

In 1998 Ali migrated to Columbus, Ohio, from Puntland (a semiautonomous state in northeastern Somalia), where he spent several years before coming to the Twin Cities. Ali began his studies at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), where he helped forge a sister relationship with Puntland State.

Ali became a student in social science at Metropolitan State in 2004, a year after he helped to found SFS. According to Ali, SFS’s goals are stated by its motto: "Building the community, breaching cultures, empowering minds."

Ali spearheaded the joint project by appealing to O’Connell for help to raise the funds necessary to complete the resource and service center in Puntland. He became acquainted with O’Connell, his academic advisor at Metropolitan State, through political science courses. Ali said he feels Metropolitan State’s effort reflects its participation in the global community. "We care about the Somali community," he said, "and it should help attract students."

O’Connell said he was impressed by the partnership SFS and MCTC formed, and that "the library was a good opportunity to get involved."

After brainstorming ways to raise money for the unfinished resource and service center, Ali, O’Connell and some of O’Connell’s students went to work; the team organized a public benefit concert at the Cedar Cultural Center, and all proceeds went to their cause. The featured bands included the award-winning poetry and jazz ensemble Ancestor Energy and the esteemed local act Eight Head.

Ancestor Energy took the stage first and did its part to engage the crowd. Concert-goers ranged from babies to grandparents. By the time Eight Head took the stage dancing had spread like wildfire. Bluesy but upbeat instrumental tunes tinged with creative percussion kept spirits high.

The Cedar Cultural Center sold beverages and snacks while SFS members brought a favorite African treat called samosa, a spicy stuffed and fried pastry filled with meats and vegetables, free for the crowd to enjoy.

The concert raised around $2,000, a start toward raising the last $20,000 needed to complete the resource and service center in Puntland.

So what’s next? "It’s wide open," said O’Connell. "We’re looking for a critical mass of people to figure out ongoing relations with Metropolitan State and Puntland." One idea is a resource exchange between the two universities. Internet classes both designed and ran through Metropolitan State may someday be available to Puntland State students for a sliding fee or for a return service.

"The larger theme — outside of just asking for charity — from a political, educational point of view is that global relationships are embedded in very local relationships," said O’Connell.

To get involved with the effort in Puntland or with other community involvement projects, contact Ali at abdurashid.ali@ussfs.org or at (651) 252-2417, or visit the SFS Web site at http://ussfs.org. Metropolitan State students interested in getting involved in campus fundraising should contact O’Connell at Thomas.OConnell@metrostate.edu.