On the 04th of December 2014, I attended a Human Rights award ceremony where Fartuun Adan from Mogadishu in Somalia, was awarded a Human Rights Award today on behalf of Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre where she is an executive director. The award was conferred to her by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation. According to Kurt Beck, the chair of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation, this was the 20th time since 1994 that the foundation offers such a prestige award to people who advances the course of humanity.
In his speech or rather remarks he assured her of how highly the work she does with women and children in Somalia is appreciated. He remarked that, “it is not easy in a country like Somalia where there are riots and wars to find people, especially women who advance the course of human rights and dignity. Especially that the law is not equally applied to cases that involve women and children.” He continued and pointed out that when “fighting for human rights we should not be oriented by the national or international borders.”
As humans , we should not turn a blind eye on how big the problems in other countries or our neighbours especially when the basic rights of human dignity and of access to law is trampled upon. Though her achievements and efforts were acknowledged, Beck also pointed out to the fact that Germany knows that “others things are also lagging behind in Somalia, where he gave an example of how married women are dispossessed of their husbands belonging (or inheritance) upon their passing, but the family of the deceased husband claims everything” He believes that Adan and her organization are on a right track to restore human right in Somalia and Africa as a whole. Before he conferred the award to her he said, “This award is a sign of acknowledgement of respect to what you do in making Somalia and the world a better place, and that Human Rights challenges are the fundamental focus of German politics or government.”
Amongst the dignitaries who attended this event was Christoph Strässer, a human rights commissioner of the federal government of Germany. He gave a brief historical collection of how al-Shabaab is known to be terrorising the Somalia people, and how at a certain point the government of Somalia together with the African Union’ interventions have managed to control or push al-Shabaab away from the Indian Ocean. He remarked however that, “even in places where al-Shabaab had been disposed rule of law is not yet applicable or effected. And that Adan and her organizations are on a right path towards creating a positive and human rights observing Somalia that they wish to have.” He further believes that “the weakest members of the society in Somalia are women and children. Many victims have little hope that Justice will be served to them in reporting stories that befall them, be it rape or abuse.”
As she ascended the podium to collect her award, she shared with the house how her husband, Elman Ali Ahmed, was killed for advancing human rights in Somalia. She acknowledged the award and stated that, “I feel extremely privileged to have received this award.” Before she gave her remarks on what her organization does, she shared a historical experience that she had where a president of Somalia once said that, “Somalia men were not raping and abusing women because they are Muslim as such cannot be said to be engaging in such activities.” She also gave a brief overview of what Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre does. Amongst others the centre cares for women, children and child soldiers who are raped abused or want to re-integrate back to the society. “We teach them literacy, basic reading and writing skills, and offer workshops for entrepreneurial activities. We even give them capital to start their own business.” She further explained that their focus was merely in making the women rich but rather to help them change their situations even in a smaller portion. “Silence is killing Somali women, at the end, I want them to have confidence and to have justice to be able to go to court and report the injustices that are instituted to them.” She also explained how difficult it is at first for the child soldiers to open up because they fear that they will be isolated or even be killed when the word reaches out that they have ran away. Our greatest aim is to make women to realize that they are not and do not have to be slaves for their husband of fathers, she said. Confidence is what we aim to instil in the community.
The conference was also opened for discussion from the panellists and the floor. Few questions were asked: one question was aimed at Adan and asked how does she get to work? Especially with the issue of security which is really unstable in Mogadishu and her response was that, “every time I leave my house to go to work, I accept that anything can happen. We do not have security, and one can never be certain with al-Shabaab.”
The next question was related to al-Shabaab, and it asked it was possible to negotiate with al-Shabaab, she responded by saying, “The child soldiers can be negotiated with since they lack education and other alternatives majors to quit working for the al-Shabaab.”
Another question wanted to know as to who is funding al-Shabaab, and she answered that “there were speculations in Somalia that al-Shabaab could be funded by Arabian countries with their hope to taking over Somalia and to run it their own way.”
The last question to be asked was related to how can women bring about contribution to peace and security in Somalia, and the question was well answered by another member of the panel Christa Radzio- Plath, She is chairperson of the Marie Schlei Association, and in her response she said, “Networking of women is an answer to bringing economic. Peace and security. War is no longer a subject of male soldiers, but of women too. There should be more women in parliament and Rwanda has proved to be a leader in this regard.” She closed her remarks by saying that, “governments should invite civil societies or organizations in their discussions for peace and security.”
Here is the link to her profiling her work
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