At an event organized by the Somali American Community, a non-partisan organization in Minnesota, US Congressman Rep. Keith Ellison campaigned for fellow democrat, Al Franken, in his meeting to an electrified crowd of Somali-Americans.

Ellison declared that his “first two years in Congress were just to
set a foundation” but that he is now experienced and can move things
forward. “I need more friends in the Senate and Congress … honestly, we
are in a good shape this time but I need you to help me get Al Franken
elected to the Senate” he said.

Ellison talked to the crowd about his close relationship with the Somali community and their empirical role in his last election. Somalis are said to have helped Rep. Keith Ellison defeat his 2006 election rivals, Tammy Lee (IP), Alan Fine (R), and Jay Pond (G) by about 30%. “You have graciously given me your votes and trust and I am very grateful and proud to serve as your representative,” Ellison said.

In speaking against Franken’s opponent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, Ellison said, “He has voted with President Bush almost always and that he hasn’t done anything to advance peace in the Middle East or Somalia.”

A Rasmussen poll taken on Tuesday night has Coleman leading Franken 43% to 39% in the hotly contested seat for the US Senate. Independent candidate Dean Barkley has 14% of those surveyed, while 4% are undecided.

Regarding Somalia, Ellison told the attendees that he is concerned about the political situation in Somalia and has been studying and working to bring peace to Somalia and the region. He said “Aside from the other information available to me as a representative, I have been advised by the senior representative and the African Sub-committee chairman Rep. Donald Payne, officials from the region and many friends from the Somali community.

He continued, “I met the deputy speaker of the Kenyan Parliament, Farah Maalim and other officials in my short visit to Nairobi this year.”

“I want you be patient … as the power of dripping water could move a mountain, we will, Insha Allah, find peace for Somalia,” Rep. Keith Ellison assured the crowd.

In September, Ellison introduced H. RES. 1424, a bill supporting accountability for abuses in Somalia. This bill is currently pending as the country deals with elections and the ‘economic melt down’. 

Among the many community leaders in attendance was Abdullahi Ugas Farah, a prominent Somali traditional leader. Farah is visiting the U.S. to inspire Somalis to help their native country and talk with American officials about the real intricacies of the Somali crisis. “I am here to encourage my people to help reconstitute their country and tell American leaders about the true nature of the situation in my country” he said.

Addressing Somali-Americans, Abdullahi said “because we know and trust his intentions, you must help Rep. Keith Ellison in order for Keith to be helpful to the situation in Somalia, you must also elect Al Franken to the senate.”

Engineer Hassan Mohamud “Hassanow” told Mshale that he was encouraged to see the Somali issue get traction. “I am not only going to vote for both Rep. Keith Ellison and Al Franken … Actually, I am going to vote for them tomorrow” said Mr. Hassanow.

An estimated sixty to eighty thousand Somalis have recently, beginning in 1991, have immigrated to Minnesota and quickly became an important part of the voting block.

WASHINGTON-The 2008 presidential campaign has electrified voters throughout a long process, as Americans have experienced a series of political firsts including an African American major party presidential nominee, a woman mounting a serious challenge for a presidential nomination and the GOP’s selection of a female vice presidential nominee.

Since January, excitement has built in the electorate, exemplified by the large crowds greeting the candidates and the massive turnout during the caucus and primary contests. But now our nation faces a crucial test as Election Day approaches: some states now have strict identification requirements for voters, a move that could stymie the anticipated growth in political participation.

Whatever the motive for the tougher voter requirements, public officials, civic leaders, activists and media outlets must work to ensure that voters in their states understand the rules and that they bring the proper identification to the polls. It would be a serious blow to our democracy if droves of voters, perhaps excited for the first time about their participation and choices, are turned away at the polls. Given the low voter turn-out rates we have witnessed over the past 30 years, our democracy cannot afford to disillusion people who may be participating for the first time.

Moreover, as the nation faces an economic crisis, it is more important than ever that the American people participate in the voting process and feel vested in selecting the path for the nation’s future. This is especially true for those espousing that change is needed in Washington believing perhaps that our current public officials and representatives have not necessarily acted in the best interest of our families, our communities or our future.

Already, restrictive rules in many states that do not allow prisoners or even some formerly incarcerated individuals to vote have raised questions about the fairness of the electoral system. It is estimated that about 5.3 million prisoners or ex-prisoners will not be allowed to vote.

In Texas alone there are over 800,000 formerly incarcerated individuals who are by-law eligible to vote but today are unregistered, because most don’t realize that the laws have changed and that they are in fact eligible to participate in our democracy. This disenfranchisement strikes a contrast to other democracies around the world where ex-felons are generally encouraged to vote once they return to their communities. Why? In part because voting is commonly recognized as one of our most effective tools for positive civic engagement and responsibility.

While the debate will continue in the US over whether voting rights should be returned to the formerly incarcerated who have paid their debt to society, there is something we can do now to prevent onerous ID requirements from discouraging voters. We need to actively educate the electorate.

For instance, in Arizona proof of citizenship is now required for new voters. To satisfy this requirement, new voters must bring a driver license or a non-operating identification license and a copy of a birth certificate. New voters can also bring their US passport. New Native American voters will need their Bureau of Indian Affairs card, tribal treaty card or tribal enrollment number.

In Florida, meanwhile, a photo ID is required to vote. Acceptable ID include a driver license, US passport, debit or credit card, military ID, student ID, retirement center ID, neighborhood association ID or public assistance ID. Similar photo IDs are required to vote in Michigan.  What’s clear is that just as more Americans appear poised to participate in the electoral process, there are more rules and regulations that they must follow.

It’s the responsibility of our public servants, as well as dedicated activists, media outlets and other leaders, to inform the public of what they need to vote. Let’s make sure everyone can participate. There are many organizations and campaigns underway that are actively working to educate voters and it is up to each of us to actively support such initiatives. For instance, New American Media (NAM) which is a collaboration of ethnic news outlets are asking television stations to air a star-studded, 30-second PSA that I participated in with other entertainers, who care dearly about our nation’s future. NAM has also made available broadcast quality voting TV and radio PSAs that can be aired on-air or from websites, as well as voting print ads for newspapers and magazines. Collaborations such as this, to educate and encourage the electorate are essential as we approach this election.

I believe that in large part what makes our country the greatest in the world is that it is a participatory democracy, but that only works if we all participate. It is up to every one of us to work as diligently as we can to ensure that every American who is eligible to vote is allowed to have their vote counted, voice heard– and participate in this wonderful democracy. 

All of the above mentioned materials, as well as 30 second spots from Chris Tucker and Vivica Fox can be downloaded from the NAM website (Click on the word VOTE).

Or stations can go here for easy downloads. User: getouttovote; Password: Vote2008 . The TV and radio PSAs are broadcast quality.

St. Paul, MN, Oct. 13, 2008 — Michelle Obama was in Minnesota
campaigning on behalf of her husband at a rally held at Macalester
College that drew thousands of students, volunteers, local DFL
candidates and voters of all ages.     

Michelle talked about her middleclass upbringing and her hardworking parents who wanted nothing more than to provide for their family and give their children more than what they had—a good college education to achieve the American Dream. She talked about Barack’s background: how he was raised by a single parent and how his mother struggled to provide for her family, sometimes taking food stamps to make ends meet.

“Barack had said from the beginning that this election is not about him; it was never about him. This election is about you all,” Michelle said pointing to the crowd.

“The issues in this election is not just politics, it’s personal for all of us.”
She said that Barack understands because he has lived it; from healthcare issues he faced with his mother, to growing up with a single parent and not having much, to taking on student loans to get an education.

 “Barack gets it,” she said.

Michelle said that only one candidate has the experience and perspective of everyday, middleclass folks: Barack Obama. She said that Barack has given this election everything he’s got and will continue to do so until the very end but he cannot get the job done on his own.
“This is where we come in. The rest of it is on us. Help us get out the vote and this time let’s send a leader to Washington who gets it. Vote Barack Obama for the next President of the United States of America!” Michelle said.

Attendees to the rally were greeted at the entrance by R.T. Rybak, Mayor of Minneapolis, and Al Franken, Democrat comedian-turned politician who is running for the Minnesota US Senate office.

Addressing the crowd, Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota State Senator, told the crowd that Barack Obama is “cool, collected and steady at the helm”, and that it was time to put the future of this country in his hands. Also in attendance were St. Paul’s Mayor, Chris Coleman and other local DFL candidates.

The Obama Campaign district leaders reminded the crowd that “each one of us has the awesome capacity to bring about change,” and that with a few more weeks to go, volunteers are needed more than ever to help make calls and knock on doors to Get Out the Vote.
 

“We do not want to wake up on November 5th and think that we could have done more,” one campaign volunteer said. Audience members were asked to take out their cell phones and text “MN 62262” to family and friends to get them connected to the campaign.
Minnesota teenager, Natalie Miller, introduced Michelle Obama to the stage. Miller talked about her family’s encounters with health problems including the cost of care. She said that she [a kid] worried about how much her illness was costing her parents and believed that it was her fault that her parents were accumulating so much debt. “People dealing with health problems should be worrying about getting well, not how much it is going to cost,” Miller said.

According to Obama for America, the official website of Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign, Barack believes that if Americans can put an end to partisan politics, bring people together, and recognize that what unites us is greater than what divides us—then we can make fundamental change possible in this country. Whether it is ending the Iraq war, providing universal health care, making college tuition more affordable, placing a quality teacher in every classroom, or expanding economic opportunity in urban areas and making “equal justice under the law” a reality for every citizen, one can have confidence in the courage, sound judgment, and leadership of Barack Obama.

St. Paul, Minn— On September 12th the Minnesota and African communities did more than reconnect at The Minnesota History Center for the Books for Africa 20th Anniversary Gala. They celebrated their connection and renewed their pledge to support each other in the noble cause to end Africa’s book famine. In a jam packed auditorium, attendees wearing brightly colored and beautifully patterned African outfits keenly listened as representatives from Africa and local leaders praised and encouraged the organization for its work.

“I never imagined that I would have to speak to so many people today!” exclaimed Welile Nhlapo, South African ambassador to the U.S. “Let me thank you first for the invitation to be a guest at this gathering this evening, but let me also thank you for your efforts directed to us. We are all invested in the best kind of investment: our children and our future,” he added.

Books for Africa was founded by Tom Warth in 1988. He went to Uganda seeking an adventure and came upon a library with few, tattered and outdated books. This inspired him to create a system for collecting discarded books from American schools, libraries and publishers to send to Africa. 20 years later Books for Africa has sent over 20 million books to the 38 countries in the continent.

In a recorded message, former UN secretary general Koffi Annan stressed on the importance of Tom’s work, “Books for Africa is a simple idea, but its impact is transformative. For us, I have said before, literacy is quite simply the bridge from misery to hope. Literacy provides the keys to learning and empowers the individuals to expand their choices and opportunities for the future.”  Koffi Annan serves as an honorary co-chair of Jack Mason Law and Democracy Initiative, alongside former U.S vice-president Walter Mondale. Jack Mason was a federal judge who sat on the board of Books for Africa. The initiative, which was launched this year, will send legal literature such as law teaching books, legal treatises to African law schools, universities, bar associations and civic organizations.

“You know, you never know where the lightning is going to strike. The answer to cancer might be locked up in the mind of a child in Juja, Kenya,” remarked Congressman Keith Ellison in regards to the initiative. “It might be locked up in the mind of a child in St. Paul. But with a continent as vast as Africa, I know that so many answers to the problems vexing the world are locked up in the minds of people who just need an opportunity to let it all come on out,” he added.

Much as Books for Africa is aimed at contributing to the knowledge base for the African youth in particular and the African population in general it has also created a path to improving America’s bi-lateral relationships. “Internationally, our country is struggling to regain a lot of the high ground, the respect, the feeling of awe when you would say you’re from the United States,” noted Congresswoman Betty McCollum. “The gift that you give a village, the gift that you give a child, from here, person to person, is so important not only in the making of a difference of a more globalized and peaceful world but just in our nation-to-nation relationships,” she added.

McCollum’s notion of improved nation-to-nation relations was reinforced at the Books for Africa breakfast the next morning when Ombeni Sefue, the Tanzanian ambassador to the U.S reminisced being taught by Peace Corps volunteers. “I have a lot of support for [the Peace Corps]. I had two Peace Corps [volunteers] in grade 3 through 6 and two Peace Corps [volunteers], a couple, in high school, grades 9 through 11. I actually have managed to track one of them in Los Angeles. I’m still looking for the other two,” he said.

At the gala Tom Warth was the star of the night and focus of much praise, but when he took to the stage he humbly forwarded the compliments to the people who have used Books for Africa as the route to send books to their high school libraries and city libraries they have visited. Without underscoring the work of his organization, he reminded everyone that much still remains to be done. “We’ve sent 20 million books to a continent that, as I understand it, has 370 million children. We have to do more. While we sit here eating our fancy meal and celebrating—which is fine, you know, it’s our way—there are children without books. It’s a celebration, but we need to end the African book famine. Twenty million books is not enough to do it.”

Minneapolis, MN—African immigrants in Minnesota have been urged to come together to address their common issues related to their wellness.

Giving a key note address at a well-attended Pan-African Community Organization (PACO) community forum Mitchell Davis Jr. urged African immigrants to aim “at exceeding their potential for growth” in addressing their wellness challenges.

Davis is the Director of Minority and Multi-Cultural Health at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). He told his listeners that African immigrants in Minnesota “are already empowered” as they face various cultural challenges towards getting appropriate healthcare delivery system to meet their specific needs.

Davis tells the audience about a young man from Malawi who walked all the way to Cairo and then flew to the US in search of an education, he said his determination to succeed was hinged on his goal “to succeed or die trying.”

The Malawian youth ended up with a PhD in political science and became a successful lecturer at the University of Cambridge in the UK. He said such role models should inspire our youth as “we prepare them into future leadership positions.”

Betty Wariari, PACO’s Community Health Outreach Specialist emphasized the need for all African immigrants to come together to find common solutions to their problems quoted two Swahili sayings that assert that “Unity Is Strength, while Division is a Weakness” and “Where there is a Will, there is a Way.”

Wariari said PACO had launched a Learning and Resource Center where ESL classes, tutoring for 5-12 grades and computer literacy classes would be offered. The center is intended to “improve education capacity and lifestyles” of our immigrant populations.

Japhet Nyakundi, MDH Program Specialist on Health Education and Risk-Reduction Unit for STD and HIV cases said African immigrants are disproportionately affected by the twin problems of STD and HIV.

He told his audience that even when services are available to cater for the needs of immigrant populations, there are mitigating factors that prevent the people from accessing them. For instance, he said, many HIV positive Africans shunned from taking advantage of subsidized houses for HIV infected peoples for fear of being identified as HIV patients due to the stigma associated with AIDS.

Nyakundi noted that many immigrants do not avail themselves for “Preventive HealthCare services” as many Africans “only go to see a doctor when they fall sick.”

He added, “even as they see a doctor, they assume that the doctor will discover their problems, so instead of explaining the nature of their illness to the doctor, they assume that the doctor is all-knowing so he will diagnose everything.”

He said when some immigrants come from war-ravaged countries they suffer from “war trauma,” and are shy to discuss their state of mental derangement as they feel they could be mistaken for lunatics who are traditionally looked down upon.

PACO’s Board Chairman, Dr Crispin Semakula said the mission of “Pan-African Community Organization is to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education, support and referral services to facilitate the health and wellness of African immigrants and their families in Minnesota.”