The economic crisis and rising unemployment particularly among the youth has seen thousands of young Europeans fleeing to Africa in search of work and higher living […]

The Coca-Cola Company supports dictatorship and exploits workers in Swaziland, says the Danish NGO Africa Contact that has started an online protest. This makes me curious about Coke’s presence in […]

If you want to learn more about my work-experience and educational background, you will find a detailed and updated description at this link: CV_Nasrin-Billie

Access to mobile phones is booming in East Africa. This has seen a growth in social networking fueled by the transition from the PC to the mobile. Online communication is becoming the new trend, but does everyone benefit from this?     The mobile phone revolution The developing world’s share of mobile phone subscriptions increased from 53% [...]

Somali people have been fleeing the violence and famine in their homeland for over 20 years. This humanitarian crisis has often been met with oppression and exploitation. Most countries along the refugee routes deny forced migrants their human rights. From violence to safety Somali people were fleeing the violence and famine in their homeland…[Read more]

Kenya and Canada can boast of some of the best coverage of Somalia told by young and courageous journalists bent on investigative and independent reporting from one of the most dangerous places on earth.  Fatuma Noor , 24, Kenyan-Somali journalist Noor won the “2011 CNN African Journalist of the Year” award for her  investigative three-part s…[Read more]

One common image of Somalia is poverty. Add to that disease and famine. The somali people are often portrayed as in need of humanitarian relief. Images of malnourished children with big bellies accompanied by relief shows begs donations to aid agencies. But who benefits from the aid and how? Where does aid actually go? On 27 August [...]

Conflict is the common denominator for Somali civil society. Many Somalis are dispersed as Diaspora or refugees. Young people in Somalia have no experience of nor interaction with the state and its institutions as conceived in a democratic society. What civil society? I sometimes wonder if there is a civil society in Somalia – a society which [...]

1. ”Soomaaliyeey toosoo” – national anthem from 1947 Soomaaliyeey toosoo (Somalis wake up) Toosoo isku tiirsada ee (Wake up and support each other) Hadba kiina taagdaranee (Support your country) Taageera waligiinee (Support them forever) 2. ”Guulwadow Siyaad” – praise song for Siad Barre Guul wadow siyaad (Siyad, the victory-bearer) Aabihii garas…[Read more]

Many Somalis view the 70′s as Somalia’s golden age. A period of prosperity, peace and happiness under the rule of Siad Barre. Here, the main objective was to build a nation after the model of the Soviet Union. The rise of a communist regime The Somali Democratic Republic was the name that the communist regime of former [...]

The subject of Somali pirates is particularly popular among Danish media professionals. Meet three storytellers who provide first-hand witness accounts from Somalia.   Rasmus Krath, 35, Documentarian The documentary “A Journey into Piracy – meeting the Somali Pirates” premiered on the Danish Broadcasting Network (DR) in early 2010. Since then …[Read more]

Many believe that peace in Somalia comes with the establishment of a fully functioning government. The instrument for change is a roadmap designed to end the rule of warlords and restore much needed national institutions to Somalia. UN-backed roadmap to ensure peace and stability In august 2011, a UN-backed roadmap to end transitional rule in…[Read more]

Political representation is a complex issue in Somali society, which has been devastated by several decades of civil war causing distrust between people and disillusion with the ‘state’. The clash between clanism and nationbuilding Somali citizenship broadly derives from the concept of u dhashay (born to a family/group/clan/nation). This anc…[Read more]

I have long wished to visit Somalia for three main reasons: It is my place of birth, I am a journalist and I sense great opportunity. Somalia is in the midst of forming a government and I for one would love to witness the process first hand. My place of birth The inevitable first question that Somalis [...]

The difficulties and dangers in reporting from areas controlled by militias such as Al-Shabaab and where there is no government or embassy to turn to in a case of emergency is maybe best illustrated by the case of the TV and Radio station HornAfrik. A private enterprise HornAfrik was founded by three Canadian Somali refugees; Ahmed Adan, Mohamed …[Read more]

Most of the time, most of what we read, hear and see from Somalia comes from Somalis. Local reporters work fo r all major news outlets, but they are usually not entitled to any of the protection offered to ‘regular’ staff members.   Local reporters at risk There are hundreds of journalists with varying degrees of skill scattered [...]

The many dangers faced by journalists in conflict areas such as Somalia force us to consider whether it is worth the risk to cover these areas. Nevertheless, the role of the journalist as a peacemaker demands assignments to war and other danger zones.   Why travel to Somalia? Since 1992, 34 journalists have been killed in Somalia in [...]