The Summer Art Program for Somali students at the SWCA began in early July, 2009.  Twenty-five students from the age of 11 to 17 participated in the program four days a week for 3 hours a day until school started.  In collaboration with the Somali Culture and Research Institute, the program promoted peace among young minds and provided the platform to express student ideas and thoughts about peace in the world. These thoughts and ideas were expressed in art, poetry and videos.

Discussions among the students and the adult leaders dealt with personal issues, religion, culture, peace and the environment. Out of these conversations the students created an art exhibit that dealt with Somali culture, pollution, peace, and religion.  This exhibition was presented at the Global Mall during a Somali Book Fair and an International Conference on literature, art and culture with scholars from Great Britain, Canada and the USA participating.

The students worked to create 5 videos; three of the videos dealt with Somali culture; one was entitled “Building the Somali Dream”; and the final video was “One Million Doves for Peace”.  All of these videos can be found on YouTube.

Students discussed the history of the civil war in Somali and what happened a year ago in Minneapolis when extremists enticed young students to leave their families and go to Somali to fight in the civil war.  Out of these concerns the students, under the leadership of the director, Dr. Mohammud Diryie, developed the idea for “One Million Doves for Peace”.  The students are asking people to donate two minutes of their lives to join their wish for peace in the world.  They created images of doves symbolizing peace and have taken pictures of Somali students and others with the doves to create the video “One Million Doves for Peace”.  At this time they are working to have other groups of students join in this YouTube project with the dream of getting a million students around the world to join this effort for peace.

Other activities of the summer program included information on emergency preparedness, leadership training as well as a field trip to COSI to see the Egyptian Exhibit and a movie dealing with preserving the environment.  Students participated in the International Conference acting in leadership roles meeting and greeting the authors, scholars, parents and visitors.  They helped set up, organize and sell books.  The students and parents listened to the authors’ readings and suggestions of ways to include and value Somali culture in the educational process as the Somali families are adapting to the new American culture. Parents and students had never seen so many books in their own language, were able to buy books and discovered the power of writing and reading. Two Somali female students were invited to a National Conference in Washington D.C. that dealt with these same issues.  It was a new experience for the girls and offered them a unique opportunity.

The Somali Women and Children’s Alliance is grateful to First Community Church’s Mission Council for their generous grant for the summer program.  The program touched the lives of students and parents alike providing the framework for growth and development empowering students to discover their individual voices and to deal with significant issues in a positive artistic manner.