Somali community still uneasy about violence

Edmonton may still be murder-free so far in 2012, but that is little comfort to the leader of the city’s Somali community.

Four Somalis were killed in 2011 and Mahamad Accord — president of the Alberta Somali Community Centre — said more dialogue with police is needed before the entire cultural community can truly feel safe.

“We’re only lucky that people haven’t been killed yet,” said Accord.

“So our position hasn’t changed and we’re awaiting the next victim.”

The Somali community is benefiting from a handful of programs aimed at helping its most troubled members, said Accord.

For starters, Accord said, the community has seen more success with programs implemented last year, especially the $1.4 million in funding given to the centre last May to help support at-risk youth in local junior high schools.

“We establish youth leadership that will encourage high school students to make better choices,” Accord said.

Initiatives started last year within the community that included a mentoring program for endangered youth and encouraging members within the Somali community to become foster parents for troubled teenagers.

The centre also regularly engages with Somalis incarcerated at the Edmonton Remand Centre to connect with them before they’re released.

And he said the centre is focused on upcoming events like a Social Justice and Human Rights Conference taking place next month.

It will engage community leaders and citizens in social justice and human rights issues, said Accord.

Fowzia Mohamed, mother of murder victim Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, will make a presentation about “resilience in the face of adversity.”

“The voice of the victim’s families who have lost 40 of their loved ones in Alberta since 2007. The families are seeking justice and are looking for answers,” says an early schedule for the event which is sponsored by the Canadian Somali Congress of Western Canada.

The conference’s keynote speaker is Yusef Mohamed Ismail, the Ambassador for the Somali Permanent Mission to the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland.

A second event called Youth For Change is scheduled for Feb. 3. The event aims to educate youth on the challenges faced by Canadian Somalis.

Youth will get to meet Somali members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Ottawa Police Service as well as an Alberta Peace officer and Amin Amir, a world renowned Canadian Somali Artist.

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca