"The solution to adult problems tomorrow depends on large measure upon the how our children grow up today. There is no greater insight into the future than recognizing when we save our children, we save ourselves." Margaret Mead

The number of gang and drug related killings among Somali youth are skyrocketing, not to mention the alarming numbers who are incarcerated or is being released but with conditional releases such as: curfews and other hard to comply conditions.

In last two weeks alone we lost three young lives in Edmonton, two in Toronto and one in Ottawa. Not to mention those who are being hospitalized with lifelong disabilities because of gun shots and stab wounds.  Somali Youth violence is not confined to Canada, it’s happening in the US and in Europe.

Many Somali families are struggling with the holes that these killings have left in their lives.  There is a growing outcry within Somali community and a call for action. Therefore, Somali community must as a whole stand up and take responsibility. We should all realize that no savior will come and save us from this carnage.  If we don’t act now, these killings will continue and we will eventually loose more young lives.

Youth violence is not confined to any one subgroup of the Canadian youth population; it cuts across all racial, religious, gender and socio-economic backgrounds. However, there are factors which place certain groups of the youth population at risk of both offending and being victimized. Identification of these factors can facilitate successful early intervention, violence prevention and health promotion. Therefore in order to ensure effective remedies to this problem, we must identify the underlying causes of the problem.

Safe School Act (Zero Tolerance):

In a published book On Time, On Task, On a Mission[2002], by Dr. Chris Spence, a Toronto area educator and area superintendent of schools, Dr. Spence states that:

... I have been thinking a lot about lately-public education. Is it just rhetoric that assumes our public education system offers every child an equal chance to achieve? Our society's sense of justice and fairness is at the root of this issue. In spite of this, schools generally tend to promote the children of advantage and discourage those of disadvantage. [p. 111]

Safe School Act suppose to make schools a safe environment where every students should feel welcome, instead ethnic minority students are expelled or suspended more than their white counter parts. 

Most suspensions and expulsions are harmful and do not teach troubled students appropriate behavior. Instead, suspension and expulsion excludes minority students (including our Somali children) from learning and other supports, often leaving them unsupervised, and more likely to be involved in drugs or crime or a violent crime victim.

Youth Justice:

Another contributing factor is the way youth justice system treats minority youths.  Under the New Youth Criminal Justice Act, the judges should look for alternatives to jail for youths. In addition to that the police was given the power to divert youths in order to reduce the number of cases going into youth court.

…….One of the main features of the YCJA is the diversion of youth who have committed non-violent and minor crimes away from the formal court system by encouraging the use of extrajudicial measures. These measures are meant to provide timely and meaningful consequences and allow the community to participate in developing community-based responses to youth crime. Extrajudicial measures include taking no further action, informal police warnings, referrals to community programs, formal police cautions, Crown cautions and extrajudicial sanctions programs (Department of Justice Canada, 2003).

In my professional experience, too often black and other minority youths are being rushed to court by the police and they often end up in jail, not to mention criminal record and its ramifications.

A research done by Justice Canada titled: Review of Multiculturalism and Justice Issues: A Framework for Addressing Reform concludes that there is evidence of discrimination in youth justice system; it also noted that there is some evidence of over-representation of minority youth in detention in some parts of the Canada.

Racial Profiling:

Here in Ottawa, several youths in the Citizen's Youth Crime series have recounted incidents where they or their friends felt unfairly targeted by police, whether due to their age, status as street youth, or racial or ethnic backgrounds.
... In March,2003 Ottawa police Deputy Chief Larry Hill acknowledged at a national policing forum that officers in this city are not immune to the tendency that exists in institutions — including schools, hospitals, businesses and law enforcement — to stereotype people according to race.

How can we save our youth?

There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. We all have a choice. You can decide which type of person you want to be. I have always chosen to be in the first group. Mary Kay Ash

I feel that our community has been asleep at the wheel.  Community based organizations, Somali educators and parents failed our youth.  There is nothing wrong in saying we failed our children and youth. Thus it is time to end the state of denial and start helping our children and youth.

Individual Responsibility: The need to dismantle the pipeline is urgent:

Girls Gangs:

Rival Somali and Jamaican girl gangs connected to seizure of .44 Magnum at Thistletown Collegiate the Toronto Sun (Girl gangs probed by Tom Godfrey, June 15, 2006
 
School Drop Out:
Toronto high school students who speak Portuguese, Spanish or Somali drop out at higher rates Toronto Star (Dropout, failure rates linked to language by Louise Brown, June 23, 2006

• Somali-speaking students had a 37% dropout rate.

Gang Killings:

Gangs feel the pinch:  Pressure of tough economic times leads to more clashes, killings    Sun News Edmonton,  Sat, December 6, 2008   

The global economic crisis may cost some people their jobs - but it's costing some gangsters and drug dealers their lives, say cops.  Just yesterday, police released the names of two homicide victims that members of the local Somali community have said are Somali. Both were killed Tuesday.  Several Somalis have turned up dead in the last few months. According to Edmonton's top gang cop, they may be the latest victims of a slowing economy.

Every member of our community should be alarmed, concerned and dedicated to minimizing any increase in youth crime. Instead of complaining and blaming others for our shortcomings we should bear some of the responsibilities.

 
Parent Responsibility: Absent Fathers,

I was deeply involved in helping Somali youth at risk and their families for the past 20 years. In all my years in community service, I barely saw any Somali father lend a hand to his son.  Instead I met so many hardworking, dedicated, caring and compassionate Somali mothers who were struggling to raise their children single handedly without any moral, financial or physical support from their husbands.  These mothers were coming to court everyday and willing to put down thousands of dollars to bail out their kids. 

Therefore, the absence of Somali fathers in the lives of our youth is a vital reason why so many have fallen into the hands of the criminal justice system.  We have too many dads and not enough fathers in our community.  Too many Somali men know how to create babies, unfortunately a few of them knows how to raise, nurture and support their children.  Mothers alone can not assume all responsibilities for the well being of our children and youth.

CommunityResponsibility: Corrupted community Organizations,

Community based organizations are supposed to be the tool by which a COMMUNITY achieves the goals that are socially important to it. They are supposed to be providing the need of their respective community members, advocating on their behalf, and empowering its members specially the youth. 

However oftentimes we see Somali community organizations that are totally disconnected from the community that they claimed to represent.  Not only are Somali organizations out of touch with their community, but they have transparent and accountability issues as well.

Recommendations:

• Parents should get Involved in their child's education and should educate themselves by taking parenting courses.
  
  
• Most of our youth are peaceful and productive citizens, unfortunately few bad apples are tainting the image of our young population, therefore we have to take a stand against youth violence.
  
  
• Their should be a leadership change within our community, the old guards must give way to a new generation of young leaders.
  
  
• We should empower, engage and encourage our youth and give them the tools they need to succeed.
  
  
• Somali Elders, community leaders, educators and parents should listen to our youth so that they could be able to address their needs and to help them in surpassing challenges and obstacles

• In order for government and community initiatives to work intended youth should be consulted, also authorities should make sure that community members have an opportunity to have a say in.  Otherwise it will be a recipe for disaster and waste of our tax payers money
  
  
• We should be aware of political opportunists among us and those in the government  Elected officials are there to serve us. They need our vote more than we need their support, thus if they are willing to support us in this critical times then we should welcome them in good faith, otherwise empty rhetoric and false promises would solve our social problems.  A friend in need is a friend indeed.
  
  
• Finally, in order to intercept and prevent all social and criminal ills that tears down the future of our youth and ultimately the fabric of our community and the society we live in, there should be trust and cooperation between ethnic communities and authorities.

Farah Aw-Osman
President, Canadian Fiends of Somalia
www.canadianfriendsofsomalia.org
canadianfriendsofsomalia@gmail.com

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