In a continuing series of meetings, the Ogaden communitiesin Ontario held a well-organized, and very well attended, meeting this evening.The meeting was attended by attendees from as far away as Ottawa, Kitchener,Hamilton, Windsor and Toronto, Ontario.
The objective of the large gathering where many attendeeshad to sit in an overflow room was multifold. First it was to update thecommunities throughout Ontario on how the preparation of this year’s annualOgaden Diaspora Community Convention was progressing.
It was also to give the community an opportunity for it toprovide meaningful feedback on how this year’s convention could be made thebest convention held to-date. Furthermore, it was to provide a venue for Dr.Abdirahman Yusuf, the Head of the Ogaden Agency for the Welfare of the Orphansand the Sick, to update the community on the current happenings concerning theOgaden.
The meeting was opened by the chairman of the Toronto OgadenCommunity Mr. Mohamed Omar (Najiib). He provided an impassioned speech where hearticulated the readiness of the Toronto community to host this year’sconvention while sharing the financial burden with the Alberta Ogadencommunities.
The chairman was followed by Sheikh Abdi Shaafi who read a religioussermon. The Sheikh implored the community to double its efforts to help its brethrenin the Ogaden. He emphasized the need for the community in Canada to increaseits moral support for the alleviation of the sufferings of the Ogaden populace.
The Sheikh was followed by the Deputy Chairman of the OgadenYouth Student Union (OYSU) Mr. Mohamud Ahmed. Mr. Mohamud who came back, only this Friday from the OYSUconvention held in Germany this year, provided an update on the accomplishments ofthe OYSU convention. He shared with the community the role the Canadian chapterof OYSU needs to play in the accomplishment of OYSU’s goals this year.
The meeting welcomed Professor Mohamed Hassan who is thechair of the organizing committee of this year’s convention. Professor Mohamed sharedwith the Ontario communities the outcome of his successful meeting with theAlberta Ogaden communities in Edmonton.He informed the attendees the role the Alberta communitywants to play both financially and morally in helping Ontario make this year’sconvention the most successful convention ever. He also shared with thecommunity an update on progress made so far in preparation for the hosting ofthe convention.
He informed the community that plans were well advanced sofar - the hotel, convention center, academic day venue, and food catering werealready secured. He reminded the attendees how the organizing committee wascounting on the full support of the Ontario communities in hosting this year’sconvention.
The Professor joked with the attendees that even though heknew the name of the new play that will be unveiled, for the first time, duringthe convention, he would not reveal it even if many were to double theirmonetary pledges to the convention.
Professor Mohamed was followed by Dr. Abdirahman 
Yusuf whofirst thanked the attendees for bracing the cold weather in coming to the gathering.He provided an update on the recent projects undertaken by his agency inhelping the Ogaden orphans and the sick casualties of the Ogaden war. He highlightedthe challenges his agency faces in fulfilling its mandate.
Dr. Abdirahman shared with the attendees an update on therecent news that the Ethiopian regime was prepared to hold unconditional peacetalks with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). He cautioned theattendees all that has happened to date was the arrival of a proposal to holdunconditional peace talk from the Ethiopian regime which ONLF has accepted atface value.
He emphasized the fact that such a proposal could have beena ploy by the Ethiopian regime to test ONLF. He articulated how, regardless ofthe motives of the Ethiopian regime, ONLF would give peace talks a chance solong as there were no preconditions and there was a willing partner on theother side.
Dr. Abdirahman was followed by Halima Abdiqadir, theChairwoman of the Ontario Women League. She reminded all attendees the need formaintaining unity all the time in the face of adversity of any kind. She alsoemphasized the willingness of the Ogaden women in Ontario to contribute theirshare in making this year’s convention the most successful one to date.
Halima was also followed by Cibado Haji, a very well-knownelder and supporter of the Ogaden cause in Canada. She changed the mood of thehall when she talked about how the women of Ontario were more than prepared inhelping organize this year’s convention. With encouraging words, she remindedall the attendees that the women alone could shoulder the costs associated withthe hosting of the conference if the men did not fulfil their promises.
Once the speeches ended, the attendees were invited to sharetheir ideas and or to ask questions of those who spoke in the gathering. Manyof those who took this opportunity to speak provided interesting ideas rangingfrom the catering of the food to the hotel location and to the logistics ofconvention. The organizing committee took notes and finally thanked all thosewho attended the gathering and those who shared their ideas and support.
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