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VOA Somali Hosting Live 'Mogadishu-Minnesota' Town Hall Meeting

by Mohamed Olad

   WASHINGTON --

   Voice of America's Somali Service is holding a live town hall meeting
   which for the first time connects Mogadishu, the capital city of
   Somalia, with Saint Paul City, in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali
   community in the United States.

   Town hall participants are expected to discuss topics such as
   extremism, unemployment and education, which greatly affect the younger
   generation in both Somalia and Minnesota.

   The town hall is set to begin at 1200 EDT, 1600 UTC. VOA's Somali
   Service is planning to stream it live on its website, voasomali.com,
   and [1]Facebook page.
   In Somalia, it has been believed that many Somalis give up and turn to
   extremist groups because they face difficulties in finding jobs.

   In Minnesota, men and women with ties to the Twin Cities have traveled
   to Syria to fight for the Islamic State terror group. Another dozen or
   so have tried to travel there before authorities intercepted them.

   Since 2007, at least 23 young men from the twin cities have left for
   Somalia, allegedly to take up arms and join al-Shabab, a ruthless and
   radical Islamic militia vying to topple Somalia's U.S.-recognized
   government.

   The Somali president, Hassan sheikh Mohamud is the keynote speaker. In
   Mogadishu and Minnesota, youth participants will have a chance to ask
   direct questions to a panel of speakers.

   The town hall meeting will be aired live on Somali National Television
   as well as on Radio Mogadishu, Kulmiye Radio, and other stations
   throughout the region.

   In addition to hosting such town halls, VOA Somali produces programming
   for Somalia's youth. Just recently, the service began a 30-minute daily
   radio program for young listeners, providing a new platform for
   exploring social issues and getting the latest news along with music
   and technology features.

References

   1. http://www.facebook.com/voasomali1