Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Building a New Somalia: The Diaspora Experience

Building a New Somalia: The Diaspora Experience

There is great hope and optimism in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, for those residents who lived through years of war.

In a gallery at the Center for Research and Dialogue in Mogadishu, Somali artist Adan Farah Affey stands in front of one of his paintings. It is called “Empty Suit” and depicts a business suit without a body that he says represents politicians from the diaspora.

“The first politicians that came to the country… the ones who got into politics, not business, were those that experienced hard times abroad and came here wanting to make quick money,” said Affey.

Affey has lived in Mogadishu his entire life.  He took his painting underground during more than 20 years of conflict.

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