NATION IN VIEW: SOMALIA

The Power to Think Different

I like people who think differently, act differently, and judge things differently. They tend to take a whole lot of risks to see things from a different perspective from others, and they often don’t give a toss about what you think. They risk their lives, relationships, endorsements, you name it. To them, life should not be lived along some rigid imaginary straight line that seems to have been drawn by some unknown humans who love to enslave other men within the system of their evil heart desires.

You see, such people drop out of school when they begin to recognize the deception in schooling and how education is used for mind control and people herding towards the mindset of those who created schools. Those individuals become creators of new thoughts and methods for making life easier for all.

Someone might think I hate education or schooling, but I don’t. I just hate any form of system that cages the minds of the people and places them in some form of queue, herding them to the vanity pack of this world system that was created for the good of a few.

I saw a quote online that is attributed to President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso. The quote says:

Most times, people who don’t have the ability to think for themselves or who choose not to use their ability to think for themselves, for whatever reason, often become the very minds that undermine the overall well-being of everyone else. They turn out to be the weak link in our collective growth, and they are full of greed, selfishness, and self-preserving tendencies, as you see among many African leaders and even among regular African people.

Lately, I keep seeing online memes that make me laugh and think at the same time. I saw this random image posted on Facebook. The image features three guys standing under umbrellas as the rain falls. Two of the guys share an umbrella, which protects them from the rain, but the rainwater drips to the ground around them. The third guy, standing by himself, has an umbrella turned upside down, connected to a hose. The hose channels the rainwater into a gallon strapped to his back. Instead of the umbrella merely shielding him from the rain, he uses the inverted umbrella to both protect himself and gather the rainwater for storage. I thought that was a brilliant thing to do. The guy turned a problem (rain), which could lead to flooding, into a solution (stored water) for the dry season.

The caption reads: “People don’t understand your perspective and that’s completely fine. Be yourself.”

Be Yourself, Think Different

The power to think differently is found in the ability to know purpose and recognize innate uniqueness. Those who think differently are not necessarily those with the most talent, they are just those who have realized that to make a mark in a world where everyone loves to bandwagon and follow laid down rules because it absolves them of the responsibility of following a different way, they must separate themselves from the pack and follow their unique path. Such people most times become those who create the system that leads the pack.

Africa is great in many ways, but we need to move from the attachment that we have given to our history of greatness and start to look at how to build a present reality that will take care of the future. He who constantly looks backwards will not get to where he is going, for he will stumble many times because his eyes are focused backwards and not where he is going.

That most African philosophers, thinkers and so-called social engineers keep taking Africans back to the greatness found in African history and almost all the time never give an indication of what that great history is supposed to create for the future of Africa, simply means, they have no vision for Africa, they are just dancers to the music of the past.

While learning history is great for sharing perspectives, greater is the present story that we are creating by our mindsets, actions, or inactions. Whatever we create or do not create today will tomorrow be another layer of the same history that the generations of Africans who are coming will read about, talk about, and even get angry about. In the end, nothing much will change if we do not make the change today.

Now, if the power to think differently and thus make different choices that in turn create a better way of living is tied to the ability to know our purpose and recognize our innate uniqueness, why do we Africans spend so much time beating our minds about past history when we could use that time to critically think of a different way to tackle the various issues we face on the continent? Our unique abilities and purposes are not chained to the past, even though they extend from our antecedents. We must stop limiting ourselves by our glorious past, which, by the way, cannot be brought back because time and seasons have changed. However, we can take from the principles that made those days great, innovate upon them by thinking differently about our present and future, and then go ahead and build what is needed for our now.

The Federal Republic of Somalia

The Federal Republic of Somalia, home to over 14 million people, is among the most culturally cohesive nations in the world. Situated in the Horn of Africa, it shares borders with Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia’s official languages are Somali and Arabic.

Agriculture underpins the national economy, with key exports including dried lemons, sesame, and bananas. The country also benefits from thriving livestock and fisheries industries, complemented by an array of tourist attractions—historic sites, pristine beaches, spectacular waterfalls, mountain ranges, ridges, and national parks.

Often called “the Bride of the Indian Ocean,” Somalia boasts Africa’s longest mainland coastline—more than 3,300 km—and a highly productive marine upwelling zone. This strategic shoreline has served as a vital trading route for Arabs, Romans, and Greeks alike, and it continues to offer immense opportunities for maritime development.

Rich in untapped resources—from marine life and offshore oil and gas to diverse mineral deposits—Somalia is also a pioneer in integrated power generation, combining fuel, solar, and wind energy in a single facility—the second of its kind in Africa after South Africa. The nation is an active participant in the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE).

See Also

REVOLUTION:

Since holding its first elections in 1967, Somalia has demonstrated a commitment to peaceful transfers of power. A founding member of the African Union (originally the Organization of African Unity), Somalia hosted the 11th OAU summit in Mogadishu in June 1974. Its modern constitution was first adopted in 1961, and Somali was officially codified as a written language in 1972. The country joined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 1969 and became a member of the Arab League in 1974. On the world sporting stage, Abdi Bile earned international acclaim by winning the 1,500-meter race at the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome.

Today, Somalia is steadfastly rebuilding its status as a stable, sovereign federal republic—and as an influential leader both regionally and globally—driven by resilience, ambition, and a united vision for the future.

(Adapted from the official website of the government of Somalia)

Last words

There is something I have always hated about the narrative of African countries, which is peddled by Western media, and how they constantly try to diminish the true picture of Africa. When you go online to search for facts about Somalia, one of the things you see is this point that says “Somalia consistently ranks as the second poorest country in Africa and the world. The first is Burundi. Around seven in ten Somalis live in poverty, while a huge 70% of the population is under 30”.

But it makes no sense that the above statement should even be part of the facts that still trails Somalia with its “abundance of untapped reserves, from marine resources, to offshore oil and gas, and various minerals deposits and is the second country in Africa after South Africa to have fuel, solar and wind energy stored together in our power generation plant.” This poverty narrative should change, and more so, let the riches of Somalia, as stated on the official website of the government, reflect on the standard of living of the Somali people. Any other reality outside of that does not reflect true leadership. Africa must raise Africans who think differently about how to make Africa a better place. And this applies to Somalia.

Prayer for Somalia

There is the power and will required to make one rise above mediocrity, and that power works mightily through the ability to think differently, in order to be able to build differently. I pray for you, great nation of Somalia and the Somali people, may you find the inner strength to do what is right and just, even as you rise to your true potential in the African continent and in the world. May you be blessed indeed, and may you rise above everything engineered to make you fail.

Remain blessed.