Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV) developed three public service announcements to address misinformation about contraceptives in the Somali community

Minneapolis, Minn. – Over the next year, Somali TV will broadcast three short public service announcements aimed at addressing misinformation and myths about contraceptive methods in the Somali community.
The message campaign focuses on three topics: the benefits of child spacing, the importance of couple communication in child spacing decisions, and the safety and effectiveness of contraceptive methods.

President-elect Obama’s choice for U.S. Treasury Secretary could have far reaching consequences for Africa which is why his two picks for the post are drawing critical comments from some Africa watchers.
 
“One of Barack Obama's leading advisors has done more damage to Africa, its economies and its people than anyone I can think of in world history, including even Cecil John Rhodes,” observes Patrick Bond, director of the Centre for Civil Society in Durban, South Africa.

Will support development of five-year arts education plan
 
MINNEAPOLIS – Building on its longstanding effort to expand participation in the arts, the Wallace Foundation has announced a grant to the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Comprehensive Arts Office to underwrite a year-long planning process to strengthen coordinated arts learning efforts and to bring high-quality arts experiences to more young people in Minneapolis.

(L-R) Musa, a Mali member, Dr. Florence Dunkel, associate professor of Plant Sciences and Pathology at Montana State University, Fatima, Mali member, Dr. Ernest Owens, Opus College of Business & Dr. Ashley Shams, Department of Modern and Classical Languages

The University of St. Thomas hosted its second "Mali Night" on Monday November 3rd, 2008. This special event celebrated the 5 year effort of the University of St. Thomas in engaging their faculty and students with agricultural issues in Mali. To date, 38 students, 10 faculty and 1 Dean have travelled to Mali

By Seyoum Tesfaye, Contributing Writer
Atlanta, Georgia

I will like to take this historic opportunity to convey to you how honored I was to cast my one vote in favor of your candidacy for the presidency of the sole superpower.  For me the three hours wait was a moving vast canvas reflecting the true mosaic America beaming with diversity and resoundingly affirming its democratic essence. It was pleasure to stand with thousands my fellow Americans to exercise my constitutionally guaranteed right. More importantly as a first generation immigrant with a seven year old American son whose future is directly linked to the result of this election. I was elated and humbled at the same time to participate in this one of a kind election. 

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Last night (election night), I had a warm conversation with President-elect Barack Obama.

I congratulated him and Senator Biden on their impressive victory.

I told the President-elect he can count on complete cooperation from my administration as he makes the transition to the White House.

Last night, President-Elect Obama celebrated in Grant Park and delivered remarks to the hundreds of thousands who turned out. He spoke just before midnight, joined by his family onstage before he began and later by his Vice-President elect biden and his family.

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

In collaboration with Augsburg College, International Leadership Institute, Minnesota Human Rights Advocacy and many other non-profits in the Twin Cities, Somali-born Nadhifa Osman is determined to get solutions for problems faced by women and youth of immigrant populations from the Horn of Africa.

(GIN) – Pulled into an unsuccessful war against Somalia’s Islamist government by the U.S. two years ago, Ethiopia is now looking at a negotiated pull out of its forces from that country.
 
This week, Ethiopia’s foreign minister cast blame on the transitional rulers they helped bring to power for the failure to restore stability.