Somalis in the UK are the most impoverished members of the 11.4 million people who live under the poverty line.
The statistics are a stark reflection of the reality the community faces in a multicultural, post-industrial, capitalist liberal society. The fact that the UK is undergoing something of a recession at the moment and the economy has slowed down almost to a halt could widen the already growing gap between those who are deemed to be rich and those who are inflicted with poverty. This is not good news for Somalis in the UK who have faced a hard enough task getting to the lowly status they have reached over the last 20 years without having to go back to square one in a recession.
In light of the above, the Somali Advocacy and Advice Network [S.A.A.N] is set to take shape and look at why those in power have allowed the UK to slide down a hole taking 11.4 million people to the brink of the abyss. An idea was formed, take the current travails of a minority ethnic community looking to climb out of a group that numbers 11.4 million people. Look at which is the worst of those groups according to set key socio-economic indicators. Produce an evidence-based approach to addressing the key issues that this social group faces in integrating into mainstream society. See whether the agenda setters, the beneficiaries of the current social structure, the powers that be take to being shown where and how they have failed.
In this case it just so happens that Somalis fit the bill. They are statistically the poorest of the poor in the UK. S.A.A.N will look to publish information that shows this to be the case and look to address the current malaise within the Somali community and mainstream society as a whole.
The Somali Diaspora is one that is very complex. Treat each indivitual as a camelion as it can be argued that they are suffering an identity crisis, a crisis encompassing an imbalance of; Religion, Language and Culture gassed and incinerated by policies which are foreign to them.
ReplyDeleteTo question the wealth of any one given person in the somali community, is to ask, How much is enough? The answer I believe lies in a thoughtful process of questioning ones religion, language, culture and customs and whether they hold practice or adhere to that which they state.