Meet the Somalis: Stories via illustations

Meet the Somalis is a brilliant, informative collection of illustrations portraying the diverse experiences of Somalis who immigrated to Europe, often having fled serious conflict and persecution in pursuit of a peaceful, better life. The groundbreaking graphic novels provide insight into the challenges that accompanied their arrival and how those challenges can be overcome.

Commissioned by the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the 14 stories highlight various stories of Somalis living in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Leicester, London, Malmo and Oslo.

According to the 2011 census, there are over 100,000 people in England and Wales who were born in Somalia. The group occupies a large population in the country, so it is vital to understand its background and the types of hardships and challenges it may be confronting.

Over the course of six months, journalist Benjamin Dix and artist Lindsay Pollock listened to the testimonies of people across Europe, capturing their experiences in areas of education, employment, health, housing and political participation.

Dix expressed how illustrations help people relate to the stories:

Our characters are drawn not especially realistically but simply, to invite the reader into the world of the Somali diaspora and perhaps see themselves.”

The “At Home in Europe” project of the OSF seeks to expand equality for minority groups that are excluded from political and civic life in Europe.

The director of the project, Nazia Hussain, said Europeans know little about Somalis and is hoping people can find commonalities by looking at these illustrations:

Meet the Somalis depicts experiences many of us will never know, like fleeing a warzone with your children or worse, leaving your loved ones behind; but more often, these stories portray the values shared amongst most of us in Europe, like the importance of family, well-being and identity in an ever-changing world.”

The personal stories of first or second generation immigrants detail how the families have integrated to their respective cities, their various family relationships and the extent of ties maintained with Somalia.

The illustrations of London revolve around escaping war-torn Mogadishu and adjusting to the new society. Zein, a student, experienced racial profiling, falling victim to police’s stop and search policies on numerous occasions. Feeling unsafe and worried of being targeted caused a dent in his academic life. Zein became cynical of the police or government protecting him, and he felt voiceless in society. The issues of discrimination and assimilation can alienate first and even second generation immigrants, leading them to question their sense of belonging in the country of residence.

In another instance, Saafi faced conflict first hand when her father died during the war in Somalia. To fulfil his wishes, she became more attached to her native country and focused on her studies. Saafi became a doctor and plans to visit Somalia next year as a medical volunteer.

Dix emphasized how the experiences Somalis face in the new continent are universal:

The focus of the stories may be Somali, but so many of the issues raised affect the wider communities and highlight issues of immigration, identity, memory, and acceptance in Europe. We hope that they also engage us to think about our shared values of love of family, importance of education, and a sense of home.”

To find all these stories in one place to go.

We wish the Somalis and the project great success.

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/multimedia/meet-the-somalis

Nilay Tuncok