Stories from the Horn #163
February 7, 2023
This morning I had the immense pleasure of waking up before 5:00 am (that wasn’t the pleasurable part) and joining a book club discussion over Zoom. The members all live in Colorado and have been working their way through Pillars.
They asked such thoughtful questions and I was encouraged by how they are engaging with the book and with friends across religious and cultural boundaries. So many people can see those boundaries as dividers. I see them as opportunities to practice curiosity and kindness. Then, in a relationship, they become distinctive boundaries that mark us each as unique but they do not have to divide.
If you’ve read Pillars or plan to choose it for a book club, let me know! I’d love to jump on a call with your group and hear how you are working through the ideas in the book. I’ve participated in several already and it is always fascinating.
Djibouti
Wooooow! Djibouti’s Ibrahim Hassan wins Japan Marathon February 5! 2:06:42. Felicitations! A course record!
For other athletes or active people in Djibouti, check out BikeSkill! They just did a bike giveaway last week and are open for business.
Why is Djibouti important to India?
I’m not sure what to think about this story, the headline and photo are enough to make me scratch my head and wonder…Djibouti signs 1 billion dollar deal with Honk Kong to build a spaceport…Other papers got the headline correct and here is another more serious piece at Quartz.
We always joked that this is Djibouti’s “space center” but it sounds like there will be a new one for launching rockets, finished in the next five years. I wonder if that is when the bridge to Yemen will be finished too?
Book Club in Djibouti at the Cultural Center
Somalia
Surprise surprise, Somalia made the list of 19 countries the USA tells citizens not to travel to
Somaliland
At least 34 killed in clashes in Somaliland
Frankincense earns companies millions but the women who collect and sort it in Somaliland work for $1 a day. This is an in-depth well-reported important story.
Torture exposed at Somali rehab clinic
One Father’s Desperate Plan to Save His Son from America. This is a terribly sad story about a struggling son and his parents, all of them seemingly without hope.
Cactus and Khat Keeping Camels Alive in Somaliland
Diaspora
Somali Minnesotans star in Apple TV show, camel meat on a stick at the State Fair, anyone?!
The Somali funk spirit that overcame anarchy and exile
Ayaan Mohamud Writes the Somali Characters She Didn’t See in Books Growing Up
I will leave you with these stories, there are always more but these could keep you reading for hours. Enjoy and see you in a few weeks.
Very cool that you've been invited to speak with some book clubs who've been reading Pillars! And what a refreshing, wise, hopeful perspective you offer on boundaries, seeing them as "opportunities to practice curiosity and kindness" that mark each person in a relationship as unique, but do not have to divide. And as per usual I adore the eclectic collection of fascinating articles and announcements you've found and shared, thank you so much for those.