Why our minds are always limited? Why our thinkers scared to cross clan boundaries. Why do we always think so narrowly? 
Somalilandsun- Hargeisa International Book Fair is just an annual cultural event that exhibitstalents in youth, and embrace all forms of art and literature. Despite the 9th book fair event was recently celebrated, I have never got chance to attend, but I always admire how a thing goes. The last event was a phenomenon. I hope the coming events will be even better and greater. I don’t have any problem in the event proceedings and the theme it promotes, but the above questions always stuck in my mind.
Our minds are always limited even if we know that we can do more than that. This limitation has roots back to our pastoral society where people do things for their own locality benefit. As the name indicates, the book fair is limited to certain geographic location, which is narrow by design. It could be Somaliland instead of Hargeisa, or it could be the same name, but the event could go anywhere in Somaliland main districts.
I have nothing against Hargeisa as it’s the capital city of Somaliland and it always enjoy every event before other cities, but it’s just not fair that other people, who admired the book fair couldn’t get the chance to receive the even in their own cities. I can’t see anything that can limit the events to take place in other cities if the organizers are willing to cross clan boundaries.
In Somaliland, there is still difficult in crossing cultural boundaries. Every district has its own people who are engaged to organize events in their locality. This will keep Somaliland community disintegrated. Great events like this book fair could be ways to bring communities more integrated and help local culture to take root.
One may argue with me that HIBF crossed international boundaries as the event attracted so many international authors. Well, that is true, but it failed to cross local cultural boundaries.
Ayan and Jama, HIBF organizers, are nice people who invested their country as nobody did before. I do appreciate for their endless efforts to connect their countries to international communities and to bring our stories beyond the international boundaries, but I could honestly believe that they limited their-selves to certain geographic location. We love you, but we want you to be unlimited.
Are you suffering from nepotism, like most Somalis do? I doubt. If so, what you need to do is just to free your minds when setting up such wonderful events. And think about how everyone can get access to the resources.
Should we wait until other Somaliland cities find their own Ayan and Jama to organize such brilliant events? I don’t think so. You can go above and beyond. We want you to own us.
No matter what name it takes, the book fair could go any cities in Somaliland so as other people who are interested in the event get access to the resources and enjoy their turn.
By: Abdi Fahiye
