DingityArt at Nordic Somali Youth Summit in Copenhagen

The third Nordic Somali Youth Summit was arranged in 2014 and gathered 200 Somali youth from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. The DignityArt project from the Oslo and Stockholm summit was taken further at the Copenhagen summit, using the participants input to enhance the proud poetry traditions of Somalia.

Before the conference, the youth were invited to send in their favorite Somali poem, or a poem of their own, or other words for inspiration. A great, international mixture of poetry, wise words and proverbs from all over the world was the result – a true international attitude.

Inspirational texts from the youth were printed on cards – with text on one side and traditional, colorful pattern on the other side. The cards were hanging from the ceiling, welcoming everyone on their way in to the conference room.

The Nordic Somali Youth Summit is a yearly summit aiming to promote dialogue and discussion around the issues of education, employment and social entrepreneurship opportunities. It includes a job fair with representatives from different companies, organizations and agencies, a help desk for resume building, CV writing and job training, as well as musical performance and inspiring speeches from role models. The summit is organized by Leadership Foundation.

US Ambassador to Copenhagen, Rufus Gifford, and collaborating partner on the art project, Yusra Osman