1993_05 Insight May 1993

              Page 6
May 5,1993
Insight
News
Coffee brings all
cultures together
♦ International
students discuss
cultural differences
in ISSP sponsored
program.
By Yuji Terayama
Wong, a student in the recreation
department, began its eight-week
program on March 16 at ihe University Restaurant in the Country
Store.
Every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 4
p.m. one or two international students give prcscntationsaboul their
Staff Writer
"I have fell that many American
students still misunderstand my
country in particular areas. I have
been bothered by people asking
mc questions which even my
grandmother can't answer," said
Ayano Tashima, an exchange student from Kochi, Fresno's sister
city in Japan.
She was satisfied with the surprised faces of audiences when she
concluded the presentation aboul
love and marriages in Japan.
She thought that this was a good
opportunity to tell correct and recent information aboul Japan to
them when International Student
Services and Programs asked her
lo participate in its new program.
One student's class project has
been turned into a forum promoting international culture exchange
for all students.
The International Coffee Hour
Program, coordinated by Eliza
"Actually, this wasn't my idea.
Carol Munshower, a director of
ISSP, had the idea for a long lime
but she couldn't gel it going. She
was too busy. So, she suggested
mc tocoordinate ihc program when
I asked for a volunteer job at the
office in the beginning of this semester," Wong said.
"The purpose of ihe program is
two-fold. The program nol only
provides knowledge about the di f-
fcrcnt parts of the world but also
helps io promote better relations."
This semester is almost over and
so is the program.
Dr. Robert Levine, the chairman
of Psychology Department and a
regular audience in the program,
will give a presentation May 4,
and Russian students will give presentations on May 11.
ISSP office would like io continue the program in next semester; however, it will need another
coordinator for the program because Wong won't be back next
semester. Those who arc interested in die position can contact
the ISSP office.
INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUR
Prof reveals origins
of Somalia's strife
♦ U.S. aid hinders
more than helps
battered country of
Somalidf^says prof
By Scott A. Carter
Staff Writer
Death, hunger and poverty form the
image many people in America and
ihc world sec when the struggle of the
people of Somalia is shown on ihe
evening news.
"I could not have imagined this in
1983." said CSUF professor of business Mostafa Elhag, who reflected on
his experience that began there approximately 10 years ago.
With ihc recent intervention by ihc
United States military, the image has
lumed to one of violence and uncertainly of what the future holds for the
people and government of Somalia.
Elhag, who lived in Somalia from
1982 to 1987. said Somalia was a
different place when he was there.
Elhag, who is originally from Egypt,
was ihcrc on a special project to icach
administration skills to Somalis.
He said the people of Somalia became dependent on aid, and he questioned the aid policies of the United
States ttiward Somalia and many other
He said the clan leaders began to
fight over the presidency because the
president controls ihc aid and money
from the other countries.
Elhag said after the ouster of Barre,
people did nol feel secure enough to
tend their herds and the famine began
to develop.
"When the famine started, society
became lawless and people needed
guns to get food," he said.
lackof communication systems. Elhag
said most of the communication is
done face to face.
"Imagine California without roads
and phones," he said.
He said the people must buy powdered milk because there is no way for
the people to collect the milk in a
central location. Elhag said there arc
millions of catde that could provide
needed milk and a stable industry lo
"Wc gi ve those countries, of course,
food and grain and things like that,
which is admirable when a country
has famine. But this shouldn't continue io the point that makes the country completely dependent on [U.S.]
aid," Elhag said.
He said the people fighting in Somalia used to be nomads wiih herds of
camels and goatswho sold their livestock and lived ,:okay" for ccniurics.
More lhan two-thirds ofthe Somalia
populace arc nomadic or semi-nomadic and depend on farming for
their livelihood.
Elhag said nomadic people need lo
come io the city only aboul twice a
year but the drought forced people lo
abandon their herdsandcropstocomc
to the city for food and jobs created by
the relief efforts.
Most of ihc job seekers, who were
herders of camels, took jobs such as
drivers for the aid relief trucks.
'This hurts thecountry because once
the aid level drops then all ihc people
find themselves in the streets without
jobs or food and fighting for what
food is available," he said.
"Guns equal food," said F.lhag.
He said the problems wc sec today
started with the removal of Gen.
Muhammad Siyad Barre in 1987.
Barre, who had ruled Somalia since
1969, was removed from power and
warlords took over different parts of
ihc country and began to fight for
control of the government.
Dr. Mostafa Elhag lived in Somalia from 1982 to 1987.
Elhag said that weapons were still    the people of Somalia if there were
available from ihc war with Ethiopia,    sufficient roads and transportation in
In  1977, Somalia invaded the    place.
Ogadcn region of Ethiopia in an un-      He said die Somali people must find
successful attempt to annex the tcrri-    a way to feed themselves or the fighi-
•wy- ing will continue.
Elhag said the arms were provided
by the Soviet Union and 'the United
States during the Ogadcn War.
"Thcarms were plentiful in the country," Elhag said.
He said ihc current situation will nol
be solved until the guns are out of the
hands of ihc warlords and ihc people.
"Between 1980 and 1987 Somalia
was going pretty well and ihc United
States could have helped the Somalis
develop n.orc agricultural land instead of jusi giving ihc people food,"
Elhag said.
For example, he said, ihc United
Stales could have helped dam rivers
for irrigation thai would establish farm
communities along ihc rivers.
"This would be lasting for them
rather than giving ihcm a shipload of
grain," he said.
Another problem for Somalia is the
Elhag said the United States should
continue to help the people improve
themselves, but the change to a better
life will be gradual.
"The country needs a cooling-off
period," Elhag said.
He said die people need to gel back
to ihcir traditional tribal waysof solving problems with the elders of the
clans sitting down and settling their
differences.
" Wc need a central government, but
at the same time wc need to allow die
private enterprise people, including
the nomadic activities, to get back to
whai il was in the past," Elhag said.
Elhag and other CSUF professors
were in Somalia to implement a S3.5
million project funded by the World
Bank in 1982 to educate people in
administration skills for three years.
"We trained people for government
and civil service as well as the private
sector," he said.
The program consisted of a Masters
of Business Administration curriculum.
Elhajj said the program produced 99
MBAs.
An example of the program's success was evident in the Ministry of
Treasury.
He said there was no ministry until
the program graduated students to run
the ministry.
Elhag said the program is no longer
in existence because of the fighting.
He said he still keeps in touch with
his former studcnLs who arc in various
administration positions around the
Elhag believes die current iwo year
plan by the United Nations is sufficient io get Somalia back on its feet.
"During the two-year period, wc
must provide any funds that arc available to help them rebuild their agricultural infrastructure," he said.
"But if the aid shipments can be
controlled by this group or that group,
then the fighting will start all over
again."
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