Invitation to discuss Somali, immigrant issues, accepted by Watson, Doucet
By Kristy Nease,
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
 Ottawa Mayor, Larry O'Brien |
"Unfortunately, his campaign office has not returned our repeated invitation," Alaweh says. "I don't know why, maybe he thinks we're insignificant, or maybe he thinks we don't overwhelmingly vote. But I think he's really mistaken."
Alaweh has been an advocate of politics for years -- in Ottawa, since 2004. He started the website Safaripost.net in August to try to engage people in this year's municipal election, especially the young men whom he says are too often getting into trouble with the law.
Alaweh thinks that getting youths involved in politics at the local, provincial and federal levels will help them engage in and feel they're an important of Canadian life overall.
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"The community, especially the males over 30 years old, over 25 years old, are very, very disillusioned," he says. "They think whatever we do, even though we get involved, these politicians will only use us. But I always encourage them." To date, Alaweh has been able to speak with two candidates about their ideas, Jim Watson and Clive Doucet. He's put up the interviews online, along with video and photos. Also on the website are links to news articles, editorials and other material geared toward Canada's visible minorities.
Once -- or if -- Alaweh gets to speak to O'Brien and Andrew Haydon, Alaweh says he plans to endorse one of them. He'll begin trying to get in touch with Haydon soon.
"I don't want to choose for the community, but I want to suggest which one I think will best serve the community," he said.
So far, he seems the most impressed with Doucet, whom Alaweh says was more engaging, warm and passionate than Watson, and whose streetcar idea he likes.
Alaweh is also interviewing young visible minorities on how they feel about Canadian life and why. Those interviews will also be put up on the website, which will remain active after Oct. 25 to continue covering issues of concern to visible minorities.
"I want to go beyond ... the traditional way of contacting the Somali community, and even other minority communities," Alaweh says. He's noticed that sometimes, candidates will ask someone in the community to tell everyone simply to vote for them, "not even informing the public about what they stand for."
That's something he's keen to change.
"We don't have to wait for people to do something for us, we have to do something for ourselves," he says. "That's the beauty of Canada."
Source: Ottawa Citizen