An UN-backed new cultural initiative dubbed the Home of Somali Poetry was launched in Somalia on Wednesday to help promote unity among Somalis.
The initiative backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brings together Somali poets and poetry enthusiasts to promote Somali poetry and use it to foster peace and human rights.
UNDP Somalia Resident Representative, Jocelyn Mason said the UN agency is delighted to support the Home of Somali Poetry as it strides onto the Somali cultural scene.
“Poetry unites all Somalis and this common language and literary inheritance is a powerful tool for peace,” Mason said in a statement issued in Mogadishu to mark the launch.
The Home of Somali Poetry website hosts a growing Somali Poetry Archive, which preserves the classics and showcases new work from a fresh generation of poets, as well as an online magazine for poetry-related articles, interviews with poets, live performances, learning resources and more.
The initiative will also organize special events to help unite Somalis around their shared literary culture and advocate for peace and human rights, as well as commissioning new work from Somali poets and organizing live performances and cultural exchanges.
