SCIENTISTS IN THE LAND OF POETS ¹

I

Over the capital of Somaliland shone the moon, which Nikolai Gumilev admired when he traveled to these places eighty-three years ago:

I remember the night and the sandy land

And the moon is so low in the sky.

And I remember that I couldn't take my eyes off

From her golden path ² .

What you saw on land of Somalia it made a disturbing impression on the poet:

There are no thunderstorms in the whole of Africa somalia,

They are not more dreary land...

However, the country Gumilyov traveled through was not only inhabited by soldiers: as early as 1854, the English Arabist and traveler R. Barton noted that Somalia was "teeming with poets" ³ . Perhaps Gumilyov knew about this - some stanzas of his "Peninsula" were written using alliteration, which is the basis of the Somali versification.:

So many white men were speared in the dark

At the sand wells of her,

Let Ogaden speak of their exploits

Bands of hungry hyenas.

It is noteworthy that the conference was attended by two famous Somali poets - Hadrawi and Garrie, which is natural for a country where one half of the inhabitants are poets, and the other half consider themselves such. Somalis ' passion for poetry has not yet been scientifically explained. Perhaps it's the local air, which, according to my feelings, is akin to the Greek ether. It affects the aliens in the same way. Having inhaled it, the outstanding Somaliwed B. Andrzejewski became a famous Polish poet ⁴ And J. R. R. Tolkien Johnson, author of the best-selling book "Heellooy, Heelleellooy..." ⁵ and other works on the theory of Somali verse? As a prose poem, I would refer to his report on the poetic traditions of Somalis and Mande-speaking peoples. The finale of the work is inspired by a truly poetic inspiration: "The metric patterns of classical Somali poetry are so complex that they tend to exclude any variations, except for the most predictable and minimal ones, which are the result of imperfect memory, and sometimes "corrective" manipulations of the performer/memorizer 6 . If we add to this a set of themes that are acceptable for each poetic genre, and a musical structure that sometimes directly affects the metric, then we can understand how the goal of verbal memorization becomes the norm of this tradition. Mande poets dealing with a complex plot,.. We have developed intricate formulas and themes that help us memorize lines of poetry, and memory is not the dominant factor in the plot poetry of epic forms. Both societies solve the problem of creating oral poetic genres with simplified metrical templates in a similar way..." ⁷ .

Ch. Gescheckter ⁸ both in Hargeisa, and during the trip to Boramo, Gebiley, Berbera and Sheh, I did not part with a notebook in which I constantly wrote something. I have no doubt that a member of the International Society of Humorists was constantly composing limericks. Lee Casanelli ⁹ in general, he spoke in verse, which explains why of all the Americans in Congress, I understood him the worst. There are suspicions based on indirect signs (absent smile, absent look) in relation to R. Ford ¹⁰ and V. Luling ¹¹ .

Yes, and I, once in the country of one-eyed ¹² , became like everyone else. After a sip of ether and a bite of camel meat (in the house of a former Kiev resident Ali Yusuf Ahmed), I wrote three poems. In the first one, I likened Edna ¹³ Etna, however, without losing sight of what makes them different: the energy of a woman is creative and constant, the energy of a volcano is destructive and only occasionally makes itself felt

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To know. In the second poem, I corrected a historical error - I changed the surname Geschekter to Geschichtler ¹⁴ , believing that it is more suitable for a scientist who has devoted his talent to studying the past of Somalia. In the third, I confessed that I had always envied Andre Gide, who, in his words, "became a nomad so that he could voluptuously touch everything that wanders." The fourth poem was left unfinished: as soon as the plane left Somali airspace, the inspiration left me. To finish it, you need to go back.

II

The congress was dedicated to the problems of peace, power and reconstruction. The reports (about a hundred of them) focused mainly on the following topics: ending conflict and building peace; post-war economic recovery; culture and language in the context of peace and harmony; the role of the Somali diaspora in political, cultural and technological development; clans and civil society; the role of women in achieving harmony and building peace; human rights; environmental issues; health and education; governance and democratization.

Keeping Prutkov's truism in mind, I will not try to reflect all the diversity of ideas expressed in Hargeisa. This is not necessary, since most of the reports will be published in the Proceedings of the Congress. I will mention, without claiming to be objective, only those that I listened to myself (in addition to the plenary sessions, there were many parallel sessions) or that were transmitted to me by their authors. It is convenient to arrange the material according to its internal chronology: lessons from the past, interpretation of the present, variants of the future, although not all works, of course, fit into the Procrustean bed of this scheme.

Ch. Gescheckter (USA) in the report " Concentration and dispersal of power in Somalia XX century: from colonialism and independence to the collapse of the state and the Diaspora " highlights three features of the world order of the late XX century, which are associated with the collapse of Somali statehood: 1) the nature of the nation-state, whose structure, stability and future as a factor of progress have become highly problematic; 2) the emergence of an active ethnic group that has absorbed a wide range of Somali subcultures; 3) supranational influences, including labor migration, political refugees and the removal of barriers to free trade. With the end of the Cold war, for the first time in XX century Somalia has lost its geopolitical appeal. The State collapsed in 1991, when the sources of international aid dried up and centralized institutions disappeared. Suffering and mutilation marked the "economy of death"that followed. In the independent Republic of Somaliland and the autonomous province of Puntland, Somalis are experimenting with dispersed political structures that combine traditional institutions and written constitutions with innovative ways that differ from the centralized systems of European colonialism and independent Somalia. It seems that with the dispersal of political power in the beginning XXI century Many Somalis have come to identify with communities based on kinship (at home or abroad), rather than with a unified State nationalism based on the rights and responsibilities derived from shared citizenship. The revival of a centralized State in Somalia would mean the restoration of an institution whose role in the modern world is difficult to overestimate, but which suppressed Somalis and emphasized differences between them. As the Horn of Africa remains a region of limited resources and wealth, the maintenance of law and order appears to be better achieved through disparate local government institutions.

V. Luling (Great Britain) informed about its recently published book "The Somali Sultanate". The work is dedicated to the city of Afgoye, which was called Geledi in ancient times. It is described as a pre-colonial political organism. We can trace its further transformations, which, however, did not affect key institutions either during the period under the rule of the Italian colonialists, or after the independence of Somalia, or during the existence of Siad Barre's "scientific socialism" regime, or, finally, during the years of violence and political disintegration that followed its fall. According to the author, the study of such a structure can be part of a general reassessment of traditional and local institutions in the modern context. As elsewhere in Somalia, the old political institutions of the sultan and the nobility, which seemed to have disappeared forever under the onslaught of modern mechanisms of power, became an effective means of protection against anarchy. The history of Geledi (Afgoe) shows that the choice is always made in favor of local autonomy and federalism, rather than disintegration, which is also confirmed by the realities of today.

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Hussain M. Adam The report "State Formation and Recognition: Somaliland versus Eritrea" considers Somaliland as a relatively homogeneous society capable of developing power structures by adapting to a single tradition of religious and social life, laws, language, and worldview. The country is experiencing a resurgence of Islam, rather than radical fundamentalism, due to the absence of charismatic fundamentalist leaders and, more importantly, due to the role of the clan factor in Somali politics. Somaliland will have to realize that democracy is not limited to power sharing-it needs to develop political structures and institutions that can fight poverty, promote the emancipation of women, ensure a decent life for children, protect the rights of minorities, regulate the market for private services and solve many other important problems. Putting aside the issue of international recognition, Eritrea and Somaliland have accumulated experience that they can share with each other and other African countries that want to learn from it. In Eritrea, and to a lesser extent in Somaliland, the struggle for independence is based on the historical memory of the oppressed nation. Compared to Biafra and Katanga, Eritrea and Somaliland have stronger legal grounds - eighty or more years of existence as separate colonial structures.

In "Conflict prevention and peace building in Africa" J. L. Hirsch (USA) drew attention to the brutal violence that Siad Barre inflicted on Hargeisa in the late 1980s and the ordeal that the people of Somaliland have to endure over a decade later. The war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, regional conflicts in Central and West Africa, fighting in Sudan and armed clashes in several Somali territories are adding to the instability that persists across much of the continent. The former diplomat sees a move towards a culture of democracy, human rights and the rule of law as a way to overcome ethnic and religious violence.

Without peace, there is no development, and without development, there is no peace. R. Ford (US) and Adan Yusuf Abokar (Somalia) in the report "Using participatory mechanisms to achieve peace in decentralized Somaliland: new governance models in Africa". In their opinion, Somaliland demonstrates different models of power structures. New mechanisms of governance, power-sharing, and decision-making have emerged from a skilful combination of traditional and modern practices. In the absence of central planning and investment, alternative management and planning models help solve many problems. The example of the village of Dararweine, 35 km northeast of Hargeisa, clearly demonstrates the community's ability to find solutions to its problems, setting a precedent for de facto decentralization, which will almost certainly be part of governance in twenty-first-century Africa. First, peaceful construction must be initiated and implemented at the local level. Second, the tools for such construction and development are known and can be easily mastered through training programs and policy initiatives. Third, peaceful construction and local planning can have the greatest impact in a decentralized environment that gives people a sense of ownership and participation in the process. Fourthly, no matter how good the leaders are and how well the plans are laid, development cannot succeed without strong community institutions and methods of maintaining peace, dialogue, trust, cooperation and mutual assistance. Researchers suggest activating the youth of the Somali diaspora. At a modest cost, it is possible to create a Somali Peace Corps Abroad, which would send young and talented university graduates home to work for a year or two.

Diaspora issues were widely discussed at the congress. Historical and comparative data suggest that the participation of diasporas in the life of their countries can change significantly over time, says Lee Cassanelli (USA) in the report "Diaspora and Development: Historical and Comparative Models". The nature and effectiveness of participation depends on the characteristics of both the diaspora and the historical homeland. The ability of diaspora communities to contribute to the development of ancestral countries depends in part on their ability to organize themselves. Foreign diasporas do not need to speak with one voice in order to effectively influence the Governments and peoples of their host countries or engage in serious politics and lobbying. By taking such an initiative (as Cuban, Jewish, and Irish immigrants to the United States do, for example, no matter what their ideology may be), diasporas can play a significant role in shaping global public opinion and thus indirectly influence the state of affairs in the West.-

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to Dina. Similarly, the ability of Governments to mobilize the skills and resources of foreign communities depends partly on their sensitivity to diaspora issues, and partly on their ability to govern fairly and effectively. A vibrant and open Government can inspire members of the diaspora to invest ideas and resources in the development of their historic homeland and facilitate their efforts to introduce children, who are mostly born abroad and therefore tend to identify ideologically and personally with their new environment, to traditional goals and values.

The exodus of the most capable part of the population is one of the most serious consequences of the devastating civil war in Somalia. Abdulkadir Osman Farah (Denmark). According to its data, about 90% of Somalis with higher education have ended up in exile ("Somali and Danish Non-Governmental Organizations: restoring integration with rehabilitation and reconstruction"). The author believes that many of the 15,000 Somali refugees in Denmark are unable to adapt to an "unusual and complex" society, mainly due to "a mixture of legal restrictions and their own inertia."

G. Kroner (Austria) shows that Somali refugees face similar problems everywhere. She analyzes the peculiarities of attitudes towards "newcomers"in Christian Austria and in Muslim Egypt ("The formation of the personality and living conditions of Somali refugees in different countries").

M. Tilikainen (Finland) used the interview method to study the role of Islam in the lives of Diaspora women. In her report "Diaspora and Everyday Islam: Somalis in Finland", she considers religion as a factor that unites Somalis in this northern country. Islam gives Somali women hope for peace, unity, and a return to normalcy. It explains the nature of suffering and helps to alleviate it. For some women, self-awareness in Islam has become more important than belonging to the Somali nation.

Caliph Hassan Farah (Somalia) in its report, "The role of Islam in restoring peace and resolving the conflict in Somalia", noted that during a decade of relentless clan struggles, the absence of effective governance, and arbitrary and anarchic conditions, Islamic groups emerged as the main social and political force capable of providing security, maintaining vital social services, and improving the quality of life. guarantee spiritual rebirth. The role of Islamic groups has been particularly significant where political factions have failed to establish institutions of power , such as in Mogadishu and the central and southern provinces of Somalia.

Fovzia Abdulkadir (Canada), in its report "Can clan participation in government contribute to the twenty-first century revival of Somalia?", critically examined the possibility of clan representation in the Somali context, taking into account the impact of the decade-long civil war. In an attempt to answer the question that gave the report its name, the author discusses the ways in which clan representation functions in various levels of government before European colonization and after Somalia gained independence.

As part of the human rights debate, the report attracted widespread attention Hussein Mohamed Mousse (Somalia) "On the history of the Somali Bantu community in Somalia". Bantoid minorities live in Hiran, Middle Shabelle, Benadir, Bai, Bakol, Gedo, Lower Shabelle, Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba provinces and make up about 35% of the Somali population. These are mainly farmers and fishermen, but there are also technical specialists, merchants and suppliers. The Bantu languages spoken outside Somalia are Waziguwa, who speak Kiziguwa, Bajuni, who speak Kibajuni, and Barawa, whose native language is Chinini. The report, which describes the stages of Bantu settlement in the Horn of Africa, their relationship with Somalis, and the challenges they face today, ends with a "Call for the Salvation of the Bantu People in Somalia". The document reads in part: "As many of you obviously know, the Bantu in Somalia have endured a lot of hardships, and there is no end in sight to their suffering. The situation will become unbearable if urgent action is not taken. That is why we are publishing a call to save this forgotten people. Bantu people need assistance to address their socio-economic and legal problems, as well as issues related to reconstruction and education. In our opinion, education is the only weapon that our people can use to defend themselves. We need scholarships, retraining opportunities, and international and local sponsors. We appeal to your compassion. We hope for you."

Of course, many reports were delivered at the congress on important economic and health issues. Most of them, however, were fully understood only by specialists. Pascal Joan (France), for example, in the report "Berber Corridor" discussed the following issues:

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the potential of port facilities, routes, the condition of access roads, forklifts, transport costs, etc., and Adam Musa (Somalia) shared observations "on complications and side effects associated with topical use of active corticosteroids for the treatment of patients at the Hargeisa skin clinic" , etc.

In conclusion, a few words about the "eternal themes" related to the study of language, poetry and folklore. There were few participants in the philological section, but this was compensated by the activity of the above-mentioned Mohamed Warsame Hadravi, Mohamed Hashi Garrier and John William Johnson.

Salan Hashi Arab (Somalia) spoke about the work on the "45,000-word Explanatory Dictionary of the Somali Language", Mohamed Haji Rabi (Somalia) focused on some features of the Somali syntax, and Ahmed Abbas Ahmed (Somalia) shared his thoughts on Hadravi's poetry as a source of humanistic thought.

My report "Towards the paremiological minimum of the Somali language" was devoted to the results of a field experiment that had two goals: 1) find out how many proverbs and which ones are widely used in modern Somali culture; 2) find out what factors influence Somalis ' knowledge of proverbs. The experiment revealed 226 proverbs and sayings that are actively used by most informants.

III

The young unrecognized republic did everything possible to ensure the organizational and intellectual success of the congress. And she succeeded. At the presentation ceremony for foreign participants, I reminded the audience of a Somali fairy tale about a traveler who spent the night with a stranger. "There was a drought, and there was not enough food in the house. But the host received the guest well. He gave him supper and put him to bed on the best mat. In the morning, he gave the guest food and a supply of water for the journey. Saying goodbye, he said: "Good man, you have shown generosity and cordiality. I want to thank you. Which is better to do: give you five things or tell me about you in five camps?" "Tell me about me in the five camps," the host replied."

I promised to tell you about the generosity and hospitality of the congress hosts in five nomads. We will assume that this is one of them.

notes

¹ This refers to Somaliland - a republic within the former British colony, which declared independence in 1991 after the fall of the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre in the Somali Democratic Republic. However, the author has to admit that sometimes all the lands where Somalis live, in his apolitical mind, merge into one Somalia. In these particular cases, the word "country" gets a kind of broad interpretation.

² . Poems and Poems, Moscow, 1989.

³ Burton R. First Footsteps in East Africa. V. 1. L., 1894.

⁴ In the preface to B. Andrzejewski's collection Podroz do krajow legendarnich ("A trip to the Land of Legends") is an outstanding Polish poet Czesiaw Milosz he wrote :" As it seems to me, the picture of poetry of our century without Bugumil Anzheevsky would be incomplete."

⁵ . Heellooy, Heelleellooy: The Development of the Genre Heelo in Modem Somali Poetry. Bloomington, Indiana University. 1974.

⁶ For traditional ways of memorizing and distributing the works of Somali poets, see the review of G. L. Kapchits on B. Andzeevsky's collection "Anthology of Somali Poetry" / / Orient (Oriens). 1994. N 2. pp. 196-198.

⁷ . A Comparison of the Oral Poetic Styles of Performance Between Somali and Mande Traditions: Toward a Unified Theory of Oral Poetic Composition.

⁸ Professor at the University of California (Chico, USA).

⁹ Professor at the University of Pennsylvania (USA).

¹⁰ Professor at Clark University (USA).

¹¹ Independent researcher, author of works on the ethnography and history of Somalia.

¹² The first (modeling) part of the Somali proverb: "If you come to the land of the one-eyed, pluck out your own eye."

¹³ Edna Adam is one of the organizers of the congress.

¹⁴ Historian.

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