[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1548-E1549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HONORING KA JOOG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 23, 2013

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the organization 
Ka Joog, and to recognize its contributions to the Somali community of 
Minnesota through art, education, and political action.
   Ka Joog launched in 2007 as an organization with no funding, but 
with an abundance of energy and dedication. The organizers, led by 
Mohamed Farah, worked tirelessly to establish an environment where 
Somali youth could gather and solve problems in their community. Their 
challenges were abundant--from the language and cultural separation of 
growing up in a foreign country, to the negative media attention of 
gang shootings and drug trafficking. The members wanted to help Somali 
teens ``stay away''--the translation of Ka Joog--from ``drugs, 
violence, radicalization and other negative influences, and instead to 
stay on the right path by attaining higher education and serving and 
volunteering in their communities.''
   And in that, they have been phenomenally successful. Last year, Ka 
Joog was awarded the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award by the 
FBI's Minneapolis Division, as well as the Ninth Ward's Youth Leader of 
the Year award. In just six years, Ka Joog has established itself as a 
political and cultural force in the Twin Cities.
   Its programming is diverse and effective. Mentoring groups provide 
support and guidance to the youngest of the community through 
workshops, field trips and tutoring. A program called ``Invisible Art'' 
fosters discussions through prose, poetry and song, nurturing 
creativity and effective communication. A summer camp last year 
provided a new connection to Minnesota's natural environment for 
disadvantaged Somali youth, many of whom had never left the Twin 
Cities. Ka Joog regularly hosts conferences and roundtables on issues 
affecting the Somali community, gathering local, state, and federal 
officials to discuss gang violence, job opportunities, education, 
health and medical disparities, and the prevention of terrorism. Not 
only does their work solve many problems through discussion, coalition 
building, and personal engagement, it also demonstrates to youth who 
feel left out of the political process that they too can accomplish 
their goals by working hard and working together.
   Ka Joog has already helped thousands of Minnesota youth, and it is 
poised to help even

[[Page E1549]]

more in the future. On behalf of all Minnesotans, I thank Ka Joog for 
its public service.

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