A community-based approach to prevent social exclusion of Somali youth in Finland

The current study is a brief evaluation of a community-based project called “Gurmad – Save the Youth”. The word “Gurmad” comes from the Somali language and it means saving someone. The project was implemented in 2017–2018 in Espoo, Finland. The main aim of the project was to prevent social exclusion and radicalization among immigrant young adults living in the area. Another aim was to create a community-based approach to help solve their social problems. In this study, the Trident approach is utilized to structure the available results of an internal, participatory evaluation. Confirmed strengths of the project could serve as a rationale for the continuation of the programme.

Barriers to Social Inclusion that Affect Somali Youth in Toronto, 2005

Barriers to Social Inclusion that Affect Somali Youth in Toronto, 2005

Barriers to Social Inclusion that Affect Somali Youth in Toronto, 2005

Barriers to Social Inclusion that Affect Somali Youth in Toronto, 2005

Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Support of Violent Radicalization: Variations by Geographic Location

Objectives: We examine the association between perceived discrimination, mental health, social support, and support for violent radicalization (VR) in young adults from three locations across two countries: Montréal and Toronto, Canada, and Boston, United States. A secondary goal is to test the moderating role of location.Methods: A total of 791 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30, drawn from the Somali Youth longitudinal study and a Canada-based study of college students, participated in the study. We used multivariate linear regression to assess the association between scores on the Radical Intentions Scale (RIS) with demographic characteristics, anxiety, depression, social support, and discrimination.Results: In the full sample, discrimination, age, and gender were associated with RIS scores. When we examined moderation effects by location, RIS scores were associated with depression only in Montréal, and with social support (negatively) and discrimination in Toronto. None of the variables were significant in Boston.Conclusion: These findings suggest that an understanding of risk and protective factors for support of VR may be context-dependent. Further research should take into consideration local/regional differences.

Identifying Barriers faced by Ottawa Somali Youth in Accessing Post-secondary and Vocational Opportunities: An Example of Community-Based Participatory Research

In 2016, with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed Grant program, the Somali Centre for Family Services of Ottawa (SCFS) invited the Centre for Studies on Poverty and Social Citizenship (CSPSC) at Carleton University to carry out a needs assessment focusing on the barriers faced by Somali youth in accessing post-secondary education and employment training opportunities. The main objective of the needs assessment was to address social and economic exclusion locally by inviting Somali youth (ages 19-30) from the Ottawa area to participate in focus groups to discuss the barriers they have faced in accessing post-secondary education and employment training programs, and to invite their views on the supports needed to address these barriers. The CSPSC and the SCFS agreed that the research would involve a participatory action research approach where members of the Somali and Muslim Community would participate on an advisory committee, and where youth from the Somali Community would be directly involved in all phases of the research. Five themes were identified during the analysis: Barriers to accessing post-secondary education; Barriers to accessing job placements and training programs; Barriers to securing employment; A need for a Somali-focused employment resource centre; A need for Somali youth mentors.