Adam Matan Explained

Adam Matan OBE (Somali Adan Mataan) (Arabic: آدم متان) is a Somali-British civil society leader and social activist.[1] He is the former Director of the Anti-Tribalism Movement, a non-profit organisation established in 2010 to combat tribalism and inequality amongst the British-Somali community.[2] In 2019, he became the first British-Somali to be appointed an OBE for "services to the Somali community in the UK and wider British-Somali relations".[3]  

Personal life

Matan came to the United-Kingdom as a teenager following the Somali Civil War.[4] He lives in London and holds a PgDip in Law and Leadership from SOAS University of London[5] and an LLM in International Minority Rights Law from Middlesex University.

Career

Matan was the director of Anti-Tribalism Movement for over 10 years —a charity established in 2010 in the United Kingdom to combat tribalism within the Somali community following the Somali Civil War.[6] He is a former One Young World Ambassador[7] and has advised the British government about the Somali community.[8] He has participated in a number of high-level engagements connecting the British and Somali government[9] such as the London-Somali Conference 2012 and 2017.[10] He participated in a successful UK-wide campaign to save vital remittances in 2017.[11] [12] [13] He also serves as Trustee on two charitable boards (Hammersmith United Charities[14] [15] and Trust for London) as well as chairing the Independent Policing and Crime Commission for Hammersmith and Fulham which published an independent-resident led report in 2020 assessing crime in the borough.[16] [17] [18]

Lectures, talks and conferences

Matan has been invited to speak at a number of events with think-tanks such as Chatham House,[19] [20] Global Youth Summit, Ministry of Women, Human Rights and Development Conference[21] and many others.[22] He featured in a documentary called Return to Somalia - documenting a trip back to Somalia along with Abdifatah Faisal. In addition to this, he was featured in the South Acton Heritage film (2014). He has published reviews for media houses such as African Arguments.[23] Matan was also an anti-corruption panellist at the 3rd National Somali Economic Policy Forum 2019.[24] [25]

Awards and achievements

Matan was featured in the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2019 for 'services to the Somali community in the U.K and wider- UK-Somalia relations'.[26] [27] [28] and presented with the OBE medal at an investiture overseen by the HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on 28 March 2019. He is the first British-Somali to be honoured with an OBE award.

He was winner of the Community Champion Award at Pride of Our People 2014.[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Conversation with novelist Nadifa Mohamed and activist Adam Matan. Oslo (PRIO). Peace Pesearch Institute. www.prio.org. en. 2019-10-15.
  2. News: Somali group fights tribalism in diaspora. 2011-12-08. Reuters. 2019-10-13. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204253/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-clans-idUSTRE7B70IU20111208. 2019-10-13. live.
  3. Web site: Adam Matan receives OBE at Buckingham Palace. 2019-03-29. Anti Tribalism Movement : The ATM. en-US. 2019-10-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20191017135013/https://theatm.org/2019/03/29/adam-matan-receives-obe-at-buckingham-palace/. 2019-10-17. live.
  4. News: The British Somalis heading home. Clare. Sean. 2013-05-08. 2019-10-13. en-GB. https://web.archive.org/web/20191202113541/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22431604. 2019-12-02. live.
  5. Web site: SOAS Honorary Fellow Sir Michael Palin knighted in New Year's Honours . SOAS University of London . en. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204252/https://www.soas.ac.uk/news/newsitem137701.html. 2019-10-13. live.
  6. Web site: Overview. Anti Tribalism Movement : The ATM. en-US. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015091215/https://theatm.org/who-we-are/who-we-are-overview/. 2019-10-15. live.
  7. Web site: Adam Matan. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013134755/https://www.oneyoungworld.com/profile-main/87541. dead. 2019-10-13. One Young World. en. 2019-10-13.
  8. Web site: Champion for Somali community meets Government ministers. Harrison. Jane. 2014-03-25. getwestlondon. 2019-10-15.
  9. britainhelps. 928302199402323973. On Monday we hosted a community forum to discuss #ForeignPolicy in #Somalia with @UKinSomalia, @DFID_UK & @Movementatm's @Adammatanpic.twitter.com/Qn7o9ph4EX. Britain Helps. 2017-11-08. en. 2019-10-19.
  10. Web site: Somalia conference set to start as world leaders plan higher military presence The Star. thestar.com. en. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204250/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2012/02/22/somalia_conference_set_to_start_as_world_leaders_plan_higher_military_presence.html. 2019-10-13. live.
  11. Web site: Cutting lifelines: 'If we can't send money home everyone suffers'. Banning-Lover. Rachel. labs.theguardian.com. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20180916182455/http://labs.theguardian.com/cutting-lifelines-somalia-remittances/. 2018-09-16. live.
  12. Liberatore. Giulia. 2018. Forging a 'Good Diaspora': Political Mobilization among Somalis in the UK. Development and Change. en. 49. 1. 146–169. 10.1111/dech.12358. 1467-7660. 20.500.11820/c8517320-54c5-4e16-a90c-433298c541ba. free.
  13. Web site: Economic Secretary meets London's Somali community to consider government on issue of remittances.. 2015-03-24. Salaan Media. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015224935/http://salaanmedia.com/2015/03/economic-secretary-meets-londons-somali-community-to-consider-government-on-issue-of-remittances/. 2019-10-15. live.
  14. Web site: Trustee Adam Matan appointed an OBE – Hammersmith United Charities. hamunitedcharities.org.uk. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204257/https://hamunitedcharities.org.uk/2019/01/03/trustee-adam-matan-awarded-an-obe/. 2019-10-13. live.
  15. Web site: Hammersmith Reflections – Young achievers recognised at Hammersmith and Fulham Youth Achievement Awards – Hammersmith United Charities. hamunitedcharities.org.uk. 2019-10-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20191014202659/https://hamunitedcharities.org.uk/2019/03/19/hammersmith-reflections-young-achievers-recognised-at-hammersmith-and-fulham-youth-achievement-awards/. 2019-10-14. live.
  16. Web site: Independent resident-led policing and crime commission begins. 2018-12-05. LBHF. en. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013134752/https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2018/12/independent-resident-led-policing-and-crime-commission-begins. 2019-10-13. live.
  17. Web site: NEW YEAR'S HONOURS: Local heroes recognised for their work to keep H&F safe. 2019-01-04. LBHF. en. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015224943/https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2019/01/new-year-s-honours-local-heroes-recognised-their-work-keep-hf-safe. 2019-10-15. live.
  18. Web site: London Borough. Hammersmith and Fulham. Hammersmith & Fulham Policing and Crime Commission (PCC). 19 Dec 2020. democracy.lbhf.gov.uk.
  19. Web site: Chatham House Biographies. 2019. Chatham House. 13 Oct 2019.
  20. AfricaProg. 1149625928470814729. 'We are constantly challenging the perceptions and narratives that exist in the West, about Africa, about where we come from, that is where diaspora diplomacy comes in.' @adammatan of @movementatm #CHAfricapic.twitter.com/LhBRS66YR3. Chatham House Africa. 2019-07-12. en. 2019-10-14.
  21. AbdullahiHamud. 1103054951025176576. Was nice seeing my friend @adammatan in Mogadishu, participating Somali Women Convention organised by @MwomenHRD #ShirweynahaHaweenkapic.twitter.com/7zJ7Jfi3St. Hamud. Abdullahi. 2019-03-05. en. 2019-10-19.
  22. Web site: Mayor calls for improved efforts to tackle violent extremism. 2019-01-29. London City Hall. en-GB. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204254/https://www.london.gov.uk//press-releases/mayoral/mayor-calls-for-effort-to-tackle-violent-extremism. 2019-10-13. live.
  23. Web site: Amazing African documentaries you're gonna wanna see. 2018-10-23. African Arguments. en-GB. 2019-10-14.
  24. Web site: .@adammatan from @movementatm shares his on corruption in the country and how it affects him bad abroad as his country labelled as 'the most corrupted country' in the world. adam went on to question Transparency International studies in the country #3rdNEPF2019pic.twitter.com/T2U1qwF4IH . https://web.archive.org/web/20191207205726/https://twitter.com/EconomicSomalia/status/1203303608609054720 . 7 December 2019 . Somalia. National Economic Council Of. 2019-12-07. @EconomicSomalia. en. 2019-12-14.
  25. Web site: National Economic Policy Forum, Somalia, Twitter. Somalia. National Economic Council Of. 2019-12-07. @EconomicSomalia. en. 2019-12-14.
  26. Web site: Full New Year's Honours list 2019 - the new MBEs, OBEs, Knights, Dames and more. 2018-12-29. Metro. en. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013204252/https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/29/full-new-years-honours-list-2019-new-mbes-obes-knights-dames-8290688/. 2019-10-13. live.
  27. Web site: New Years Honours 2019: West London and women win big. 2019-01-10. KCW Today. en-GB. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20190115105010/http://www.kcwtoday.co.uk/2019/01/new-years-honours-2019-west-london-women-win-big/. 2019-01-15. live.
  28. Web site: Somali-Brit honoured by Royal Family with order of chivalry. www.hiiraan.com. en-US. 2019-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015224951/https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2019/mar/163030/somali_brit_honoured_by_royal_family_with_order_of_chivalry.aspx. 2019-10-15. live.
  29. Web site: In Pictures: The 2014 Pride in Our People Awards. Bax-WLON. Steve. 2014-05-14. getwestlondon. 2019-10-13.

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