8.00-10.00 Mother tongue connects

10.00-12.00 Panel: HIBF connects to Djibouti – Afar Pen & Somali Pen from Djibouti: a perfect multi-culture multi-language society.
Djibouti had always a special session in HIBF since we started 10 years ago. This panel will specifically focus on multi-language societies and Djibouti pioneers in this category. We are delighted to host for the first time Afar PEN president, Aïcha Mohamed Robleh, with Somali PEN president (Abdall Hagi) in Djibouti to discuss about the multi-language society.
Aïcha Mohamed Robleh: the role of Afar Pen in contribution the growth of Djibouti Society.
Born in 1965 in Djibouti, Aïcha Mohamed Robleh graduated with a Diploma in Workplace Relations, specialising in work-health issues. She was the Departmental Head in the Office of the Minister for Employment, with regard to matters of lifestyle, before being elected a Deputy in Djibouti’s National Assembly in 2003. Then, in 2005, she was nominated Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the promotion of women’s rights, family and social welfare issues. Aïcha Mohamed Robleh is the writer of numerous stage plays performed by the company “La Voix de L’Est” of which she was the founder. Her play La Dévoilée [The Unveiled Woman], was acclaimed by UNESCO in 1998. 
Ms. Aïcha is now leading the Afar Pen in Djibouti and she will share with the audience the role of that association in the social development of her country.

Abdalla Hagi (Somali Pen): who is a hero?
To whom we can recognize a hero? The one who kills at the war time, or the one who fights for peace. Every day has its unique hero. What Somali culture says about the heroes? Abdalla Hagi, a long time radio Djibouti archivist and presenter, and currently president of the Somali Pen in Djibouti will share with us his study about how Somali literature depicted the essence of the heroines.

16.00-18.00: Children’s Program
Children Panel
Muse Isse (Muuse Dalmar), editor of Carruurteenna, Somali children’s magazine published by the Somali Nordic Culture which is a non-profit organisation comprising of students, writers, storytellers, librarians, journalists and artists; and, Matilda Wallin works at Swedish International Library and member of Somali Nordic Culture;

19.00-21.00 Special Event – Community Cohesion Dinner – Venue: Hargeysa Cultural Centre
HCC is pleased to host a community building dinner. We have invited members of the diverse communities living and working in Somaliland to a wonderful evening of food, Somali culture and celebration. We hope this dinner will bringing people together and help us to build on our shared values to achieve a common vision and a sense of belonging for all communities. In Somaliland the diversity of people’s different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued; We hope to celebrate this diversity and hope this leads to strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in the schools and within neighbourhoods.

Traditional Dance; Live music (Cabdinasir Macallin Caydiid and his band); Poetry in translation (Martin Orwin, linguist and scholar and Ahmed Aw Geedi and Hassan Dahir Ismail “Weedhsame”).