Adam Matan OBE (Somali Adan Mataan) (Arabic: آدم متان) is a Somali-British civil society leader and social activist. 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. 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".
Personal life
Matan came to the United-Kingdom as a teenager following the Somali Civil War. He lives in London and holds a PgDip in Law and Leadership from SOAS University of London 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. He is a former One Young World Ambassador and has advised the British government about the Somali community. He has participated in a number of high-level engagements connecting the British and Somali government such as the London-Somali Conference 2012 and 2017. He participated in a successful UK-wide campaign to save vital remittances in 2017. He also serves as Trustee on two charitable boards (Hammersmith United Charities 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.
Lectures, talks and conferences
Matan has been invited to speak at a number of events with think-tanks such as Chatham House, Global Youth Summit, Ministry of Women, Human Rights and Development Conference and many others. 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. Matan was also an anti-corruption panellist at the 3rd National Somali Economic Policy Forum 2019.
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'. 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.
References
- Oslo (PRIO), Peace Pesearch Institute. "Conversation with novelist Nadifa Mohamed and activist Adam Matan". www.prio.org. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
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- Clare, Sean (2013-05-08). "The British Somalis heading home". Archived from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- "SOAS Honorary Fellow Sir Michael Palin knighted in New Year's Honours". SOAS University of London. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- "Overview". Anti Tribalism Movement : The ATM. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- "Adam Matan". One Young World. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- Harrison, Jane (2014-03-25). "Champion for Somali community meets Government ministers". getwestlondon. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- Britain Helps (2017-11-08). "On Monday we hosted a community forum to discuss #ForeignPolicy in #Somalia with @UKinSomalia, @DFID_UK & @Movementatm's @Adammatanpic.twitter.com/Qn7o9ph4EX" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-10-19 – via Twitter.
- "Somalia conference set to start as world leaders plan higher military presence | The Star". thestar.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- Banning-Lover, Rachel. "Cutting lifelines: 'If we can't send money home everyone suffers'". labs.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-16. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- Liberatore, Giulia (2018). "Forging a 'Good Diaspora': Political Mobilization among Somalis in the UK" (PDF). Development and Change. 49 (1): 146–169. doi:10.1111/dech.12358. hdl:20.500.11820/c8517320-54c5-4e16-a90c-433298c541ba. ISSN 1467-7660.
- "Economic Secretary meets London's Somali community to consider government on issue of remittances". Salaan Media. 2015-03-24. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- "Trustee Adam Matan appointed an OBE – Hammersmith United Charities". hamunitedcharities.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- "Hammersmith Reflections – Young achievers recognised at Hammersmith and Fulham Youth Achievement Awards – Hammersmith United Charities". hamunitedcharities.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-10-14. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- "Independent resident-led policing and crime commission begins". LBHF. 2018-12-05. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- "NEW YEAR'S HONOURS: Local heroes recognised for their work to keep H&F safe". LBHF. 2019-01-04. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- London Borough, Hammersmith and Fulham. "Hammersmith & Fulham Policing and Crime Commission (PCC)" (PDF). democracy.lbhf.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 Dec 2020.
- "Chatham House Biographies" (PDF). Chatham House. 2019. Retrieved 13 Oct 2019.
- Chatham House Africa (2019-07-12). "'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" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-10-14 – via Twitter.
- Global Youth Summit: Adam Matan, UK & Somalia, archived from the original on 2019-04-18, retrieved 2019-10-13
- SHIRWEYNAHA HAWEENKA SOOMAALIYEED OO YAGLEELAYA ISBAHAYSI ILAALIYA XUQUUQDA SHAKHSI KASTA, retrieved 2019-10-19
- Hamud, Abdullahi (2019-03-05). "Was nice seeing my friend @adammatan in Mogadishu, participating Somali Women Convention organised by @MwomenHRD #ShirweynahaHaweenkapic.twitter.com/7zJ7Jfi3St" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-10-19 – via Twitter.
- "Mayor calls for improved efforts to tackle violent extremism". London City Hall. 2019-01-29. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- Return to Somalia: Adam & Abdi's Story, retrieved 2019-10-14
- Anti-Tribalism Movement - Droughts Project - Adam Matan in Mogadishu, Somalia., retrieved 2019-10-15
- South Acton Heritage Film, retrieved 2019-10-14
- "Amazing African documentaries you're gonna wanna see". African Arguments. 2018-10-23. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- Somalia, National Economic Council Of (2019-12-07). ".@adammatan from @movementatm shares his expriences [sic] on corruption in the country and how it affects him bad abroad as his country bieng [sic] labelled as 'the most corrupted country' in the world. adam went on to question Transparency International studies in the country #3rdNEPF2019pic.twitter.com/T2U1qwF4IH". @EconomicSomalia. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- Somalia, National Economic Council Of (2019-12-07). "National Economic Policy Forum, Somalia, Twitter". @EconomicSomalia. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- "Full New Year's Honours list 2019 - the new MBEs, OBEs, Knights, Dames and more". Metro. 2018-12-29. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- WARKA AADAN MATAAN OO AH WIIL SOOMAALIYEED OO BILAD SHARAF LAGU GUDOON SIIYAY INGIRIISKA 21 04 2019, retrieved 2019-10-14
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- "Somali-Brit honoured by Royal Family with order of chivalry". www.hiiraan.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- Bax-WLON, Steve (2014-05-14). "In Pictures: The 2014 Pride in Our People Awards". getwestlondon. Retrieved 2019-10-13.