Amanda Lindhout
Encyclopedia
Amanda Lindhout is a Canadian
humanitarian and former freelance journalist
who was kidnapped on August 23, 2008 in Somalia
. She was released 15 months later on November 25, 2009.
, Iraq and worked on a freelance basis for France 24
, Iran's Press TV
, and had a column for Alberta's Red Deer Advocate
newspaper .
n photojournalist from Brisbane
, were kidnapped along with their Somali translator, Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi, their driver, Mahad Isse, and a driver from the Shamo Hotel, Marwali. They were believed to be traveling in a vehicle and were stopped by gunmen as they were going to visit a refugee camp.
On September 17, Al Jazeera
featured footage of Lindhout and Brennan in captivity surrounded by gunmen. On October 13, 2008, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$
2.5 million by October 28. On February 23, 2009, the Canadian Association of Journalists urged Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
to help secure the release of Lindhout and Khadija Abdul Qahaar, a Canadian woman who was kidnapped in November.
Elmi and the two drivers were released on January 15, 2009.
The kidnappers later lowered the ransom demand to $1 million.
in Nova Scotia
and is the executive director of the Global Enrichment Foundation. Lindhout has yet to speak publicly about the specific details of her time in captivity but has become a much sought after speaker on the topics of forgiveness, compassion and social responsibility.
Since her return to Canada, she has had interview requests from numerous media outlets including the Today Show, 60 Minutes
, Dateline
, and The Oprah Winfrey Show
. Lindhout is currently writing a memoir, titled A House In The Sky to be published by Simon and Schuster in 2012.
, founded by Lindhout in May 2010, is dedicated to developing strengths already within women in developing and conflict-ridden countries to assist them in changing their lives. Lindhout currently serves as the organization's Executive Director. "I've never questioned whether or not it was the right thing to do," Lindhout said to CBC's The National "What else to do after the experience that I had, than something like this?"
During her captivity, Lindhout says that she gained keen insights into how poverty and lack of education has destroyed Somalia, which, in 2010, was the poorest nation in the world. She sees the issues of children becoming soldiers in Africa as directly connected to a broader lack of educational opportunities. Lindhout believes the teenage Somali boys who kidnapped her were a product of their environment. “I used to wonder how they would have been different if they had had the opportunity to have an education, to understand something of a broader world view and learn something about tolerance,” she said.
Lindhout established a donation-funded scholarship program, The Somali Women's Scholarship Program as a means to empower the most oppressed section of Somali society and create female leadership through university education. In 2011 the GEF is sponsoring the university education of 36 women who will go to become doctors, teachers, environmentalists and engineers.
In 2011 the GEF launched SHE WILL,a micro-loan initiative for female Somali refugees in Kenya, with a goal of creating economic empowerment for widows and other women severely affected by poverty.
In May of 2011 the GEF became the sponsor of one of Somalia's only female basketball teams, The Sankaroos; providing uniforms, balls, hoops, and other equipment- supporting female leadership through sport.
The charity has also branched into famine relief through it's Convoy for Hope program. The program recently received a US$1 million donation from the Chobani Yoghurt company. Recently a group of high school students in Alberta raised over $23,000 to support the GEF's educational work.
, eventually drew her back to Africa in July of 2011. The "CBC's Curt Petrovich accompanied Lindhout as she travelled to Kenya for several weeks in July to see first-hand the mass flight of starving Somalis into refugee camps, a trip partly intended as research for a charity she founded but also a mission to confront her own demons.". During that visit, "Lindhout couldn’t help but see all the malnourished children. She began to think that maybe there was something she could do for them. And so the idea of a convoy of aid was born"
.
The first Convoy for Hope which delivered food aid into the southern Somali town of Dobley consisted of two large trucks with enough food to feed 14,000. That trip which took place in August 2011 was Lindhout's first trip back to Somalia since being released from captivity. It was reported that "when she saw the small blue Somali flag at the border, she welled up with tears". Despite the fact that "feeding the hungry was the reason she came. But for Amanda, the trip had another effect. It was also about reclaiming a part of herself". When asked about the personal significance of the return Lindhout said, "I think it is an opportunity for me to look at that fear and maybe let it go — this fear that I have been carrying around with me for some time".
Lindhout's return to Somalia was featured on major American news programs like Anderson Cooper 360, CNN's Sanjay Gupta and the Today Show.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
humanitarian and former freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who was kidnapped on August 23, 2008 in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. She was released 15 months later on November 25, 2009.
Journalism career
Lindhout was based out of BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq and worked on a freelance basis for France 24
France 24
France 24 is an international news and current affairs television channel. The service is aimed at the overseas market, similar to BBC World News, DW-TV, NHK World and RT, and broadcast through satellite and cable operators throughout the world. During 2010 the channel started broadcasting through...
, Iran's Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
, and had a column for Alberta's Red Deer Advocate
Red Deer Advocate
The Red Deer Advocate is a daily newspaper in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.Published by Black Press, the newspaper was first established in 1901 as the Red Deer Echo, changing its name to Alberta Advocate in 1903 and Red Deer Advocate in 1906...
newspaper .
Kidnapping
On August 23, 2008, Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan, a 37-year-old freelance AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n photojournalist from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, were kidnapped along with their Somali translator, Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi, their driver, Mahad Isse, and a driver from the Shamo Hotel, Marwali. They were believed to be traveling in a vehicle and were stopped by gunmen as they were going to visit a refugee camp.
On September 17, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
featured footage of Lindhout and Brennan in captivity surrounded by gunmen. On October 13, 2008, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.5 million by October 28. On February 23, 2009, the Canadian Association of Journalists urged Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
to help secure the release of Lindhout and Khadija Abdul Qahaar, a Canadian woman who was kidnapped in November.
Elmi and the two drivers were released on January 15, 2009.
The kidnappers later lowered the ransom demand to $1 million.
After kidnapping
No longer working as a journalist, Lindhout studied Development Leadership at the COADY International Institute at St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and is the executive director of the Global Enrichment Foundation. Lindhout has yet to speak publicly about the specific details of her time in captivity but has become a much sought after speaker on the topics of forgiveness, compassion and social responsibility.
Since her return to Canada, she has had interview requests from numerous media outlets including the Today Show, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, Dateline
Dateline
A dateline is a brief piece of text included in news articles that describes where and when the story occurred, or was written or filed, though the date is often omitted. In the case of articles reprinted from wire services, the distributing organization is also included...
, and The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. Lindhout is currently writing a memoir, titled A House In The Sky to be published by Simon and Schuster in 2012.
The Global Enrichment Foundation
The Global Enrichment FoundationGlobal Enrichment Foundation
The Global Enrichment Foundation, founded by Amanda Lindhout in May 2010, is dedicated to developing strengths already within women in developing and conflict-ridden countries to assist them in changing their lives. Lindhout currently serves as the organization's Executive Director...
, founded by Lindhout in May 2010, is dedicated to developing strengths already within women in developing and conflict-ridden countries to assist them in changing their lives. Lindhout currently serves as the organization's Executive Director. "I've never questioned whether or not it was the right thing to do," Lindhout said to CBC's The National "What else to do after the experience that I had, than something like this?"
During her captivity, Lindhout says that she gained keen insights into how poverty and lack of education has destroyed Somalia, which, in 2010, was the poorest nation in the world. She sees the issues of children becoming soldiers in Africa as directly connected to a broader lack of educational opportunities. Lindhout believes the teenage Somali boys who kidnapped her were a product of their environment. “I used to wonder how they would have been different if they had had the opportunity to have an education, to understand something of a broader world view and learn something about tolerance,” she said.
Lindhout established a donation-funded scholarship program, The Somali Women's Scholarship Program as a means to empower the most oppressed section of Somali society and create female leadership through university education. In 2011 the GEF is sponsoring the university education of 36 women who will go to become doctors, teachers, environmentalists and engineers.
In 2011 the GEF launched SHE WILL,a micro-loan initiative for female Somali refugees in Kenya, with a goal of creating economic empowerment for widows and other women severely affected by poverty.
In May of 2011 the GEF became the sponsor of one of Somalia's only female basketball teams, The Sankaroos; providing uniforms, balls, hoops, and other equipment- supporting female leadership through sport.
The charity has also branched into famine relief through it's Convoy for Hope program. The program recently received a US$1 million donation from the Chobani Yoghurt company. Recently a group of high school students in Alberta raised over $23,000 to support the GEF's educational work.
Return to Africa
Lindhout's work with the Global Enrichment FoundationGlobal Enrichment Foundation
The Global Enrichment Foundation, founded by Amanda Lindhout in May 2010, is dedicated to developing strengths already within women in developing and conflict-ridden countries to assist them in changing their lives. Lindhout currently serves as the organization's Executive Director...
, eventually drew her back to Africa in July of 2011. The "CBC's Curt Petrovich accompanied Lindhout as she travelled to Kenya for several weeks in July to see first-hand the mass flight of starving Somalis into refugee camps, a trip partly intended as research for a charity she founded but also a mission to confront her own demons.". During that visit, "Lindhout couldn’t help but see all the malnourished children. She began to think that maybe there was something she could do for them. And so the idea of a convoy of aid was born"
.
The first Convoy for Hope which delivered food aid into the southern Somali town of Dobley consisted of two large trucks with enough food to feed 14,000. That trip which took place in August 2011 was Lindhout's first trip back to Somalia since being released from captivity. It was reported that "when she saw the small blue Somali flag at the border, she welled up with tears". Despite the fact that "feeding the hungry was the reason she came. But for Amanda, the trip had another effect. It was also about reclaiming a part of herself". When asked about the personal significance of the return Lindhout said, "I think it is an opportunity for me to look at that fear and maybe let it go — this fear that I have been carrying around with me for some time".
Lindhout's return to Somalia was featured on major American news programs like Anderson Cooper 360, CNN's Sanjay Gupta and the Today Show.