Nasra Dahir Mohamed, a second-year Ph.D. student in Global Studies on the Cultural, Visual, and Literary Studies track at Global Studies University (GSU), has contributed a book chapter examining how language, culture, and political narratives connect communities across the Horn of Africa.
Her contribution appears as Chapter Seven in The Horn of Africa, the New Centre of the African World, published in July 2026 by Spain’s Ministry of Defence as part of the Strategy Notebooks series of the Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos (Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies). At the Institute’s invitation, Nasra presented her chapter virtually at an event in Spain on October 20, 2026.
Titled “Culture, Language and Propaganda in the Horn of Africa: Political Narratives across Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia,” the chapter explores how shared languages and cultural traditions shape identity and belonging beyond national borders.
Nasra examines connections among communities living across several countries, including the Afar in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, and Somalis across Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya. Her analysis considers how these relationships interact with national language policies and competing political narratives.
Drawing on songs, poetry, and audience responses on YouTube, the chapter also examines how digital platforms provide spaces for people to express cultural belonging across borders. Nasra argues that these exchanges reveal connections that persist alongside political divisions, while offering ways to reinforce or challenge official narratives.
The publication connects with her broader research interests in language, cultural practice, and education. Her doctoral research explores how Somali poetry can be integrated into formal education, both as a subject of study and as a teaching method across the curriculum.
