12 June 2018, Baghdad

With the participation of 14 young activists from different organizations and voluntary teams, the Najaf Social Forum organized a specialized training in collaboration with the Iraqi Social Forum. The training focused on how to plan and run effective campaigns, and took place in Najaf city from 1-2 June 2018. This training is one of a series of trainings organized by the Iraqi Social Forum in cities all over Iraq. Taken together, the trainings are creating a strong network of young activists who are well prepared to contribute to a growing Iraqi youth movement working for peace and social cohesion.

The young activists while taking the training.

After reviewing some of the essential tools for planning, leading and administering civil campaigns, Salman Khairalla, member of the secretariat of the Iraqi Social Forum and leader of the training, engaged the trainees in an open discussion about the most pressing social problems now facing Najaf province. Together they evaluated these problems and considered how civil campaigns might be used to help resolve them. For instance, how might a civil campaign be designed to counter hate speech from extremists who claim to speak for many, but who in fact represent a small minority of people? How can activists work to counteract the suffering caused by the pollution of the Kufa River? And how might a civil campaign work to prevent further water shortages, thus putting an end to their damaging impact on nearby farmlands? What kinds of solutions are available to the people and the government?

Salman Khairalla while discussing with the trainees.

The Najaf Social Forum was established last year and gathers together those who want to work on peace-building and other related social issues in Najaf province. One can see its impact already by considering the range of organizations and youth working teams which participated in this recent training, including: the Imprint of Hope organization, the Think About Others team, Writers Union of Najaf, AKITU for Solidarity and Sustainable Development team, as well as some individual activists.

The Iraqi Social Forum has been working over the past few years to pass on its experiences to many Iraqi cities, primarily cities near Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This activity  comes within a wider program for social cohesion called “Paths of Coexistence in Mesopotamia” which is run by the Iraqi Social Forum and the Information Center for Research and Development, in partnership with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and Un Ponte Per organization, with the support of the Swiss FAI Organization.

Salman Khairalla

Iraqi Social Forum

Over the past year, the Iraqi Social Forum has become a model for smaller local forums springing up throughout the country. These local forums galvanize and train young activists to work inclusively and nonviolently to create a better Iraq, one based on the values of peace and social cohesion.These values, which became dormant under the weight of unwanted war and violent extremism, are reemerging with increasing strength and vitality as young Iraqis work to implement campaigns and put on events which are creating a new future for Iraq.

Two trainings were recently held in Diyala and Babylon to help further this goal by preparing young activists to become effective agents for positive change. Both trainings drew on the knowledge of the participants themselves — after all, as local residents, they are in a unique position to identify the most pressing issues facing their communities and to come up with realistic ideas of how they might be resolved.

The training in Diyala, on 30 June, was attended by 11 young men and women, and began with a brainstorming session about what they saw as the most urgent problems in the province today. Three critical issues were identified: 1.) stopping the continued pollution of the Khresan River which is having devastating effects on residents and the environment; 2.) taking a stand against the harassment of women who work in the private sector in Baquba city; and 3.) preventing the dredging of farmland in Baquba city to construct more housing. Participants then divided into groups and worked on possible solutions to each problem. For instance, the group considering the dredging of farmlands in Baquba acknowledged the need for more housing given an increasing population, but proposed using unproductive land for the construction of residential buildings rather than vital farmlands necessary for food and commerce. Those considering the pollution of the Khresan river identified garbage from cafes along it as a major contributing factor. Priority was then given to determine strategies to manage the cafe trash.

At the end of the training, each participant received a certificate and together they decided to form a coordinating committee that will act as the core of their new local forum. The committee will prioritize and organize its future activities.

In Babylon, on 6-7 July, 9 youth activists came together to learn about planning and implementing nonviolent campaigns aimed at resolving local problems. As in Diyala, the training did not take the form of a passive lecture, but gave the participants an active role in identifying and thinking about how to tackle the problems around them.  This engagement allowed the young men and women taking part to draw on their own knowledge and experience so that it could be channeled to help improve their communities. The two main issues that came up had to do with the need to preserve the rich heritage of the city, both archaeological and natural. Participants started to develop campaigns which will help to improve the administration of historical sites and raise public awareness about environmental issues and place pressure on local government to take action.

Both trainings come within a wider program for social cohesion called ‘Paths of Coexistence in Mesopotamia’, supported by the Swiss FAI Organization, in partnership with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per, and the Information Center for Research and Development. This program aims to spread and strengthen the core values and principles of the Iraqi Social Forum by establishing local forums in number of Iraqi cities which support social cohesion and peace-building.

Arabic | عربي

We Love Qamishlo Initiative, July – 2018

Qamishli, or Qamishlo, a city in the north-east of Syria, is often referred to as the city of love by its children, young people and elders. The city is characterized by a unique community mosaic and a wide variety of religious and ethnic groups.

From this city the youth initiative “We love Qamishlo” has been launched since the beginning of 2017. It is organized by DOZ, along with a group of Syrian youth to overcome the social and cultural problems caused by the war in the country.

In March 2018, the “We Love the Qamishlo ” initiative organized a training workshop on social cohesion with a group of young people from the city and its surrounding areas for three days. The participants discussed ways to overcome the social problems and activate the role of youth in society. Their discussion dealt with the concept of social cohesion and its objectives and its role in eradicating sectarian tensions and how to exploit common values ​​to maintain the cohesion of society.

This discussion resulted in the emergence of four specialized working groups composed of young volunteers, aimed at discussing the most important social problems in the region and finding solutions through a range of activities according to specialization. These groups are:

1. Sport against violence group.
2. Water Security Group
3. 3. Culture and Art Group.
4. Sawa Ahla Group for Community Cohesion.

In a collaboration activity, the Doz team and the volunteers participated in the campaign “Toward Green Communities”, which targeted the Roshan Park in the Ashoyrian district in the eastern part of the city. The campaign included the restoration, cleaning, and planting of the trees for two days starting on March 14^th 2018 with a group of civil organizations working in the city of Qamishlo. It was an opportunity to contribute to joint work and exchange of ideas, before proceeding to specialized campaigns.

After that, the four groups went on to organize campaigns and community activities aimed at promoting coexistence and civil peace, all within their respective spheres of competence.

Sport Against Violence Group:

Organized sports group against violence campaign titled “Sports in the Face of Violence and Violent Extremism” dealt with this campaign. It includes a range of activities, including youth sessions on violence and violent extremism, and how to link sports and social development and to confront violent extremism. These sessions permeated the range of sports activities was concluded these sessions by the Group organized football has participated in these young people match in the closed-door in the city Qamishlo stadium, which in turn has been awarded the participants in the sports group against violence more energy and vitality to continue to organize more activities in the future.

Water Security Group:

The Water Security Group initiated a campaign entitled “Together to Maintain Water Security”, which included successive activities aimed at conserving the water resources of the city of Qamishlo in particular, and in Mesopotamia in general. In May, the group organized a session on the importance of water, in which a group of community stakeholders and representatives of civil society organizations in Qamishlo participated. One of the group volunteers gave a briefing on water, its sources, its importance, how to guide its use, and with it the interaction of the representatives of the organizations on the importance of protecting the water resources in the city of Qamishlo.

The group organized field trips to visit the Jaghjagh River, which runs from the center of the city to identify the river, which originates from two sources in the Tur Abdin Plateau in Turkey and runs inside the island area where it merges with the Khabur River and flows into the Euphrates River in central Syria. The group identified the strategic role of this river for the city and its inhabitants, which requires the community and the municipality to preserve it from pollution and protect it.

In the same round, the group touched on the Tigris River, which flows from the Taurus Mountains, south-east of Anatolia, in Turkey. It passes through Syria 50 km on the outskirts of the city of Qamishlo, then enters the territory of Iraq at the town of Fishabour. At the end of this activity, volunteers distributed banners and explanatory plates that guide the non-dumping of dirt, and mention in specific terms the protection and preservation of water resources, for example,

The Group continued to undertake such field tours and to produce brochures and awareness posters on water use guidance. The group published some tips to keep water resources clean in the city of Qamishlo on the main streets of the city and its center, which is the largest gathering of people, as well as sub-neighborhoods in order to reach the message to the largest possible population. These field trips have also given a greater moral impetus to the young participants, especially when they saw the interaction of the parents with them and the appreciation of the parents for what these young people make of conscious effort and importance for them, especially as they are coming on the summer.

A large number of families in the city of Qamishlo suffer from water scarcity or lack of water, forcing them to buy water, especially during the summer from the owners of private tanks. As a result of this important activity, the Water Authority in Mogadishu, the administrative body responsible for water, met with this group and expressed the importance of what young people are doing and how they are able, through their various activities, to assist the Commission in communicating messages to the community in Qamishlo.

Culture and Art Group:

The Culture and Art Group began to plan a range of artistic and cultural activities through educational lectures and field trips, taking into account the legal framework in conflict situations. In May, in cooperation with the Doz group in Amouda, the group organized a lecture on international humanitarian law in times of war and conflict under the supervision of lawyer Lazkin Hajo, with a group of young people and volunteers from local organizations. The participants were able to learn about the main provisions of international humanitarian law and how they can be activated in times of war and conflict.

In Ramadan, the youth of the group started to prepare many artistic handicrafts using simple raw materials available to everyone. The group produced cash money, using empty bottles of water, to distribute to the children of the city later and coincide with Eid al-Fitr, so that the children could benefit from them and keep the money they receive from their families on the occasion of Eid.

The group’s volunteers continued their work in July and organized a session on business ethics with the assistance of specialist Hussein Yassin, where he discussed methods of establishing work ethic and its impact on relations and attracting the public. The meeting was attended by a group of young people from Qamishlo, who welcomed and interacted with the participants for the importance of this topic in everyday life.

Group Sawa Ahla for Cohesion in Society:

 The group of Sawa Ahla has distinguished its interest in bringing together all the sects and nationalities of the city under one roof. The group started in cooperation with the Culture and Art Group in preparation for an initiative under the title “The Features of Beauty of Qamishlo.” This initiative included organizing a lecture on the city’s monuments, in which they discussed the city’s landmarks, history and name, as well as the oldest mosque, oldest church and oldest hospital in the city, where he explained that these monuments are the result of an archaeological mix and heritage and community cohesion among the people of the city for thousands of years.

This lecture followed the organization of this group for a field trip to the Mar Yakoub Church, the Great Mosque, the Jewish Krisht, and the Qamishlo silos. The group used a specialist to provide an overview of all these landmarks, and their importance as representing all the sects and nationalities of the city, and it is a strong evidence of peaceful coexistence in the city, which earned it one of the other names, “Qamishlo City of Love and Peace”

In addition, the group did not only offer activities, but also tried to leave a mark on every occasion. As the month of Ramadan began in mid-June, the group volunteers equipped lanterns with greetings and distributed to the people of the region, who welcomed this initiative, especially that the lantern is one of the symbols of expression that they use as a sign of the month of Ramadan.

Collaborate groups with each other and exchange experiences

The spirit of cooperation and teamwork created by the initiative we love Qamishlo for young people is growing today, and young people have begun to exchange experiences and capabilities among themselves. Every person who has enough attention and information about a social or cultural field will share his experience with other friends in the initiative and invite other interested young people in the city to participate in the exchange of experience and information. For example, the group organized a session on the basics of media and media reports written and visual, and another session on the basics of using the Office package and how to take advantage of its programs in daily life, both professional and personal.

In cooperation with the volunteers in the initiative, We Love Qamishlo continues to implement various activities of this kind, which will introduce young people to the city’s landmarks, history and various components, and contribute to the diagnosis of social problems in the region and the possibility of finding appropriate solutions. The initiative and its clusters will continue with other activities and campaigns, as well as the annual initiative, planned for September 2018, which will include a series of events to be worked out by the working groups and initiative’s volunteers. All this comes within the framework of an integrated program entitled “Paths of Coexistence in Mesopotamia”, which is run by the Un Ponte Per… Italian Organization and supported by the FAI Swiss Foundation.

This program seeks to promote peaceful coexistence in the cities of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, and in a vision that represents the connection of these cities to each other through the arteries of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It aims to consolidate the concepts of peace and nonviolent alternative to conflict resolution, raise awareness of civil society and citizenship and accept the other. It includes training workshops, campaigns and festivals planned and implemented by local initiatives and teams in these cities.

On the weekend of 3-4 August, “I Love Dhi Qar” Forum held a training workshop on developing the capabilities and abilities of its youth volunteers. Training consisted of four hours each day over the two days, and was held in the hall of Mashhovna Center in Nasiriyah.

During the course of this training, several topics related to human development were discussed. The first day included discussing comfort levels that directly relate to the life and goals of people, and how to develop good habits and routine. The second day discussed the method of developing the subconscious, and thinking outside the box, which is greatly related to creativity.

The training was attended by 17 young people, including 3 women representing volunteer teams working with the “I love Dhi Qar” Forum. The training involved thoughtful interactions among the young people who participated. The different topics included a need and desire to understand various aspects of human personality.

This training is part of “Social Cohesion of Mesopotamia” project, which aims to support young people in a number of Iraqi governorates. This project is implemented by the Iraqi Social Forum and the Information Center for Research and Development, in collaboration with the Iraq Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) and the Italian organization Bridge To, and is sponsored by the Swiss FAI Foundation.

Arabic | عربي

Eleven local social forums from different Iraqi cities met in Baghdad to discuss their role in the Iraqi Social Forum process.

“We Love Iraq” meeting، Baghdad – 10/09/2018

The Karrada district, located in the heart of Baghdad, hosted a 3-day meeting of 11 social forums representing 11 different Iraqi cities. The gathering “We Love Iraq II”, was attended by 50 young men and women from cities recently liberated from occupation by Daesh, both in the Upper Euphrates and Tigris River area and from the Mesopotamian cities in Southern Iraq. These city forums are part of the Iraqi Social Forum process.

The participants shared updates on their activities of the past year, which included trainings, campaigns as well as festivals, all in collaboration with the Iraqi Social Forum and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI). Through working groups the city forums discussed how to intensify their impact and how to increase coordination with each other.

Water pollution is becoming an increasingly acute issue in major rivers and tributaries in Iraq. The city forums have campaigned on this issue: The Social Forum of Diyala launched a campaign to save the Khorisan River, which is heavily laden with garbage and waste, while the Babylonian Social Forum ran a similar campaign to save the Alyahodia River in the city of Hilla. Other forums, including the Hit Peace Forum, the Ramadi Peace Forum and the Falluja Peace Forum, decided to do campaigns on community dialogue and social cohesion to help their cities overcome divides among local communities. Other forums focused on the preservation of cultural heritage. For example, I Love Dhi Qar is currently collaborating with authorities to protect the site of the ancient city of Ur and the archaeological museum of Nasiriyah, while the Social Forum of Maysan is intensifying its campaigning to protect the Marshes and the cultural heritage of the city.

Young women were well represented at the national meeting. A seminar was dedicated to how to create a suitable environment for women to participate in local social forums in different cities of Iraq. Participants agreed to work to “create a stimulating environment for girls and women” to work within the forums instead of repeating the old saying that “our society does not allow for such participation”.

All forums adopted principles of nonviolent action as the means for social change, and agreed that peaceful protest in Iraq is a positive evolution, which has effectively demonstrated the profound imbalances in the political and social system of Iraq today. All activists agreed on solidarity with the Basra protests and their legitimate call to protect the environment and to provide water and other services to the people of Basra.

Under the banner of these local social forums, a large number of young volunteers have been active across the country, organizing public events and social activities. Both men and women participated in one of the most prominent peace events, the Baghdad City of Peace Carnival, which was organized on 8 September in Abu Nawas Gardens by the Tigris River in Baghdad.

Who are the local social forums and why are they important?

The local social forums represent a first-of-their-kind joint space that coordinates the work of youth teams and civil society organizations in different cities. These forums adhere to the values and principles of the Iraqi Social Forum in Baghdad, founded in 2013. The local social forums campaign on the following topics: peace and social cohesion, water and environment, cultural heritage, labor and social rights, and women’s rights. Each of these forums has been organizing local campaigns on these issues with an aim to sensitize communities and raise awareness among authorities so as to make a tangible difference in Iraqi society. Each forum has held an annual festival celebrating their city, open to everyone.

Six of these forums are on the Euphrates River: the Hit Forum – in city of Hit, the Ramadi Peace Forum – in the city of Ramadi, Falluja Peace Forum – in the city of Fallujah, the Babilia Forum – in the city of Hilla in Babylon, the Najaf social Forum – in the city of Najaf And “I love Dhi Qar” Forum – in the city of Nasiriyah. The other five forums are located along the banks of the Tigris River. These are: the Tikrit Forum – in Tikrit city, the Diyala Forum – in Diyala city, the Kut Social Forum- in Kut city, the Diwaniyah Environment and Peace Forum – in Diwaniyah city, and the Maysan Social Forum – in Amara city.

The participation of the National Committee of the Iraqi Social Forum in this meeting was an excellent opportunity for the city forums to familiarize themselves with the democratic participatory process that exists within the Iraqi Social Forum, the “mother” forum in Baghdad. The National Committee is a committee composed of about 19 organizations, voluntary teams and masarat (paths) that form the backbone of the Iraqi Social Forum.

Different masarat of the Iraqi Social Forum were present at the meeting, representing different themes within the forums. They encouraged activists from individual city forums to integrate these different masarat in their own cities. In particular, the path of Kahramana, which focuses on women’s participation in decision-making, was invited to expand its work to most of the cities.

This was the second national meeting organized by the secretariat of the Iraqi Social Forum with a diverse group of volunteers and the ICSSI team. The first meeting was held in 2017 in which eight forums participated. The local social forums are part of the program “Paths of Coexistence in Mesopotamia”, supported by the Swiss Foundation FAI, in partnership with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per, and the Information Center for Research and Development. The program aims to promote and pass on the core values and principles of the Iraqi Social Forum through local forums that work for social cohesion and peace building.

The Alyahodia River is a large tributary of the Euphrates, named after the city of Al-Hindiya, and known also as the Babylon Channel. In the past, its banks housed an intersection of cultures and religions which formed a thriving and integrated community. The original name of the river, Judaism River, dates back to 550 BC when Jewish prisoners were taken from its shores to Babylon by the Babylonian armies. Some remained and inhabited the area from that time until 1950, living harmoniously with neighbors of many different religions and traditions. After 1950, most of them left for Israel.

Today the river has become a dumping ground, a cradle for disease and insects that put thousands of families at risk for health problems.  The Babilia Social Forum, a youth volunteer group of the Iraqi Social Forum, is now carrying out a large awareness campaign to reduce the pollution in Alyahodia River and has already launched a “#Saveنهراليهودية” hashtag. The group is working to rally public opinion so that their voice will reach the government and related authorities. Pamphlets have been distributed to residents of the city explaining the dire condition of the river.

To kick off the campaign, the Babilia Social Forum held a research seminar in Hilla which explored the challenges currently facing the Alyahodia River. The seminar, held on 28 September at Abjad Foundation Hall, brought together university professors and environmental experts to identify problems and propose solutions to contend with the pollution. Dr. Dakhil Nasser from Babel University’s Faculty of Science said that the river has suffered in its transition from past to present.

The seminar witnessed fruitful collaboration between activists and experts, who presented a series of proposals and solutions aimed at solving this crisis. Dr. Mohammed Al-Zafairi, Director of the Environmental Research Center at the University of Babylon, outlined several detailed studies of toxic substances in the river’s water, as well as an account of the insects and rodents which populate it. The river has become a dumping ground for sewage and toxic waste from laboratories. This is a particular problem for textile factories which burn substances that impact the air quality in surrounding residential communities.

In the next days, a large sports activity is set to take place in the framework of this campaign by the banks of the Euphrates River.

The Iraqi and Kurdistan Social Forums have launched a new initiative to promote social cohesion in 4 governorates. “Councils for Social Cohesion” have been established in Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Amara and Ramadi, coordinated by civil society organizations belonging to the working groups (masar) of the social forums. Within these councils community leaders, local authorities and civil society will join forces in order to increase accountability of local authorities and reduce tension within communities. The councils will consist of members representing their local community, from a diverse background including women, and will assemble frequently.

Specifically the councils will hold workshops and roundtables with local authorities, conflict mediation and field visits to the city forums. Local communities will be involved in the decision-making process of the councils and civil society will play a coordinating role. The aim of the workshops and roundtables is to form a coalition between civil society, local communities and local authorities to address thematic issues and find the solutions for them.  The conflict resolution sessions will allow civil society to play a mediating role in local communities.

From 1-2 October in Baghdad, coordinators and facilitators of the four councils gathered to create a strategic plan and to take part in a training on conflict transformation methods, mediation and consensus-building. On the first day participants received a theoretical w to leadership methodologies, conflict roles and negotiation. The first day started with a theoretical approach to decision-making pyramid where activists occupy the middle position with a reference to the significance of that position and how to benefit of it to bring about social change. Later the leadership skills package was presented to the trainees including: solving problem skills, strategic skills, communication skills and relationships skills with a special emphasis on communication skills to deliver a clear and direct message to others during negotiations, mediations and conflicts. Then, the next session focused on negotiation skills, planning skills, leadership skills, team-building skills.

The second day dealt with concrete techniques of negotiation skills, active communication and negotiation agreements. The day concluded with communication methods on the who, what, how to address conflict including several exercises on the writing of agreements. The training was conducted by Mr. Saad Al-Khalidy of the Iraqi Center for Negotiation Skills and Conflict Management. A follow-up training will be organized in 2019.

The councils are expected to schedule their first assemblies in the coming period.

In Sulaymaniyah the council is managed by Un Ponte Per (UPP)

In Baghdad the council is managed by the Iraqi Social Forum

In Amara the council is managed by Misan Social Forum

In Ramadi the council is managed by Fallujah Social Forum

World Cleanup Day, 15 September, saw the launch of a new campaign by volunteers of the Peace Forum in Ramadi. They plan to defend Euphrates River against pollution, and they have joined up with the Ramadi Police Directorate, Ramadi Municipality and Anbar Environment Directorate, all of whom have shown spectacular support for the campaign thus far. Volunteers held an introductory session on the banks of the Euphrates to explain the aims of the new group — called Humat Euphrates (Euphrates Protectors) — in hopes of encouraging more people to join with them in their mission to protect the Euphrates River.

Several representatives from the Environment Department of Anbar participated in this meeting, and expressed the department’s full readiness to cooperate in activities aimed at preserving the environment. They urged the youth who had gathered for the session to work hard to raise awareness about the environmental reality in Ramadi, and in Anbar province more generally. Officials from the department highlighted the severe levels of pollution now found in the river, noting the visible waste that floats on the surface of the water, as well as the invisible but equally damaging effects of heavy water, which is often dumped into it. The 15 members of Humat Euphrates team then took to the streets of the city and distributed brochures and posters which spread information on the importance of hygiene, environmental protection and pollution reduction. The team also carried out a clean-up campaign alongside municipal street cleaners, including Sidna Omar Street. The campaign was warmly welcomed by residents, and many people in Ramadi made clear how much they appreciated the efforts of all those who are working to improve their city.

The activities of the Ramadi Peace Forum are in cooperation with the Iraqi Social Forum, Information Center for Research and Development, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, and The Italian organization, Un Ponte Per…, and all fall within a project funded by the Swiss Foundation, FAI.

Arabic | عربي

17 November 2018

In just one week, the Najaf Social Forum organized 4 different and exciting events. The first took place on 26 September and built upon a ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. People gathered together under the Bridge of the Revolution of 1920 to light candles and spread words of peace written on colorful paper. On 26 September, the Najaf Social Forum deepened the effects of this beautiful ceremony by creating a space for a discussion of the meaning of the words “Al-Hussein Unites Us” .

The discussion was attended by Sheikh Ammar al-Jubouri, a professor at Hawza (a religious school in Najaf) and Mr. Muslim Al-Husseini, a social researcher, along with many young people and academics in Najaf. “Al-Hussain’s revolution gave generations a lesson on altruism and the importance of remaining united despite all the sacrifices this unity may require,” the Sheikh said. He also stressed the need to learn from Imam Hussein and his companions, emphasizing how they were all equal despite differences of race and ethnicity. Then Al-Husseini spoke about the many challenges that Iraqis are facing right now; drawing on ideas and perspectives from other participants, he explored ways to confront extremism, and considered how to build a humane world based on the principles of Imam Hussein. The audience was engaged throughout the discussion and young people in particular thought about how to build confidence in themselves and learn from the sacrifices of others to achieve common goals.

The second event, ”Peace is Our Life”, was held on 27 September and explored similar themes. This time, Dr. Fares Al-Sultani, a lecturer at the University of Kufa, and Ms. Suhad Al-Khatib, the President of the Women’s Association in Najaf, engaged participants in a discussion about the importance of peaceful coexistence and looking out for the good of others, not just one’s own. Then they met with the forum coordinator, Ali Al-Aboudi, who moderated the discussion. “How beautiful we are  together, uniting here in one session to wake up the spirit of the people once again by bringing all our opinions into conversation with each other.” He added thoughts about the month of Muharam (September) when “all people come together to reflect on Al-Hussain’s ideas, which taught us about the human strength to stand up to tyranny.” “Social peace,” Al-Khatib added, “is the ambition of all Iraqis,” and he went on to stress that all religions call for peace, and that building this in a time of peace is much better than in a time of war. She focused on the importance of women in establishing peace and what an important and distinctive role they play in creating a harmonious society. The audience responded with questions that initiated a lively debate with the speakers. The conversation that followed gave the impression that everyone present was calling for a rejection of  the hatred and an embracing of acceptance in all areas of life, religious, cultural and political. Iraq emerged as a multi-faceted yet unified nation, rich in its long history and able to thrive in all of its unique diversity.

On 28 September, there was a third event in which young members of the forum participated in various activities including improvisation, discussion and drama. They also made a short documentary film on”Peace is Our Life”.

To conclude all these activities, the Najaf Social Forum celebrated World Peace Day on 30 September at the Grand Jwahiry Hall, run by a number of youth teams in the province. The poet, Maan Ghaleb, gave a speech about peace which moved and inspired the audience. The director of the celebration, Ali Al-Abboudi, spoke on the value of freedom and the rejection of hatred. These speeches were followed by theatrical performances: the first play was called “Nqout” by Hussein Najm, and directed by Haidar Khattab. It starred two young men, Amir Haider and Mustafa Al Khalidi. The second, ”Siham” (Arrows) by Kawthar Al-Khuwailidi and directed by Al-Fathli, was peformed by Nour Al-Attiyah. The last play, “Sarkhat Watan” (Home’s Scream), starred Dr. Khattab, Mustafa Kazem and Fares Al-Shammari. On the sidelines of the celebration, the young people of the forum set up a small gallery dedicated to peace.

Those who contributed to putting on the events honored the members of the Forum with appreciation certificates.

The Najaf Social Forum works in coordination with the Iraqi Social Forum, in partnership with Information Center for Research and Development, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, and the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per… with funding from the Swiss Foundation FAI.

Arabic | عربي

The Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion implemented its first training on communication skills, under the framework of the Iraqi Social Forum (ISF). The training was led by Asif Mohammed and was held over two days, 7-8 December 2018, at ISF headquarters. The training aims to increase the skills of Council members around the art of communication and body language, and how to deploy these skills in negotiation and resolution of local conflicts in Baghdad.

The first day of training included 10 members of the Council. The day opened with a simple, mind-clearing activity to prepare participants for the rest of the day. The day’s activities focused on methods and types of communication, and the importance of using different forms of communication in everyday situations. Exercises and practical examples were given during which members were divided into 3 groups. Each group was given a problem that required a negotiated resolution. The three cases were as follows:

• A young Muslim marries a Christian without his father’s consent. After seven months of marriage, the son tries to satisfy his father’s concerns, and mediators are needed to intervene.
• A farmer owns a parcel of land. A company wants to invest in this land and requires negotiators to persuade the farmer to sell his land.
• 30 students in a private-sector college have been expelled because of their absences. Now they are trying to find a representative to negotiate with their faculty to allow them to return to their university.

On the second day of the training, these cases were discussed in more detail. Participants were given opportunities to discuss their proposed solutions and receive feedback and suggestions from other participants. Participants were able to collect different ideas to use to solve these real-world problems.

The second day continued by presenting participants with three other problems related to education, extremism, and violence. Participants had to choose one issue to discuss, focusing on the ability of the Council to intervene in such issues and considering how to use social media to solve specific cases related to these challenges. The training concluded with self-defense techniques to increase the self-confidence of the members of the council and sustain positive energy in the space.

Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion is one of the councils operating in 4 governorates of Iraq (Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Falluja, and Misan). The Council works in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development within the framework of the Iraqi Social Forum, and supported by the European Union project in coordination with the civil society organizations that work inside the local forums’ masarat (paths) and working groups.

عربي | Arabic

The Tikrit Social Forum held a symposium in support of cultural heritage. The symposium entitled “The Cultural Heritage of Tikrit City, its Geographical Surroundings and How to Support the Economy and the Environment,” was held on 11 December 2018 at the Palace of Culture and Arts in Tikrit. In attendance were distinguished specialists from Tikrit University’s Department of Heritage and History, as well as a representative of the Governor of Salah al-Din Province.

The seminar focused on the cultural heritage of Tikrit, and included a detailed explanation of the cultural heritage in the city and its geographical surroundings. Ibrahim Fadel Nasiri, Professor of History, spoke about the history of the city described in books belonging to the Assyrian king known as Tocletti Nanorta.

The name of the city was mentioned on the clay figure found by archaeologists and historians inside the city of Assyria. Within the mud plaque there is a description of the King’s campaign in Al Tharthar Valley and along the Tigris River, followed by the City of Euphrates River, Babylon, and the Khabour Valley in Syria. The aim of this campaign was to show the strength and greatness of the Assyrian state and impose its prestige across lands. In his account of the details of this campaign, the King referred to Tikrit as a region inhabited by Bedouin tribes, the Aramaic people. The cuneiform specialist (S. Horne) mentioned that the city center that was inhabited by Aetwa tribe is called Ito, and it’s the current city of Tikrit.

The seminar was attended by a large number of officials, university professors and teams of local volunteers and activists. The seminar also witnessed a presentation of a documentary film about Tikrit and its archeological sites.

Attendees of the seminar also issued several recommendations, each of which puts forward concrete, positive steps to take in order to support cultural heritage:

1. Determine the places that the Tikrit Social Forum team will work in the future in order to restore and revive Tikrit, and to push decision makers and the media to support these efforts;
2. Form a committee with representation from the Tikrit Social Forum, specialists present at the workshop, and the local government to demand the restoration of the archaeological sites in Tikrit and turn them into protected tourist sites;
3. Build a museum for Tikrit;
4. Improve access to the archaeological sites within the presidential sites and remove any further restrictions regarding the archeological sites, including the Green Church, which is the capital of Syriac (also known as the Church of the East), as well as the archaeological castle of Tikrit.

The campaign to save the archaeological sites of the Tikrit, led by the Tikrit Social Forum and with the support of the Iraqi Social Forum, will advance in coordination with the competent authorities in order to push decision makers to recognize the importance of the sites, and implement cleaning campaigns, restoration and seminars for the general public.

The campaign is held in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development, and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, funded by the FAI Project.

Arabic | عربي

On 14 February, under the name “Diwaniyah Festival for Love and Peace,” the Diwaniyah Environment and Peace Forum held its second annual festival to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the people of Diwaniyah. The festival was held in the gardens of Al Hurriya Family Park, where the festival included artistic and musical events, and bazaars supporting local arts and crafts.

The festival opened on Thursday evening with open-air events, which included many booths that varied between companies and local industry. The skills of young artists from the city were also on display, with a special area for them to exhibit their photographic and artistic images of various archaeological works and sites. Handcrafts, games and dolls were also displayed, showcasing works done by local women.

In addition to stage activities, the open area included live expressive drawing, crafting women’s accessories, and face-painting for children. Volunteers also organized a campaign to collect signatures and well wishes for cancer patients for the upcoming International Day for Cancer Patients.

The Diwaniyah Environment Directorate was given a special stand during the festival. Representatives displayed a large collection of pictures showcasing the natural environment for birds and wild animals in the city. There were also informational and advocacy signs explaining how to preserve the environment and how to reduce water consumption. The Directorate also showed materials that are used during field research trips in the hopes of raising public awareness of the environment and the importance of preserving it.

The festival started with the singing of the Iraqi national anthem and reciting the Quran in the memory of martyrs. This was followed by the opening ceremony hosted by the coordinator of the forum, Laith Al-Aboudi, who welcomed the audience and explained the work and achievements of the Diwaniya Forum for Environment and Peace. This included sharing with the audience the Forum’s achievements during its first year of operations, including public campaigns around important social and economic issues.

A group of distinguished poets, men and women from Diwaniyah, shared a number of their poems. The young poet Hussein Al-Amidi, from the city of Babel, participated and delighted the audience with his beautiful poems. Oud player Haider al-Lami also performed for the audience, playing compositions from the late artist Nazem al-Ghazali. A group of young people from the city also performed a theatrical piece entitled “Love Across Roofs,” and shared a painting symbolizing peace and coexistence between the children of Iraq from all sects.

The festival ended with the distribution of Honor Shields , and certificates to the director of the Palace of Culture and Arts for his continued support of the Forum, and to a group of civil society organizations and event participants.

This was the Diwaniyah Environment and Peace Forum’s second annual festival. It was held in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per…, within the framework of the Iraqi Social Forum, and supported by the Swiss Foundation FAI as part of the activities of the Mesopotamia for Democratic Rule and Peaceful Coexistence project.

Diwaniyah Forum for Peace and Environment

On 12 January 2019, the Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion held its first workshop with the Environment and Water masar (path) of the Iraqi Social Forum. The workshop focused on water and environmental pollution challenges. In attendance were 15 trainees from the Baghdad Council as well as representatives of the Environment and Water masar and the Tigris River Protectors Association. The workshop was held at the offices of the Iraqi Social Forum (ISF).

Divided into five parts, the first part of the workshop defined the work of the environment and water masar, its role within the ISF and the specific areas on which it works. The members of the council were briefed on the masar‘s most important achievements. The second part included a brief discussion about pollution, focusing on water and air pollution in particular. Representatives of the Tigris River Protectors Association presented on these critical pollution issues to provide Council members a background that they can use in their environmental advocacy efforts.

The third part of the workshop discussed the great suffering of the Tigris River in Baghdad. Representatives of the Tigris River Protectors Association detailed the main causes of pollution in the Baghdad section of the Tigris River and proposed solutions to combat these causes. The fourth part of the workshop discussed legal actions that could be undertaken to counter ongoing environmental and water pollution, as recommended by masar representatives. Members of the Council were briefed on the most important legal and constitutional provisions on environmental and water protection that can be used in advocacy campaigns to pressure local governments to implement the recommendations of the masar.

The final part of the workshop included a set of recommendations and actions proposed by the masar. Participants agreed on the most important steps, including holding continuous sessions to develop a comprehensive action plan to reduce the pollution of the Tigris River in Baghdad. The session concluded with identifying key decision makers Council and masar representatives aim to meet with, and agreeing on next steps for civil society work.

The Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion is one of the councils operating in four governorates of Iraq (Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Fallujah and Misan). The Council works in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development and in association with the Iraqi Social Forum, with support from the EU. The Council aims to achieve the recommendations of the various Iraqi Social Forum masarat by bringing together civil society actors and key decisionmakers to solve some of Iraq’s most pressing challenges.

Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion

From 1-3 of May this year, in the great city of Nasiriyah the third national meeting of the Iraqi Social Forum took place under the slogan “We Love You, Iraq”. Like the civilization of Ur and the ancient city of Babylon, the Nasiriyah’s contribution to our common human heritage is enormous. Situated within the cradle of civilization, Nasiriyah is the birthplace of the first alphabet and witnessed one of the first recorded laws known in history. ISF’s national meeting this month, previously held in Baghdad, honored the city and its contributions to our heritage.

The meeting was hosted by the Dhi Qar Social Forum in Nasiriyah – Dhi Qar. 40 young men and women from 10 local forums from cities along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers met together for the third year in a row. Each local forum presented information about their upcoming activities and campaigns, and gave a clear sense of the current state of their cities. Also present were the secretariat of the Iraqi Social Forum, as well as representatives from different masarat of the Iraqi Social Forum, and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative.

All 10 local forums endorsed principles of nonviolent action as the best means of bringing about social change. They praised the peaceful protests in Iraq as positive and important, reflecting a broad public desire to address and repair the mistakes and faults in Iraq’s political and social system.

3 days of planning, learning and solidarity

Day 1: The meetings began with a discussion about the background and history of the Iraqi Social Forum and how its work has developed and spread to other cities throughout Iraq “This meeting was the culmination of a series of efforts by the Iraqi Social Forum to establish local forums in 10 Iraqi cities: Tikrit, Diyala, Babel, Fallujah, Hit, Ramadi, Najaf, Diwaniyah, Maysan, and Nasiriyah,” said Ali Saheb, the coordinator of the ISF. “Through these local forums we mainly seek to carry out activities aimed at building peaceful coexistence, achieving social cohesion, and preserving the natural and cultural heritage to reach our goal of ‘Another Iraq is Possible’,” he added. Saheb emphasized the strong bonds that hold all Iraqis together highlighting the symbolic and actual connection created by Iraq’s rivers, “The link created by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers among those cities is the strongest link, one that goes beyond ethnic and sectarian differences.”

Participants also took this first day as a time to stand in solidarity with Iraq’s many workers by commemorating World Workers’ Day. Together, they called for justice for the working class in Iraq. They advocated for the passing of the new draft labor law, holding banners which proclaimed “Fair Wages and Decent Working Conditions” and other slogans aimed to shed light on the living reality for Iraqi workers.

Each local forum presented a summary of its work over the course of the past year, including events, obstacles, challenges, and achievements. The day concluded with lessons drawn from the varied experiences of the forums so that each might benefit from the different strengths and weaknesses of the others, allowing everyone to gain from each other so that the future might be open to new horizons.

Day 2: The local forums discussed how best to organize and carry out the administrative and more specialized projects of the Iraqi Social Forum within their own cities. Karar Al Hassan led a training workshop on financial management, and specific plans for the remainder of the year were considered and evaluated. Representatives from the forums discussed possible festival dates in each city, and a calendar of scheduled activities for all cities was drawn up. At the end of the day, participants discussed how their local forums might contribute to the sixth season of the Iraqi Social Forum through workshops, the marathon, and festivals.

Participants also had the opportunity on this second day to meet with the director of the city’s museum, Mr. Amer Abdul Razzaq, who gave them valuable information about the most important artifacts housed in the museum.

Day 3: Participants considered the future of the local forums based on available funding, visions, and ideas. People were divided into working groups to review their strategic plans for the next 4 years. The plans for the local forums varied in their focus, including the preservation of Iraq’s heritage, protection of rivers and the environment, education and women’s rights.

The day concluded with an evaluation of the efforts made by the volunteers of the social forum of Dhi Qar, which hosted this national meeting for the first time. Naseer Baqer, the coordinator of the social forum of Dhi Qar, said, “This year was different because the local forums developed their work and gained enough experience to host such event. After a lot of work at the Dhi Qar forum, we were able to present a convincing file to the secretariat of the Iraqi Social Forum and local forums. We gained additional experience in organizing such an event. We were able to provide a comfortable and quiet atmosphere for work and we gained a lot of solidarity from the participating cities for the issues we are working in the city of Nasiriyah.”

The ISF national meeting is part of the project, Building The Paths of Peaceful Coexistence of Mesopotamia, which is implemented in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, and the Italian Organization, Un Ponte Per….

On International Women’s Day, the Information Center for Research and Development held a discussion seminar on the impact of laws on the social, economic and political reality of Iraqi women. The seminar, “Iraqi Law and its Impact on the Reality of Women,” was held at the Teachers Syndicate Hall in Nasiriyah. Participants included legal experts along with civil society and women’s rights activists.

The seminar included discussions around the reality of Iraqi women and the impact laws, adopted by the Iraqi Parliament and based on articles of the Iraqi Constitution, have on the social, economic and political conditions faced by women. The discussions showed that the Iraqi woman continues to face great problems in achieving their rights despite the existence of constitutional articles and laws that claim to enable them to do so. Due to the absence of social awareness, coupled with particular customs and traditions, women face particular patterns of living that often do not guarantee full freedom and equality.

The seminar produced a number of recommendations, the most important of which were:

1. Advocate for the enactment of social solidarity laws;

2. Advocate for legislation supporting women without a breadwinner;

3. Enact legislation that combats domestic violence;

4. Promote the participation of more women in the Iraqi labor force;

5. Develop advanced programs to fight illiteracy among women, estimated at 24% among Iraqi women;

6. Expand the circle of women covered by the Social Welfare Fund.

Increasing the political participation of women also requires reconsidering the issue of women’s quotas in elections, which some participants suggested can in practice actually limit women’s political participation in the parliament and provincial councils.

At the end of the seminar, participants agreed on the need to form a lobbying effort among composed of jurists and civil society activists who work to address women’s issues and put pressure on the Iraqi government to improve women’s lived conditions.

This seminar was part of a larger project entitled “Youth of Mesopotamia for Democratic Governance and Peaceful Coexistence,” which is implemented by the Information Center for Research and Development within the Iraqi Social Forum, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative, and the Italian Organization, Un Ponte Per…, and supported by the European Union.

Nasir Baqir – Nasiriya

The Falluja Social Cohesion Council held a workshop with the Economic and Social Rights masar (path) within the Iraqi Social Forum to discuss the challenges facing municipal and education workers on 22 June 2019.

The meeting began by introducing the path of Economic and Social Rights and reviewing the most important activities that it has carried out with unions and trade unions. The discussion then moved to other issues concerning the great number of private schools in the governorate, in addition to the high prices they demand and their competition with public schools, which will weaken the educational system and results in a lack of services in public schools. Then, they discussed ways to consolidate decent work strategies and reduce the fragility of the labor market in Falluja, while presenting the problems of municipal workers and the challenges facing them at work.

Members agreed to tackle the subject of municipal workers and their poor daily wages, despite their commitment to long daily working hours. In spite of these poor wages, they are not received on time, and this makes the workers suffer under difficult living conditions. This creates fear among employers of an angry reaction from the workers if they continue to be treated in such a neglected way. The council will work on implementing a round table discussion with the parties and those involved in this issue in order to reach effective solutions at the end of July.

The Fallujah Social Cohesion Council is just one of the social cohesion councils operating in 4 governorates in Iraq (Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Falluja, and Maysan). It works in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development and Tammuz Organization within the framework of the Iraqi Social Forum, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and Un Ponte Per.. the Italian Organization, and it is supported by the EU Project, “Mesopotamian Youth for Democratic Governance, Social Cohesion, and Reconciliation in Iraq.”

The Fallujah Social Cohesion Council

On September 4-5, the Peace Forum in Fallujah, in cooperation with the Kahramana masar (path) of the Iraqi Social Forum (ISF), held a training on the management of advocacy campaigns. 12 activists from Fallujah and a number of members of the masar attended.

On the first day, participants discussed how to manage campaigns effectively, with emphasis on utilizing the ‘SMART’ technique, a method which specifies that every campaign should have a goal that is clear, specific, achievable, and measurable, to be reached within a established time frame. The content of the campaigns they explored related to violence and discrimination against women, and participants worked in small groups on a specific issues relating to data given in the training.

The second day included a discussion of two UN regulations: CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (adopted at the UN General Assembly in 1979), and Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and their role in peacemaking and security.

One of the most important outputs of this workshop was the expansion of the work of the women’s masar in Fallujah, as this is one of the most recent masarat introduced in the ISF.

The Peace Forum in Fallujah works in cooperation with the Information Center for Research and Development, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per…, all within the space of the Iraqi Social Forum, and with further support from the Swiss Foundation, FAI.

Iraqi Social Forum

September 2019

The cultural heritage of any country is a powerful force, one that operates at many levels. Economically, it may help to revitalize tourism and create employment. But there are other, deeper levels on which cultural heritage has an effect, for instance, social and moral ones. This is because the cultural heritage of a country provides a sense of shared belonging to the varied individuals within it, giving diverse communities a sense of their common history and an understanding of the interests and values of past generations.

Thus, developing an understanding of the rich cultural heritage of a place can open the minds of its people, especially those who might be less likely to accept those from different groups with disparate practices and beliefs. Cultural heritage can illuminate the deep common roots which hold societies together despite more superficial differences. Heritage of any kind, as French sociologist Jacques Berque put it, represents “the past that talks to the present about the future.” In this way, cultural heritage might be seen as a link which connects past generations to the present and extends even to the future — if it is interrupted, if there is a break in this collective memory, the continued growth and integration of a diverse yet united people is challenged.

Given the importance of cultural heritage in fostering unity and harmony, 22 young men and women from different regions of Dhi Qar governorate came together from 20-21 September for a training that sought to preserve their own cultural heritage. The training itself came within the framework of a larger project of the URIM Initiative, a civil initiative to protect the ancient city of Ur.

Yahia Karim opened the training by introducing the program and outlining its proposed outcomes. He explained that the training aimed to come up with specific campaigns related to the preservation of heritage in the province of Dhi Qar and, more importantly, to find a group of dedicated young people who would be able to volunteer to implement these campaigns, both those that came out of the training as well as new campaigns and activities in the future.

The training worked along two main axes:

The first axis explored how to establish advocacy campaigns relating to heritage and archeology. Naseer Baqer explained key aspects of advocacy campaigns, their mechanisms and basic components. He went over the reasons why it is important to identify an appropriate target audience, to define the problem to be analyzed and solved, and to set clear and achievable goals. During this part of the training, participants came up with their own campaign ideas to preserve of the cultural heritage in Dhi Qar governorate.

The second axis of the training encouraged girls and women to participate in the activities and campaigns identified by the group. Sarah AlRamadany talked about the long history of discrimination against women in particular countries, and how some have nevertheless been able to achieve gender equality. Then the trainees discussed what would happen if gender roles were reversed: if men imagined they were women, for instance, what privileges did they think they’d get? Women considered what kind of preferential treatment and advantages they would receive as men. And both men and women explored the disadvantages for everyone given any discriminatory system. The purpose of the discussion was to encourage both men and women to imagine the daily pressures and problems in work and life for both sexes in an effort to increase understanding and empathy between them.

Participants also discussed the most difficult challenges faced by women working in offices and in the field, especially within the city of Dhi Qar. Together they tried to figure out how to overcome these persistent problems and how to provide a safe and appropriate work environment for women.

Next, the trainees were divided into three groups, each one proposed a campaign to work on and implement in the coming period. They were as follows:

1 – The first group discussed the lack of sufficient financial allocations for the city of Ur. Their campaign sought to pressure decision-makers to amend the Financial Management Law and to transfer the revenues gained from entrance tickets for the city of Ur to Ur itself instead of the ministry.

2 – The second group examined the decline of certain local industries, which form a crucial part of the province’s cultural heritage. The group focused on the wicker industry in particular and proposed a 3-month campaign which would offer workshops to teach skills, the raw materials required to manufacture wicker products, and finally, a suitable place to sell them. The workshops would enlarge the labor sector in Dhi Qar governorate while reviving this heritage industry.

3 – The third group looked at the problem of neglect of archaeological sites in Dhi Qar, especially the royal cemetery. The proposed campaign focused solely on cleaning the royal cemetery, which is the richest archaeological site in Iraq due to the number of valuable artifacts it contains. Although the cemetery is closed to tourists, it has not been cleaned for nearly ten years!

At the end of the training, participants decided that the campaign to clean the royal cemetery should be their first priority because of the urgency of the problem and the fact that its solution is most immediately accessible.

The URIM initiative, of which this training was only one part, is a civil initiative aimed at establishing a sustainable protection plan for the Ur archaeological site and implementing UNESCO requirements to keep Ur on the World Heritage List. The initiative has several important goals, including building a reception center for visitors and establishing its own masar (path) which would bring together different communities, local authorities and institutions for integrated and effective collaboration to achieve key preservation goals. The URIM initiative already has support from the Iraqi government, local and international organizations, archaeologists and specialized engineers. The training was carried out by the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian NGO, Un Ponte Per… in cooperation with the Mashahofna Cultural Center, the ‘I Love Dhi Qar’ Social Forum, and the Iraqi Social Forum. It receives further support from the French Foundation CCFD’s project entitled: “Young men and women are the main actors in the preservation Iraq’s heritage.”

The Council of the Tribes Against Terrorism, in cooperation with the Peace Forum in Fallujah, recently held a productive discussion session entitled ‘City of Fallujah, The Land of Peace, Resisting Terrorism and Standing Against Violent Extremism’. The workshop was attended by a group of tribes and activists and took place in Fallujah on 12 October in the Fallujah’s Royal Hall.

The session was divided in two parts: the first considered extremism expressed through the lens of religion, how religious verses and sayings of the Prophet have been exploited and distorted so as to endorse the desires of extremists and deceive youth and children about the true meaning of religious texts.

The second part of the workshop dealt with the role tribes play in the fight against extremism. This second session came up with a set of recommendations, summarized here:

1. Work to eliminate social differences between the various segments of society, including clans, clerics and intellectuals;
2. Hold symposia and frequent meetings among different segments of the community to bring out overlapping and shared views and concerns;
3. Address the ignorance and intellectual confusion that has been negatively exploited by extremist terrorist groups;
4. Fight the causes of poverty by supporting organizations which might be able to create jobs and encourage investment in the private sector;
5. Focus on the importance of social networking sites and urge young people to make optimal use of them to communicate and spread positive views and news of opportunities they might benefit from;
6. Hold more seminars like this one in rural areas thus expanding the scope of this kind of work;
7. Form a committee to monitor suspicions raised by extremist groups, become familiar with the kinds of language and jargon they use so that the public can be educated about the ways they might be deceived by extremists’ rhetoric and strategies;
8. Urge government agencies and civil society organizations to support intellectuals who are knowledgeable about how and why violent extremism is cultivated and spread;
9. Support women by taking all necessary steps to enlarge the opportunities open to them while strengthening their role in building and maintaining a healthy and harmonious society.

The Peacebuilding masar (path) of the Peace Forum in Fallujah, part of the Iraqi Social Forum, in cooperation with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per…, continue their joint campaign to combat extremism and the spread of extremist ideology in all its forms. Together these groups will intensify their work by holding more seminars of this kind in villages and rural areas in order to raise awareness about the various forms extremism can take and effective ways to work to spread peace.

Iraqi Social Forum

The emerging COVID-!9 crisis in Anbar province: impacts and responses

The announcement by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 classifying the emerging Coronavirus/Covid 19 crisis as a global pandemic marked an unprecedented challenge to humanity, requiring increased efforts and at every level to confront the threat of the virus and limit its spread. This is especially urgent in countries with weaker health systems, and which face political, economic and social challenges. In an effort to monitor and report the number of infections and deaths since the arrival of the virus in Iraq, the Iraqi government has finally rushed to form a committee in charge of this: the Diwaniy Commission 55 for the year 2020, The Iraqi government was late in taking this important step, it did not take action before the the virus came to Iraq, and kept its borders and airports open for too much time. Fearing that it would disrupt work and production, the government has yet to address the economic and social repercussions that a large segment of Iraqi society will face. A comprehensive curfew was imposed from 17 March to 18 April, and more decisions impacting the lives of Iraqis will continue to be implemented as a way to reduce infection and bring down death rates.

After the outbreak of the virus in a number of governorates, the local government in Anbar Governorate rushed to form a special crisis cell to work in coordination with the Diwaniy Commission Committee 55, but this deals solely with health and neglects the need to form another emergency cell, one which can navigate the economic and social impact of the virus. This is especially important given that not much time has passed since the liberation of the province from the control of Daesh. The occupation by Daesh caused the destruction of infrastructure and pushed many sectors of the economy into crisis, the poverty rate increased to 17%, and there was a virtual army of unemployed people. There continues to be a dire humanitarian situation in the area, with thousands of people displaced and living in camps outside the cities. There is need for relief on all these fronts in the camps — health, economic, social — and it is urgent and ongoing if people are to be ensured of their safety and spared from hunger and disease.

The images of social solidarity which emerged in the governorate, in particular, the visions put forth by civil society movements and peace forums in Anbar inspire all of us and highlight our own responsibility to contribute all we can to reduce suffering brought by the current crisis. The efforts made by civil society organizations and volunteer teams working in relief-based fields are helping to address many of the problems people face by launching campaigns to collect donations and provide affected families with food, and raising awareness about the need to follow new regulations and procedures. The example of Anbar province reveals the speed in which civil society responded to the immediate and urgent needs within the governorate, needs that the government overlooked. While the success of civil society has been truly remarkable, its capacity to keep up this rate of relief work is unsustainable in the face of a crisis of this magnitude.

The health infrastructure in the governorate is not equipped to deal with the current crisis; previous wars have directly contributed to the suspension of many projects and the health sector has been hit particularly hard. Past wars have put some hospitals out of service which was a heavy burden for people, especially those living far from areas in the governorate where hospitals remained open. Simply put, the governorate does not have enough hospitals, and those it does have are not adequately funded and supplied. There is also a lack of health personnel available to work. This is an enormous worry, especially given the absence of any plans or mechanisms in place to address the problems.

If we turn to look at the state of education, like many other countries worldwide, the Iraqi government has disrupted study in educational institutions, and committed students e-learning. Schools and universities were left responsible for choosing the appropriate way to communicate with students but in this, the government missed the critical fact that internet service is weak and expensive. This makes the continuation of study nearly impossible for some students and faculty. Those who are unable to afford the high cost of internet at home will be deprived their right to education. The relevant authorities in the governorate are not doing enough to address these issues.

Even given existing problems, the situation the province faces might still be considered better than the rest of the Iraqi provinces, especially because of the precautionary measures taken by the crisis cell and the commitment of citizens — despite insufficient resources and support — to work together to prevent the arrival of the virus and to limit its spread. On the other hand, there continue to be many and varied problems that require a serious and united response, including taking the following steps:

• Forming a special emergency committee to address the economic and social repercussions and ensuring civil society a key role in it.
• Launching a government relief campaign with the contribution of civil society to support the affected groups and ensuring their access to all cities of the governorate.
• Allocating an amount of 200 thousand dinars per month for a period of 3 months for unemployed workers and people with special needs.
• Relieving the displaced, providing them with urgent health care and ensuring their voluntary return to the areas from which they were displaced.
• Supporting farmers with seeds, fertilizer and kerosene to meet the needs of the governorate.
• Launching more ration cards materials, increasing the provisions available and improving their nutritional value.
• Controlling prices, especially food, gas and oil.
• Ensuring the right to education work by finding alternatives that are appropriate to the state of the province and ensuring that all students are covered for the costs of their courses of study.
• Providing healthcare staff and ensuring that they are equipped with materials designed according to international standards to confront the virus.
• Providing hospitals, especially in remote areas and away from the governorate center, with equipment and medical supplies and increasing numbers of health staff.

In conclusion, we affirm the importance of citizens’ commitment to abide by the rules of the quarantine, and to raise awareness about the importance of staying at home to avoid the danger of spreading the virus, allowing as many as possible to come out of the crisis unharmed, with law enforcement upholding the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Greetings and our deep thanks to the health and security staff and to all who contribute to our protection.

Shakofyan Development and Cultural Organization

13 April 2020