Promoting democratic governance and social cohesion in Iraq by improving collaboration between social actors and strengthening the participation of young people within Civil Society organisations in the field of peacebuilding. This is the aim of 'Mesopotamian Youth', a new three-year programme supported by the European Union, launched in March 2017 in Iraq.
Among the topics at the centre of the work are human rights, the protection of Iraq's environmental and cultural heritage, the inclusion of young people and women in political processes, and the construction of community centres that foster social cohesion. Women, young people, human rights activists, civil society organisations, Iraqi displaced communities, local authorities: these will be the protagonists of an articulated work, which will focus on 5 main axes of work, coordinated by the activists of the Iraqi Social Forum and the newly created Kurdistan Social Forum, who intend to work in close connection over the next 3 years.
Through workshops, study groups, campaigns and advocacy work, the engagement of activists and young people will focus on 5 points:
1 - Social justice and employment
The legal framework of Western and some Arab countries will be studied to understand how to influence the development of labour policies, for social and economic protection, with the aim of implementing the new Iraqi Labour Code. In parallel, the draft laws on freedom of association discussed in parliament will be monitored, and amendments will be proposed where necessary. Possible procedures to grant protection to human rights defendersə will also be explored.
2 - Protection of internally displaced persons and minorities
The main challenges faced by local organisations in improving the living conditions of IDPs in the governorates of Kurdistan where they are most present will be studied and identified. Advocacy strategies will be promoted with various institutional actors to promote the social integration of the displaced communities, to find adequate responses to the traumas they have suffered as a result of the conflict, and to facilitate their return to the liberated areas. In parallel, their cultural heritage will be valorised through public events and publications.
3 - Promoting tolerance and democracy in the media
Against incitement to hatred, sectarianism and violence, specific awareness-raising campaigns will be launched, especially targeting the media sector. Social networks will be monitored, and actions will be carried out to build a network of sensitive TV channels and journalists, with the aim of promoting a journalism of Peace, which acts as a carrier of messages of tolerance and social cohesion.
4 - Water Rights and the Protection of Mesopotamia's Rivers
Specific awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of environmental protection and respect will be dedicated to the young people of the communities living along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A monthly newsletter will be produced on the topics of water, recycling and pollution. Activistsə will study current environmental legislation and produce a report highlighting possible legislative weaknesses and proposing solutions. Civil society organisations, in cooperation with local authorities, will conduct workshops to strengthen the public debate on environmental protection.
5 - Women's participation in civil society and policy-making processes
Activists will attempt to identify the main obstacles preventing women from taking leadership roles in civil society organisations and political parties and propose strategies to overcome them. Awareness-raising campaigns will be developed and promoted on social media that spread examples of women leaders in Iraqi national and international history. During general elections, campaigns will be held to promote free and independent voting. While strategies for the protection of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) will be explored, activist advocacy work will focus on government and local authorities to implement the National Plan on UN Resolution 1325, which encourages women's participation in political and peacebuilding processes.
Another goal, to be achieved within the first year of the project's work, is the opening of a Cultural Centre in Nassiriya, Iraq. This is where all activist coordination activities will take place, as well as the organisation of annual youth camps, an annual cultural festival dedicated to the artistic heritage of Iraqi minorities, and numerous workshops and activities in which both civil society organisations and local authorities will be involved, raising awareness on respect for human, environmental and cultural rights, with a special focus on Iraqi UNESCO heritage sites, such as the Mesopotamian Marshes.
Finally, the programme aims to build several Social Cohesion Committees in four governorates of the country over a period of two years. Coordinated by civil society with the cooperation of local authorities and tribal and religious leaders, the Committees will carry out social cohesion work, mediate possible inter-community tensions, and carry out the objectives that activists will identify during their work in workshops and in the Nassiria Cultural Centre. The aim is therefore to create interconnected realities, and to support their work and engagement on the issues that young people and civil society have identified as central to building an Iraq free of violence and extremism.
