These are times of high social conflict in Iraq, as evidenced by the mass protests across the country since October 2019. Against this backdrop, the role of Civil Society Organisations is crucial in bridging the gap between local communities and the Iraqi authorities at the grassroots level, promoting constructive dialogue, ensuring respect for human and environmental rights as well as equal participation of men and women.
To be more effective, local organisations need support. An external support, however, that must be respectful of all cultural and social processes. This is why 'Tatweer' was conceived and implemented together with the local population. The main objective of the intervention, active since 202, is to support Iraqi civil society organisations so that they can have a greater impact in promoting rights.
For this reason, in the first phase of the project, five Centres were opened in Erbil, Mosul, Anbar, Baghdad and Basra, entirely dedicated to local associations that can serve as open and safe spaces for exchanging good practices and organising activities; organising meetings, workshops and seminars on the issues of respect for human, environmental and gender rights, also creating a web platform available to the Organisations and a series of micro-banches to make them economically self-sufficient. With the second phase of the project, support continues to be given to the Centres and to the civil society organisations operating there.
