Afeef Mohammed – Iraq

I’m from Iraq, working in the agricultural & irrigation field, got the opportunity of leaving my country for scholarship concerned with my field in Bari – Italy. Iraq is a well known wounded and continuously bleeding country due to political, religious differences; thousands of people dead and other still dying each year all because of some people ignorance, hate, no one listen, just one opinion. Leaving all of this behind my flight landed in Bari so as to join CIHEAM agricultural institute, which is an internationally based scientific research institute helping different countries from all around the world to solve agricultural problems. During my studying, there were tough times and good ones but the most attracting and encouraging thing is the cooperation among students regardless their religious background and cultural variety. All of them share one purpose which is to raise their countries as much as they can. Participate in every step taken on this road to achieve the progress this spirit is strengthen by the programs of the institute through open group discussions in many subjects, research, allowing all students to share their thoughts and beliefs with others so no differences just focusing on the bright sides of life so our relations became stronger as brothers not colleagues it’s only one and half year but it’s interesting how a scientific site fed us the world most hoping purpose of union, abundance of limitations, respect the other, listen to good persons voices and leaving all differences whatever they were behind in addition to the information’s we need in our work. So it was a great lesson and journey of an Iraqi citizen who came from a nation still suffering, struggling to rise up despite challenges surrounded, I’ll always remember Bari – CIHEAM as a bridge between west and east and a site to forget differences’ learn to forgive. My journey was like a semester end successfully about how to live in peace .at home I told each friend of mine and every beloving ones of my experience hoping to create a motive starting by my position in family, work ,reaching the bigger society so that they look to the life from another and broader sight .All what I had written is a part of my additional work in media and a duty as an Iraqi, I felt it’s my responsibility to awake my people and bright their minds in the will of first aiding my exhausted country and for the good of our children in future.