The Iraqi nonviolence group on the Masar (path) of nonviolence and peace building, within the space of the Iraqi Social Forum, held a training workshop on the concepts of nonviolence and its techniques used to curb violence and violent extremism with the participation of a group of nonviolent activists. The workshop was held for two days, July 10-11, at the Iraqi Social Forum in Baghdad.

The opening period of the first day included defining nonviolent terms and concepts, the peace process and peace-building, and the prevention of extremism and discrimination. The second period of the first day raised a discussion and dialogue about identity, social memory, stereotypes and looking to the future with an exercise on community memory and how to understand various social narratives. The last part of the initial day focused on experiences of Iraqi reality and the role of nonviolent campaigns in combating extremism and hate speech.

“Nonviolence is an effective method for social change. It is an important means of psychological, economic and political work without the use of physical violence,” said the trainer Mr. Ghilan Jabouri.

The second day was about training on non-violent action methodology and the most important tools of art, sport, culture and environment which can be used to build effective non-violent campaigns, and the importance of understanding and learning the right way to design campaigns.

That the methods of nonviolence are the real embodiment of the political act under the theory of multi-source power which is based on disobedience and rebellion, not obedience.

The workshop was held in cooperation with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian organization Un Ponte Per within the Iraqi Social Forum and the International Center for Migration and Development, with the support of DOZ organization.

Iraqi Social Forum