On the occasion of Ramadan, the Iraqi Social Forum held a celebration at the Burj Babel Organization in Baghdad.The evening included a number of artistic and ceremonial activities.

Salman Khairallah, member of the National Committee of the ISF and one of the organizers of the event, said: “For the second year in a row, we have organized this celebration of Ramadan, where we revive traditional folklore in a social atmosphere. It represents an important opportunity for volunteers to meet and get to know each other personally. This fostering of friendships is an important aspect of the ISF.”

Yasmin Falah, a member of the ISF secretariat, added, “One of the main objectives of the evening is to create a recreational space for our volunteers. During most ISF activities, volunteers are busy managing the activity and its details. Today is different, today they come together to enjoy the event and each other’s company —  and it will certainly not be the last.We are always thinking about ways of strengthening volunteers’ relationships with the ISF through this kind of event.”

Mohammed Ahmed, a volunteer for the Sports Against Violence team, said: “I came with my wife to enjoy this special gathering. The ceremony included many wonderful musical and artistic shows. I have been working for a long time as a volunteer for the ISF, and during this time it’s been clear that the ISF is interested in building ties between individual volunteers. These relationships make our work more effective.”

The Iraqi Social Forum is a network of social movements made up of civil society unions, voluntary groups and others. It aims to bring together efforts within diverse communities to build another, more united Iraq.