Letter of support from the European Water Movement to the Mesopotamian Water Forum
With this letter, the members and allies of the European Water Movement express their support and solidarity to the people organizing the Mesopotamian Water Forum, a civil society forum on the alternative management of Euphrates and Tigris rivers and their tributaries in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran that will take place between 6 and 8 […]
The First Mesopotamian Water Forum is Approaching – A Landmark Event!
Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 3 April 2019 The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, historic lifelines of Mesopotamia, stretch across the states of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran. In past decades these rivers have faced environmental degradation and politicization through large dams, river diversions and unsustainable management at the expense of the peoples living in the […]
Planning for Yazidi Genocide Museum Underway in Iraq
Al-Monitor Saad Salloum BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government and the United Nations are working together to establish a museum documenting Islamic State (IS) atrocities against the Yazidi religious minority in Sinjar. The idea stemmed from a 2018 visit by representatives of UNESCO and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq to the village of Kocho in the Sinjar district of Ninevah province. Residents had requested a memorial in […]
Iraq’s Religious Leaders Join Hands to Promote Peaceful Coexistence
Al-Monitor Written by Saad Salloum KARBALA, Iraq — A high-ranking Shiite cleric delegation from Najaf visited the holy Yazidi temple in Lalish northern Iraq on March 17. Yazidis witnessed a horrible genocide by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The visit is a part of a campaign carried out by Shiite clerics to gather religious leaders in […]
Arabic | عربي From 6-8 April 2019 the 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum will take place at the University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A unique space for open and public dialogue about the status and access of bodies of water in the Mesopotamia. This event will be an important opportunity to promote a […]
Iraq’s Ancient City of Ur: Source of Law, Site of Wonder
Marta Bellingreri – AlMonitor Walking toward the Ziggurat of Ur, a massive Sumerian temple dedicated to the moon god Nannar, tourists often can’t help but express their awe. Representative of their excitement is one visitor who remarked, “It’s incredible! I studied it when I was at the primary school! My heart is beating like a drum!” Ali Zughair, a professor […]
Will Iraq Lose Its Benefits From Shatt al-Arab River to Iran?
Arabic | عربي Al-Monitor Omar al-Jaffal Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Baghdad March 11 to endorse the two countries’ renewed commitment to the 1975 Algiers Agreement regarding the shared border of the Shatt al-Arab River. The agreement has sat idle for decades, as Iraq has attempted to evade what it sees as unfair terms. However, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi […]
Training on Building and Running Advocacy Campaigns in Nasiriyah
The Information Center for Research and Development in cooperation with Mashhofna Cultural Center held training on building and running advocacy campaigns for a group of volunteers working in the Center’s teams who adopt water and heritage issues and freedom rights On 18 and 19 March at the Mashhofna Cultural Center in Nasiriyah. The training was […]
As World Water Day Approaches, Tigris Protectors Highlight Iraq’s Water Challenges
Arabic | عربي 22 March marks World Water Day, when millions of people around the world raise their voices each year to highlight those struggling to protect rivers and waters. In Baghdad, the Tigris River Protectors Association, in collaboration with the Arts for Peace team, organized an event on Mutannabi Street on 15 March to […]
Basra: Between demonstrating as a constitutional right, and entering the tunnel of procrastination
The protest movement and demonstrations in Basra continued for years because of poor services and instability in the city. But the protests saw a rebirth at a fast pace in July 2018. Protestor demands included health and education services, clean water for human consumption, and jobs in the public sector. It is difficult to get […]
Iraqi civil society in the last 10 years: Development, mobilization, and influence
Ismaeel Dawood Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative Conference Baghdad, 31 January 2019 Before I begin my presentation on the development of Iraqi civil society in the last ten years, I must say that it is not an easy task. I find it a bit of a trap, laid by my colleague and friend, Terry. She […]
Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion holds Inaugural Workshop with Environment and Water Masar
On 12 January 2019, the Baghdad Council for Social Cohesion held its first workshop with the Environment and Water masar (path) of the Iraqi Social Forum. The workshop focused on water and environmental pollution challenges. In attendance were 15 trainees from the Baghdad Council as well as representatives of the Environment and Water masar and […]