World Heritage Watch Resolution On Water Infrastructure Threatening World Heritage
The 5th International NGO Forum on World Heritage at Risk Manama, Bahrain 22 – 23 June 2018 Prior to the 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Manama, Bahrain, 24 June – 4 July 2018 **** We, the Civil Society Organizations who have attended the 5th International NGO Forum on World Heritage at […]
Statement by World Heritage Watch/Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign 23 June 2018, World Heritage Watch Civil Society Forum, prior to the 42nd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee *** We, the Civil Society Organizations who have attended the 5th International NGO Forum on World Heritage at Risk organized by World Heritage Watch […]
Multi-Billion Dollar Budget Needed To Keep Iraq’s Water Flowing
Ibrahim Saleh, NIQASH, 14 June 2018 In Baghdad, locals have been fretting about dramatic falls in the level of the Tigris river. The government has a plan. Only problem is, that plan requires billions in funding that Iraq does not have. The passengers in the small bus all peer out anxiously as the vehicle crosses […]
Covering Corruption Exposes Journalists to Arrest in Iraq
Reporters Without Borders for Freedom of Information Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the arrests to which two investigative reporters have been subjected in different parts of Iraq in the past few days in connection with their coverage of corruption, and calls for an end to the harassment of these journalists. The latest victim was Mostafa […]
Impoundment of Ilisu Dam Reservoir Has Not Yet Started – Drought in Iraq Has Other Reasons
Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive Hasankeyf Matters Press statement Impoundment of Ilisu Dam Reservoir has not yet started – Drought in Iraq has other reasons 11.06.2018 On June 1, 2018 news began to circulate that the impoundment of the reservoir of the controversial Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River in the Kurdish Southeast of the […]
The Diwaniyah Environment and Peace Forum Organizes a Training on Campaign Management
From 29-30 April 2018, 13 young men and women from various organizations and volunteer groups attended a specialized training on campaign management organized by the Diwaniyah Environment and Peace Forum. The training was one of a series of trainings that form part of a larger initiative by the Iraqi Social Forum in which various cities […]
Fostering Citizenship Through Media: Journalists As Peacebuilders
Media is essential in order to foster a sense of citizenship in Iraq. The working group on IDPs and Minorities, which is part of the Iraqi Social Forum and lead by Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Information Development, delivered two series of workshops for journalists on how to report on issues related to minorities and […]
Urim Initiative: Creating a Sustainable Preservation Plan for the Ur Archaeological Site
Urim Initiative launched in preparation for the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Manama, Bahrain, 24 June—4 July 2018 Press Release – Baghdad, Amman, Rome – 6 June 2018 Urim, the name of the ancient city of Ur, is a new civil society undertaking by Iraqi and Italian archaeologists, architects and activists. The Urim […]
As Summer Approaches and Ilisu Dam Goes Into Operation, Iraq’s Water Crisis Intensifies
“Significant quantities of water will continue to flow to Iraq,” the ambassador of Turkey to Iraq, Fatih Yildiz, tried to reassured Iraqis on Tuesday. Over the course of last week, the Tigris River saw an alarming reduction in water levels across the country, and this was blamed on Turkish dam construction upstream. Fearing a major […]
Campaign Brainstorming with the Youth Volunteers of the Mashufna Center
To support the presence of the Mashufna Cultural Center in the civil society of Nasiriya, the Center held a training for its young volunteers. The goal was to develop its activists’ skills in campaigning planning and analysis, target identification and methods of evaluating campaign results. Trainer Salman Khairallah (Iraqi Social forum) identified three key areas […]
A Campaign to Save the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Maysan Province
The Iraqi Social Forum (ISF) and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity initiative (ICSSI) Al Amara, Maysan On 1 May 2018, as a part of “Our Heritage Campaign” activities, the Maysan Social Forum held a special training about the risks that face the natural and cultural heritage in Maysan province. Salman Khairallah and Ahmad Salih Ni’ma, […]
Iraqi Elections and U.S. Interests: Taking the Long View
Washington Institute – Michael Knights The emerging vote tallies are just the beginning of government formation in Iraq, and they indicate a need to focus on U.S. principles, not specific outcomes. Despite an evidently strong showing by Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon alliance in Iraq’s May 12 vote, “hot takes” are particularly useless for Iraqi elections, because the […]