The Tremendous Toll behind the Liberation of Mosul
By: Terry Kay Rockefeller* Civilian casualties are making headlines as we try to comprehend the true cost of liberating Mosul from Daesh. A New York Times investigative report, “The Uncounted,” revealed the stunningly inaccurate intelligence that guided what were supposed to be targeted, strategic bombings of Daesh strongholds. The article described in detail the killing […]
The Final Conference of the Shahrazad Project: Past Accomplishments and Future Goals
By Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative – December 2017 After nine months of continuous work, including holding seminars, focus groups and providing legal advice to women human rights defenders through the legal clinic in the Shahrazad Center, the activities of the Shahrazad Project concluded with the Shahrazad Conference on 16 December 2017 at the Oil […]
Football Tournament For Social Cohesion Takes Place In the Arbat Refugee Camp
In what Sport Against Violence [SAV] hopes will become an annual event, a 3-day Football Tournament to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence took place in the Arbat Refugee Camp, on December 12, 13, and 15, 2017. The winner was an 8-player team from the town of Arbat, who defeated a team of players from the […]
The Syrian City of Qamishlo Celebrates Peaceful Coexistence
Syria – Qamishlo There is virtually no disagreement about the need to ensure certain fundamental rights to all people, such as the right to life, human dignity, basic freedoms, equality and justice. While respect for these rights is essential, exactly how they are realized must take into account the different cultures and peoples who practice […]
Providing a Secure Environment for Defenders of Free Speech in the KRI
One of the main goals of the Kurdistan Social Forum has been to monitor and improve freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region. To this end, the Forum frequently publishes reports of violations and meets regularly with policymakers. It also aims to equip activists and defenders of this right with effective mechanisms to protect themselves. […]
Supporting Joint Campaigning by the Iraqi and Kurdistan Social Forums: Bridging the Divide in 2018
In Iraq – post-Daesh and post-referendum – political disagreements between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have escalated. Though civil society remains vital and relevant, these mounting tensions have complicated its work. Civil society’s independent and leading role in offering an alternative to conflict, a path of dialogue and nonviolence, must now be strengthened […]
Open Letter by CPT on the current protests in the Kurdistan Region
To whom it may concern, Your urgent attention is needed in regards to widespread human rights violations currently taking place throughout the Kurdish Region of Iraq. This includes violence, mass arrests and excessive force used by the KRG security forces in response to peaceful protests. On the 18th and 19th December CPT accompanied peaceful demonstrations […]
Iraqi Unions Continue Struggle to End Unjust Laws Restricting Union Freedoms
Baghdad – Social and Economic Rights Path – November 2017 During its thirty-third regular session on Monday, November 20, the Iraqi Council of Representatives voted for Iraq to accede to the 1948 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention (No. 87). Iraq’s accession to this Convention represents a major milestone for […]
Kurdistan Social Forum Launched in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq!
Erbil, 10th of December 2017, International Human Rights Day The first Kurdistan Social Forum (KSF) took place in Erbil, on 9-10 December 2017, with the participation of about 400 civil society activists from the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories in Ninewa and Kirkuk Governorates. The Forum happened under very difficult circumstances caused by an […]
The First Kurdistan Social Forum Takes Place in Erbil!
ICSSI is excited to announce the first annual event of the Kurdistan Social Forum, to take place in Erbil from 9-10 December 2017! The Kurdistan Social Forum (KSF) is a newly-founded space for coordination among CSOs and networks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a Secretariat based in Erbil and a committee of NGOs, […]
Iraqis Fear Earthquakes, Terrorism Could Lead to Dam Catastrophe
Adnan Abu Zeed, Al-Monitor, 4 December 2017 BAGHDAD — International experts arrived in Baghdad Nov. 21 to assess the damage caused to the Darbandikhan Dam, southeast of Sulaimaniyah, as a result of the earthquake that hit Iraq and Iran on Nov. 12. Minister of Water Resources Hassan al-Janabi told the media a day prior to […]
Book Launch for “Catastrophe: The Looting and Destruction of Iraq’s Past”
On Saturday, November 18, the Iraqi Social Forum held a book launch for Catastrophe: The Looting and Destruction of Iraq’s Past in conjunction with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Iraq in History Foundation in the Tigris Hall at Hotel Baghdad. A number of specialists in archaeology and cultural heritage were featured speakers […]