Standing With Iraqi Women and Activists at the World Social Forum
By Suzanne DeRouen, ICSSI Volunteer from the USA (April 2015). On March 28, the World Social Forum (WSF) in Tunis, Tunisia, opened with a march to the National Bardo Museum in a show of solidarity with the Tunisian people following last month’s terrorist attacks. As a participant in both the WSF and the march, I […]
Emtinan Hikmat_ Almasala Organization Report on workshop, Erbil, 8-10/ March/ 2015 Based on the firm conviction that another Iraq is possible — that is, a peaceful and unified country where women’s rights are acknowledged and respected — the Shahrazad campaign has initiated several activities in collaboration with Almasala (an organization for human resource development) and […]
SYRIA/IRAQ – Security Council Asked to Refer Crimes Against Journalists in Syria and Iraq to ICC
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is asking the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria and Iraq, where war crimes have been committed against journalists, to the International Criminal Court. RSF made this request in a letter on 16 April to the office of Lithuania’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, […]
Matter of National Security? The Turkish-Kurdish ‘Secret Agreement’
niqash | Sulaymaniyah An 18-month-old “secret agreement” between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey goes for 50 years and potentially affects national security and oil exports. Nobody knows what’s in it but critics suggest it may not have a legal leg to stand on. In November 2013 the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan and neighbouring Turkey signed […]
When Does a Criminal Action Become Genocide? The Yazidis’ Case
Paper written for the Iraqi Social Forum participation in the WSF – Tunisia 2015. By Hadi Aziz Ali, Judge and legal researcher. It took the International Criminal Court more than half a century to get to its current form. The formation of this court was based on the international heritage related to the Penal Liability […]
Tolerance, Reconciliation, Law
Paper written for the Iraqi Social Forum participation in the WSF – Tunisia 2015. By Hadi Aziz Ali, Judge and legal researcher. Bertrand Russell says: “The moral thing I want to say is very simple: I’d like to say that love is wisdom and hatred is imbecility. In this world that is more and more […]
Intolerant Tendencies in Iraqi Society
Paper written for the Iraqi Social Forum participation in the WSF – Tunisia 2015. By Ghailan Al-Joboori. Introduction Sectarianism and sectarian intolerance is a problem in Iraq, and one that influences many important interactions within society. In this paper we present an international framework in which to address the issue of sectarian intolerance, and attempt […]
Violence, Intolerance and the Future of Civil Peace in Iraq
Paper written for the Iraqi Social Forum participation in the WSF – Tunisia 2015. By Husam Salim, Ezidi Solidarity and Fraternity League. Discrimination is an old phenomenon in Iraq, with strong social roots: it has been enhanced and spread by many factors in Iraqi society. Discrimination against religious minorities, which has existed […]
Embattled Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Assistance Fund
“The Lifeline team heard our voice at a time when hope was dying for us to continue efforts for human rights especially for women’s rights and their empowerment in our project operation areas. Lifeline encouraged and enabled our organization’s staff to continue its mission” -Pakistani CSO representative WHAT IS LIFELINE? The Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund is a consortium of 7 INGOs that […]
Launching the Fifth Workshop for Investigative Journalism
NUIJ On Wednesday, as part of a program initiated by the National Union of Iraqi Journalists last year, the fifth workshop dedicated to the fundamentals of investigative journalism for journalists from Baghdad and the provinces of Diyala, Wasit and Qadisiyah was launched. Dr. Irada Al-Jubouri, the Director of Projects and Trainings in the National Union, […]
Global Human Rights Defenders Fund
The Global Human Rights Defenders Fund (HRDF) provides short term assistance, including emergency funds, to human rights defenders (HRDs), including journalists, who are under threat, attack, detention, prosecution, or otherwise at imminent risk due to their work. Assistance may also include protection against other forms of persecution, including slander, smear campaigns, and stigmatization, all serious […]
Iraqi Army Sets Sights on Fallujah, Mosul
Mustafa al-Kadhimi – Al-monitor On the evening of April 2, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the liberation of Tikrit from the Islamic State (IS) and the raising of the Iraqi flag over the local government building. Tikrit is the first major Iraqi city to be retaken from the extremist group. IS first occupied Fallujah in January 2014 and then took Mosul […]