Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative

The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) is dedicated to bringing together Iraqi and international civil societies through concrete actions to build together another Iraq, with peace and Human Rights for all.

News

Draught, and Misuse threaten the natural and cultural heritage, and the right of access to water for the inhabitants of Mesopotamia

Nadia Al Baghdadi, A paper prepared for the ICSSI conference “”promoting dialogue and reconciliation, working for peaceful coexistence, and opportunities for international solidarity with Iraqi civil society” 27-29 Oct.2014, Oslo. On the 14th of March 2012, a petition was released all over the world, directed to The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, to conserve the […]

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SPORT AGAINST VIOLENCE AND BAGHDAD MARATHON: CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PLANS

Elena Laurenti – Nadia Al-Baghdady – Taif Alwachi ASD Sport Against Violence – ICSSI Report of the SAV-BM working group – ICSSI Conference – Oslo (Norway) October/November 2014 Sport Against Violence, as an association, has been working, since 2007, in cooperation with the Iraqi civil society on sport and cultural projects. Our original idea was […]

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Protest Letter Concerning the Treatment of a Female Journalist in Suleymaniah!

To: Mr Nikolai Miladinov, UN Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the UNAMI Five major political parties of Kurdistan – PUK, KDP, Gorran, KIU, Komal   It is unacceptable that female NRT journalist Shaima Jaf was prevented from entering the meeting of the UN Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI Mr. Nikolai […]

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A Study on the Status of Trade Unions in the Electricity Sector in Iraq

Freedom of Association Status, A Study by Solidarity Center on the Status of Trade  October 2014 Unions in the Electricity Sector in Iraq During the last decade, the Iraqi trade union movement has faced many turning points. It has been deprived of freedom of association in the public sector for over a quarter century according to […]

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Who Represents Iraqi Sunnis?

Mushreq Abbas – al-monitor Who represents Iraq’s Sunnis? Iraqis have not answered this incredibly sensitive question. The danger of being unable to clearly answer this question is directly related to the war on the Islamic State (IS), as well as the efforts of the Iraqi government, US troops and the international community to support the fighters tasked […]

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Kurdistan’s Battered Women: Out of Shelters, Into Danger and Honour Killings!

niqash | Alaa Latif | Sulaymaniyah When a woman leaves a shelter for battered women in Iraqi Kurdistan, her family often has to sign a pledge guaranteeing the woman’s safety. This is because of the prevalence of honour killings in the region. But apparently the pledges, signed before a judge, are not working. So women’s […]

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The Iraqi Social Forum: Its Origins, Its Current Work, And Its Ambitions For The Future

Ali Sahib- Coordinator of the ISF A paper prepared for the NSF- held in Oslo- Norway Nov. 2014 Origins Given the difficulties which Iraq has gone through, and continues to endure today — caused by the accumulated burden of dictatorship and occupation, the repeated failures of government due to the dysfunctional ‘quota approach’ that defines […]

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Testimony about the Challenges Media Faces in Iraq after the Collapse of Mosul!

Journalist Saadoon Mohsen Damed Madarik Foundation Testimony submitted for ICSSI Conference Oslo – Norway – November  2014   Introduction: Talking about freedom of expression, particularly about the challenges the media is facing in Iraq, after the so-called “Collapse of Mosul” on 10 June 2014, might seem a kind of luxury, as we are facing serious and […]

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Yazidis In Iraq: Current Situation, Priorities And International Solidarity Needed!

Husam Salim Ezidi Solidarity and Fraternity League Working paper dedicated for ICSSI Conference Oslo – Norway – November 2014 On 3 and 7 August 2014, respectively, the towns of Sinjar and Ba’shiqa (where the majority of the inhabitants are Yazidi) fell under the control of Daesh. As a result, tens of hundreds of civilian residents […]

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Rethinking Sadr: From Firebrand to Iraqi Statesman?

By: RENAD MANSOUR, MICHAEL DAVID CLARK Source: carnegieendowment Muqtada al-Sadr, once labeled “the most dangerous man in Iraq,” now offers a potential solution to Iraq’s troubles. The scion of an influential religious family who rose by inheriting his father’s movement and building a militia after the United States toppled former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in 2003, […]

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The Freedom of Expression Draft Law Restrict Freedoms and Recreates a Dictatorship!

 Activists and Journalists Participate in a Seminar Organized by the Press Freedom Advocacy Association: Baghdad – November 15, 2014 On Saturday Nov. 15, the Press Freedom Advocacy Association conducted a discussion seminar on the freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration draft law.  A number of activists, journalists and legal experts were present. The seminar, which […]

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Iraq’s Media Cold War: Why Arabs Don’t Understand Kurds, and Vice Versa!

niqash | Mokrayan Kawa | Erbil Although it has quite possibly never been more important, the potential for conflict and misunderstanding between Iraq’s Arab population and its Kurdish one remains high. Part of the reason for this is the lack of Arabic-language media in Iraqi Kurdistan and the lack of desire on the part of […]

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