We Stand Together With Iraqi Civil Society Activists!
For more than 12 years of invasion, war, occupation and as yet unsuccessful attempts to rebuild the Iraqi nation – its society, culture and government – Iraqi civil society activists have campaigned for a unified and peaceful Iraq. We, in the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative [ICSSI] and members of the international peace and justice […]
The Erbil strategy meeting and the way forward for the Save the Tigris campaign
By Toon Bijnens, Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign/ICSSI Report of the Save the Tigris Campaign Strategy Meeting (Extract). More than 20 participants, international and from all over Iraq gathered in Erbil, Iraq, from 9-12 May for the Save the Tigris Campaign’s strategy meeting. It was an important event, since for the first time […]
Iraq: Curbs Put War’s Displaced at Risk
Restrictions Based on Area of Origin Prevent Safe Entry for Many Human Rights Watch – Beirut Iraqi authorities are preventing thousands of families fleeing the fighting in Ramadi from reaching safer parts of the country. The government of Iraq has primary responsibility for protecting internally displaced people and should allow those fleeing danger in Ramadi […]
Significant Growth in the Phenomenon of Domestic Violence in Iraq: 90% of Victims are Women!
Shafaq News Female judges confirmed significant growth in the phenomenon of domestic violence in the country, and pointed out that 90% of cases were brought by women. They attributed this to the deteriorating security and economic situation, which puts a tremendous amount of stress and pressure on the family. The domestic violence court complained that […]
Probing Daesh’s sex Atrocities with the United Nations
Middle East Eye speaks with Zainab Bangura, the UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict, about the latest Daash crimes MEE – NEW YORK, United States A United Nations unit of sex crime investigators has probed the world’s war zones for evidence of forced marriages, slavery and mass rape since 2009. According to its head, […]
The Euphrates in Crisis: Channels of Cooperation for a Threatened River
Chatham House The Euphrates’ existing resource security challenges have been compounded by upheaval in Syria and Iraq. Without urgent attention, stresses on the river’s resources will add to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis created by the conflict. The Euphrates River is of critical importance for water, food and energy security in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Flowing south-east […]
Solidarity Center : Iraqi Trade Unions Continue Their Ongoing Struggle for Rights
BAGHDAD – May 27, 2015 The international organization, Solidarity Center, has issued a new newsletter entitled ‘Iraqi Trade Unions Bulletin’. The new bulletin includes a summary and review of the conditions of workers, and highlights the increasingly serious challenges faced by public sector workers in light of the sharp deterioration of the Iraqi economy due […]
On the Battlefields of Antique Art
In his First Newspaper Interview, Robert Hecht, The World’s Leading Dealer in Antiquities, Talks to Geraldine Norman in Defence of his Trade Independent – Geraldine Norman IN 1972 Robert Hecht bought a hatbox full of Greek vase fragments, had them glued back together and sold the resulting vase to the Metropolitan Museum in New York for […]
Baghdadis Live with Constant Threat of Violence
Baghdad – Al monitor Cafe Ridha Alwan in central Baghdad’s Karrada district was packed with customers, mostly intellectuals, when an explosion rang out May 2 followed by gun shots. Sirens of the ambulance and firefighter trucks were heard wailing in the streets near the blast area. People rushed to leave the cafe for fear that another car would explode, as double-car […]
‘We Don’t Trust Anyone’: Iraq’s Displaced Minorities Not Ready To Return Home
Niqash Even though the extremist group Islamic State has lost ground in Iraq, displaced minority groups are not returning home. They fear ongoing prejudice and retaliation. “We really want to go back to our village but there are no guarantees that what happened before will not happen again,” says Ismael Rasho, a Yazidi man in […]
Iraq Counts on Magic Wands to Stop ISIS
Source: thedailybeast Despite warnings they didn’t work, Baghdad bought $85 million worth of gadgets that supposedly detect explosives. Today, two years after the British con man who sold them was jailed, Iraqi police are still waving them around. Last summer, in the days after the group now known as ISIS began its assault across Iraq, many […]
Baghdad youth Camp implemented in March 2015 On the morning of Thursday, 6 March 2015, the Iraqi Social Forum opened a small youth camp called “youth with Shahrazad ”. It lasted for two days and was intended to bring young activists together to work for the protection of women’s rights in Baghdad. The 8 participants […]