In the past months the Social Cohesion Council in the city of Sulaimania has established itself as a valuable civil society space for dialogue, consisting of men and women of all ages, various professions from doctors and lawyers to journalists and students, from the local community. The goal of the council is to address important...
The Diyala Social Forum has begun efforts to address these pollution problems in their province. Pointing to the pollution of the Khraissan River, the Diyala Social Forum created a working group to study solutions that could be implemented to reduce this pollution. An urgent meeting was held to review opinions and plans, and to choose...
From 6-8 April 2019 the 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum will take place at the University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A unique space for open and public dialogue about the status and access of bodies of water in the Mesopotamia. This event will be an important opportunity to promote a society-wide coalition for...
From 6-8 April 2019 the 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum will take place at the University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A unique space for open and public dialogue about the status and access of bodies of water in the Mesopotamia. This event will be an important opportunity to promote a society-wide coalition for...
On 17 October 2018, a civil society Fact-Finding Team revealed serious human rights violations against citizens in Basra for their participation in this past summer’s protests. These findings correspond with Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights, which found that between 1 August and 7 September, 20 people were killed, 492 people were injured (including 80...
The New Arab, 3 November 2018 Iraqi fish farmers south of Baghdad have been left reeling after finding thousands of dead carp mysteriously floating in their cages or washed up on the banks of the Euphrates. Piles of the dead silvery fish, along with a few car tyres and plastic bags, could be seen on...
World Cleanup Day, 15 September, saw the launch of a new campaign by volunteers of the Peace Forum in Ramadi. They plan to defend Euphrates River against pollution, and they have joined up with the Ramadi Police Directorate, Ramadi Municipality and Anbar Environment Directorate, all of whom have shown spectacular support for the campaign thus...
The Alyahodia River is a large branch of the Euphrates after the city of Al-Hindiya, also known as the Babylon Channel. In the past, its banks housed an intersection of cultures and religions which formed a thriving and integrated community. The original name of the river, Judaism River, dates back to 550 BC when Jewish...
Mustafa Saadoun, Al Monitor, August 31 2018 BASRA, Iraq — Human rights advocates and health officials estimate that 17,000 to 18,000 residents of Basra province have been poisoned by heavily polluted and salty drinking water. On Aug. 26, hundreds of residents stormed the Basra Health Directorate to protest the poor health services provided to those made ill, but relief is...
Iraqi civil Society Solidarity Initiative 18th July 2018 Iraqis have been demonstrating for days in immense protests across southern Iraq—in Basra, Nasiriyah, Amarah, Kut, Karbala and Najaf—demanding basic services and rights, including water, electricity, and jobs. The frequency of demonstrations targeting oil fields, ports and airports, and the headquarters of political parties has mounted in...
