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Join Us for #GivingTuesday. Empower Youth in Iraq for Peace in the Middle East

Enabling Peace in Iraq Center

new Report

Water diplomacy in
the land of two rivers

Iraq has been afflicted by severe water shortages. This report delves into Iraq’s relationship with upstream neighbors Turkiye, Iran, and Syria, shedding light on the country’s water disputes amid an unfolding climate crisis. 

Happening now

Our civic empowerment project is equipping young leaders in post-ISIS Ninewa Plains with political advocacy skills. Watch along:

Our civic empowerment project is equipping young leaders in post-ISIS Ninewa Plains with political advocacy skills. Watch along:

What's happening now in iraq

ISHM: November 9 – 16, 2023

Key Takeaways: Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court Removes Parliament Speaker Halbousi From Office – On November 14, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court issued a ruling, final and not subject to appeal, terminating the tenure of parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The ruling was in response to charges filed by Laith al-Dulaimi, a former lawmaker, and once member of Halbousi’s Taqaddum party, who was stripped of his parliamentary seat by Halbousi in January. In his case, Dulaimi, argued that Halbousi had forged a resignation letter signed by Dulaimi and used it to remove him from parliament. In a statement announcing the verdict on Tuesday, a member of the Court said that investigations confirmed the forgery allegations. Three government ministers from Halbousi’s party, those of Planning, Industry, and Culture, submitted their resignations in protest. Other party lawmakers resigned from the parliamentary committees they chair, including those of higher education, oil and gas, and integrity. Halbousi

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EPIC is a non-profit organization that supports Iraqis working toward a just and peaceful Iraq where all citizens live a safe, free and dignified life. We carry out programs in Iraq, conduct crucial research, and push for change through advocacy.  You can support our work by receiving our newsletter, making a donation, participating in periodic campaigns, and joining our conversation on social media.

EPIC is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that supports Iraqis working toward a just and peaceful Iraq where all citizens live a safe, free and dignified life. We carry out programs in Iraq, conduct crucial research, and push for change through advocacy.  You can support our work by receiving our newsletter, making a donation, participating in periodic campaigns, and joining our conversation on social media.

Download our ground-breaking report

The Long Game: Iraq’s Tishreen Movement and the Struggle for Reform

The report presents a year of research that includes focus groups with Tishreen and Kurdish activists, a national public opinion survey, social media analysis, and dozens of in-depth interviews.

Download

News and Features

Entrance to Baghdad's Zawra Park.

Celebrate 25 years of peace work in the Middle East

On this Giving Tuesday, we invite you to celebrate EPIC’s 25 years of humanitarian advocacy and peace work for the people of Iraq. From our inception in 1998 through this year, we have been a consistent voice for peace and for the rights and needs of all Iraqis. In the last ten years alone, that has included our work to deliver emergency assistance to more than 60,000 families displaced or under siege by ISIS, help Iraqi doctors and nurses fight COVID-19 and save lives, support the recovery of

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#38: Social Media and Iraq’s Protest Movement

The nonviolent struggle for democratic reforms in Iraq is now well into its fifth month of sustained protests against the government. We talk with Hayder Hamzoz, founder of INSM (Iraqi Network for Social Media), a network of Iraqi bloggers and citizens journalists. Hayder shares his perspective on how the protests work and the critical role that social media activists are playing on both the physical and digital front lines of Iraq’s protest movement.

Read More »

Can oil and water mix?: Creating opportunities for Iraq-Turkey cooperation

Originally published by the Middle East Institute — August 31, 2023 Last week saw a flurry of diplomatic activity between Baghdad and Ankara. The top priorities in the talks that took place in Erbil, Ankara, and Baghdad almost simultaneously were oil exports, the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, and Iraq’s water crisis. The visits by Ankara’s foreign and energy ministers to Iraq and by Baghdad’s oil minister to Turkey were preparations for an anticipated visit by Turkish President Recep

Read More »
Entrance to Baghdad's Zawra Park.

Celebrate 25 years of peace work in the Middle East

On this Giving Tuesday, we invite you to celebrate EPIC’s 25 years of humanitarian advocacy and peace work for the people of Iraq. From our inception in 1998 through this year, we have been a consistent voice for peace and for the rights and needs of all Iraqis. In the last ten years alone, that has included our work to deliver emergency assistance to more than 60,000 families displaced or under siege by ISIS, help Iraqi doctors and nurses fight COVID-19 and save lives, support the recovery of

Read More »

#38: Social Media and Iraq’s Protest Movement

The nonviolent struggle for democratic reforms in Iraq is now well into its fifth month of sustained protests against the government. We talk with Hayder Hamzoz, founder of INSM (Iraqi Network for Social Media), a network of Iraqi bloggers and citizens journalists. Hayder shares his perspective on how the protests work and the critical role that social media activists are playing on both the physical and digital front lines of Iraq’s protest movement.

Read More »

Can oil and water mix?: Creating opportunities for Iraq-Turkey cooperation

Originally published by the Middle East Institute — August 31, 2023 Last week saw a flurry of diplomatic activity between Baghdad and Ankara. The top priorities in the talks that took place in Erbil, Ankara, and Baghdad almost simultaneously were oil exports, the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, and Iraq’s water crisis. The visits by Ankara’s foreign and energy ministers to Iraq and by Baghdad’s oil minister to Turkey were preparations for an anticipated visit by Turkish President Recep

Read More »

Iraq’s Electoral Democracy on the Line: A Call for Extending UNAMI’s Mandate

By EPIC’s Editorial Team On April 19, Judge Jalil Adnan Khalaf, Chairman of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), reportedly resigned under pressure from influential political factions, raising concerns about the integrity of Iraq’s electoral system. This development, coupled with recent amendments to Iraq’s election law (published here), poses a formidable challenge to the progress made in electoral reforms following the Tishreen protests in October 2019, which aimed for a more democratic and accountable government. The Tishreen protest movement underscored

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