At least once a year, EPIC welcomes a new cohort of interns – young professionals seeking to add practical experience to their academic backgrounds in humanitarian affairs, international relations, security studies, political science, public relations, and beyond. We are grateful for their contributions to our research, action, and advocacy, and for the opportunity to connect them to Iraq and its people. Please join us in welcoming our Summer 2022 interns: Hinda and Rebaz!

Hinda Shakeeb: was born and raised in Baghdad and is a recent graduate from Colorado States University with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. In addition to her internship at EPIC, Hinda currently works as a communication administrator at a local organization in Halifax, Canada. With a strong background in journalism and media in the Middle East, Hinda is a believer in the power of words, and is passionate about everything that brings people together. She aspires to get a master’s degree in international and intercultural communication, and is excited about this opportunity with the EPIC, as it provides an opportunity to be involved in making positive change in her home country.

Rebaz Mohammed: was born and raised in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. He received his Ph.D. in Law from the University of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in peace and conflict studies from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has worked on various social justice issues, including humanitarian aid, gender equality, minority rights, peacebuilding, and indigenous peoples’ rights. His skills include research, public speaking, program development, grant writing, and mediation. Rebaz is passionate about addressing the root causes of conflict, particularly climate change and its relation to displacement. He aspires to produce practice-based research on those issues towards developing meaningful efforts to reduce the worst effects of climate change in the MENA region.