In recent days, temperatures in Baghdad have soared to 118°F (47.8°C) as the power grid fails, Basra’s water crisis has left two million people facing toxic salinity, and militias are brazenly trying to undermine government authority. Yet amidst these trials, hope persists.

In Sulaymaniyah, 27 orphaned and conflict-affected children are discovering creativity and confidence through our Summer of Hope program. In the marshes of Hawizeh, activists are courageously documenting ecological collapse. And across Iraq’s political landscape, new voices are preparing to shape November’s pivotal elections.

Even in fragility, Iraq’s future is being written by dedicated activists, emerging leaders, and communities determined to find a sustainable path forwards. Below are key updates on how your support is driving change where it’s needed most.

A Summer of Learning, Healing & Enrichment

The Summer of Hope Project—our 8-week enrichment program with the Iraqi Children Foundation and AUIS’s Moulakis Library, providing orphaned and conflict-affected youth with education, arts, and trauma healing—is thriving!

Twenty-seven children (10 teenage girls, 10 younger girls ages 3–11, and 7 teenage boys) are immersed in English classes, yoga, ballet, environmental workshops, chess, and more. Launched in June and now in its 7th week—thanks to donors like you—this initiative offers children affected by conflict and poverty a safe space to learn, create, and build confidence.

Meet Rojîn and Darya:
Seventeen-year-old Rojîn arrived on Day One clutching her sister Darya’s hand, both newly settled at the state-run girls’ center. Though visually impaired and facing learning challenges, Rojîn gradually emerged from her shell thanks to the instructors’ tailored encouragement.

“That first painting of hers—Cotton Grass Dispersing Seeds Against a Blue Sky—it took our breath away,” says program director Halbast Abdullah. Now, she creates art with radiant confidence.

Her 11-year-old sister Darya’s transformation has been equally profound. Once too shy to participate, she’s become a nurturing leader among the younger girls. In just six weeks, she has progressed from recognizing no written words to reading simple sentences in both English and Kurdish.

“We measure success in these moments,” Halbast reflects. “Not just in skills gained, but in hearts healed.”

This program—made possible by 100+ donors like you—embodies EPIC’s commitment to breaking cycles of trauma through opportunity.

Strengthening Iraq’s Environmental Movement with Direct Support and Research

With Basra’s water emergency intensifying and the Hawizeh Marshes vanishing (The Guardian, Aug 13), EPIC is accelerating support for Iraq’s environmental defenders.

EPIC just awarded Iraq Waterkeepers $3,500 to complete a mobile wastewater treatment demonstration unit. This pilot project proves Iraq already has the technical solutions and expertise to address its wastewater crisis – where 80% of the country lacks proper treatment – and will help pressure municipalities to adopt these locally-available systems.

This fall, we’re launching three advocacy campaigns with local partners: tackling air pollution, preserving urban green spaces, and pushing for national wastewater policy reform.

And as you read this, an EPIC-funded field study is nearing completion. Freelance journalist/researcher Winthrop Rodgers has conducted extensive interviews with farmers, officials and experts in Halabja and Erbil, documenting how water-saving techniques have doubled yields of drought-resistant crops like walnuts and pomegranates. The final report – expected in October – will show how these successes, combining modern technology with ancient agricultural wisdom, could transform water management across Iraq’s drought-stricken regions, from Ninewa’s wheat fields to Basra’s date groves (despite challenges like salinity intrusion).
The report will include:

• Policy roadmaps for scaling solutions
• Field photographs documenting successful irrigation systems
• Practical tools to bridge KRG/federal cooperation gaps

Reporting from Halabja, Winthrop Rodgers writes: “Where chemical weapons once killed 5,000, farmers now pioneer life-giving solutions to climate change.”

CLIMATE & SECURITY: Welcoming Peter Schwartzstein to EPIC’s Board!

We’re honored to announce Peter Schwartzstein—award-winning journalist and pioneering climate-conflict researcher—has joined EPIC’s Board of Directors. His groundbreaking fieldwork across 30+ countries, including seminal reporting on how drought drove ISIS recruitment in Iraq, uniquely equips him to strengthen our climate-peacebuilding initiatives. We highly recommend his 2024 book The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence – the first field-based exploration of climate-driven global violence.

Watch his TED Talk: Why Violence Is Rising With Global Temperatures

GOVERNANCE & SECURITY: Ahmed Ali Returns to EPIC

EPIC proudly welcomes back Ahmed Ali – renowned political analyst and founding architect of EPIC’s research portfolio – as Senior Fellow! Ahmed founded our flagship Iraq Security & Humanitarian Monitor (ISHM) program in January 2015, strengthening EPIC’s evidence-based advocacy. With expertise honed at Georgetown University, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), he’ll lead our election monitoring and analysis ahead of November’s high-stakes parliamentary elections, building on Omar Al-Nidawi’s recent analysis: “Iraq’s democracy at crossroads” (Amwaj.media).

Get their latest insight: Watch Ahmed & Omar’s briefing: Iraq’s PMF Law & Election Risks

JOIN TEAM “EPIC” for the Children of Iraq on Sat., Sept. 6!

Join us in defending our title as the largest team at the Iraqi Children Foundation’s 5K! After partnering on the transformative Summer of Hope project, let’s rally again to support ICF’s vital work. Whether you join at Rock Creek Park or virtually, you’ll be part of an inspiring gathering where veterans, Iraqi Americans, humanitarians, and global citizens stand united for Iraq’s most vulnerable children.

Run with us Saturday, September 6, 2025
at Rock Creek Park, Washington DC
for the Iraqi Children Foundation’s
13th annual “IN THEIR SHOES” 5K
(or participate virtually!)

Your participation helps rally support for:

• Classrooms on wheels: Transforming old city buses into vibrant learning spaces for Baghdad’s poorest neighborhoods.
• Healing safe havens: Trauma care and education for girls rebuilding their lives in Mosul.
• Child protection teams: Legal advocates rescuing street children from trafficking and labor exploitation.

Last year, 54 EPIC supporters like you joined us and we made history. This year, let’s shatter that record with 55+ team members or more!

Claim Your Spot! Register for Team EPIC Today

As Iraq faces converging crises—environmental collapse, child poverty, and political uncertainty—your partnership empowers communities determined to write a different story. From a college campus where children are encouraged to dream big to Iraq’s parched farmlands where drip irrigation is taking root, your support nurtures resilience where hope is needed most.

Thank you for standing with Iraq’s children, environmental defenders, and peacebuilders—turning determination into lasting change.