LocationsBridging Divides – One town hall meeting at a time
October 31, 2023
A cross-section of participants at the town hall meeting in Mosul on 24th September 2023.
While the conflict in Iraq is long ended, the work of reconciliation and reintegration remains.
To address these critical issues, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq through its Social Cohesion Pillar is supporting communities to come together in town hall meetings to discuss and find effective solutions to the challenges faced by both returnees and host communities.
The goal - to foster acceptance of reintegration, and reconciliation and build much-needed peace and unity through social cohesion initiatives.
As September came to a close, UNDP, working with Local Peace Committees (LPCs) organized three such town hall meetings in Ninewa, Salah al-Din, and Kirkuk Governorates.
Seeking social unity
These meetings attracted diverse groups of participants including members of the LPCs, youth and women group members, civic activities, members of the academia and media as well as religious and tribal leaders, among others.
"Ninewa is indeed a safe and secure place now, but the ongoing need for reintegration of returnees is persistent and requires the active involvement of everyone to achieve this goal,” Salih Hasan Ali, Qaymaqam (Mayor) of Mosul emphasized while opening the first town hall meeting that took place in his town.
The mayor called on participants to use this as an opportunity to address the differences in the community and look toward maintaining national unity.
Mr. Nashat Mohammad (centre) shares experiences from Iyhadiya, Tel Afar district where many returnees are still anticipated.
“The town hall meetings have been instrumental in increasing awareness about the LPCs, who, for safety purposes, sometimes work quietly,” Nashat Mohammad, the director of Iyhadiya sub-district, Tel Afa district, Ninewa Governorate shared.
His community in Iyhadiya still has many returning with the encouragement of LPCs. “Now people understand that their work is important and can connect with them directly, which is good for building cohesion in our communities,” Nashat added.
The town halls use a question-and-answer format with local leaders forming a panel and UNDP partnering with LPC members to moderate and address questions from participants. Answers are provided in real-time, while leaders understand the needs of their communities.
Nagham Daham
“Returnees need to be provided with legal aid because many of them lost their legal documents during the conflict. The process is long and cumbersome for many, that is why we are requesting that you consider having some legal aid clinics for them, they can run alongside these meetings,” Nagham Daham, a civil activist and community member (left) shares during the meeting.
Nagham adds that many returnees now live in slum areas and requested more support and documentation to enable them to settle in their areas of origin.
Cohesion in school curriculum
In Kirkuk Governorate, the meeting had a large turnout of youth. One of them, Zeena Abdul Hamid – a youth civil activist – found the meeting engaging. She hopes that all the recommendations will be fulfilled, particularly in the education sector.
Zeena Abdul Hamid
“Awareness needs to be included in our education curriculums to address the issues of bullying and stigmatization that were raised many times in the meeting. The Ministry of Education needs to be a part of these meetings and all the teachers trained because they are dealing with children who are our future – it is easier to teach them cohesion at a young age,” Zeena explains.
Altogether, the three meetings attracted 285 participants, 84 of whom were women. Collectively, these participants recommended that more such meetings be within the communities to include tribal leaders and in schools to promote acceptance, safety, and cohesion for all.
“This meeting came at the right time when we desperately need to maintain community cohesion and dialogue. Such meetings, especially in the presence of the governor, are a strong factor in strengthening civil peace and its continuity in society,” Muhammad Abdel Wahid Qoja / Chairman of the Tuskhurmatu Peace Committee in Salah al-Din.
Since 2020, UNDP through its Social Cohesion Pillar has been promoting town hall meetings as platforms for community cohesion. Recommendations from these platforms have been instrumental in understanding and addressing community needs for local leaders, local community groups, and UNDP – making peacebuilding a joint community effort.
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UNDP’s Integrated Social Cohesion Programme supports efforts towards peaceful and more cohesive societies in Iraq. Its work is made possible with the generous contributions of the Government of Denmark.