LocationsPromoting returnee acceptance, reintegration and stability through community town halls in Iraq
Healing Conversations
May 14, 2024
A cross-section of participants at the town hall meeting in Baqubah, Diyala Governorate.
Photo credit: UNDP 2024
In the aftermath of the ISIL in Iraq, approximately 1 million Iraqis remain displaced outside of the country. For many of them, the journey back home remains complex, particularly those who have perceived ISIL affiliations.
Despite these complex challenges, the Government of Iraq has made every effort to ensure that displaced Iraqis can return home. It welcomes several returnees through its Jeddah One Rehabilitation Centre – where they are prepared for the journey back home.
However, the road to reintegrating with communities back home is charged with tension. Communities, reeling with past traumas remain hesitant to welcome them back home. Recognising this divide, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), is collaborating with the Government of Iraq to promote community acceptance in the areas of return.
Through a series of town hall meetings, UNDP and the Government are facilitating crucial conversations in return areas of Anbar, Kirkuk and Diyala Governorates. These town hall meetings have become a unifying platform, bringing different viewpoints together, and discussing the communities’ most pressing needs all while promoting social cohesion and stability.
A platform to discuss solutions to social service provision challenges: Sheik Hamid in Fallujah
Sheikh Hamid Hadi Al-Arsan a member of the Anbar Central Peace Committee and a participant in the town hall meeting in Fallujah.
During the first town hall in Fallujah, Anbar Governorate, Sheikh Hamid Hadi Al-Arsan, a key member of the Anbar Governorate Central Peace Committee, reflected on the initial reluctance of the community to embrace the returnees.
“There was a lot of rejection by the Anbar community of those returning especially those who are perceived to have been part of ISIL, because of their role in the death of many Anbar families,” Sheikh Hamid said, adding that,” Once we realised this, the Central Peace Committee and the tribal Sheiks started the Anbar covenant document - a roadmap that has helped many return with the agreement of the community particularly the consent of victims' families.”
With the UNDP-organised towns, Sheik Hamid believes they can now move to discussing and identifying solutions to their communities’ key concerns including the limited-service provision and lack of job opportunities for youth, including those who are returning.
Unifying different viewpoints – Jamal in Anah, Anbar
In Anah district, 36-year-old Jamal Nasser Taha, a government employee who also doubles as the head of the Pulse of Hope volunteer group. The volunteer group supports various community reintegration efforts – helping returnees and other community members access livelihood and psychosocial support programmes offered by UNDP and other actors.
As a volunteer, Jamal shared that one of the major barriers he faces comes from families who reject the idea of returnees.
“The town hall meetings are great platforms for bringing these varying viewpoints together in one place giving community members the chance to meet, discuss and address them together,” Jamal shared, adding that he hopes that they will be scaled so they benefit everyone in the community.
Modelling co-existence and unity – Huda in Kirkuk
Huda Muhammad Al-Sabil, the head of the education and volunteer department in Kirkuk Governorate shares here experiences during the town hall meeting.
For Huda Muhammad Al-Sabil, the head of the education and volunteer department in the Kirkuk local government, these gatherings are important for reducing the gap between returning families and other members of the community.
“Looking across the room you see various women and other members of the community. These meetings are a model for co-existence and an extension of the work we do to promote reintegration and cohesion,” Huda shared.
Under her department, returnee families receive comprehensive support, including vocational training to equip them with new skills essential for finding work and providing for their families. These programs offer more than just skills development, they are opportunities to interact with others in the community. Additionally, her team conducts awareness campaigns on social cohesion in schools and various community gatherings, fostering a sense of unity and understanding.
A platform for networking – Mervat, Diyala
Mervat Hazim Mohammed (front centre), one of the young people who attended the town hall meeting in Diyala.
Unemployment remains one of the key factors affecting young people in the areas of return. The town halls are therefore a place to network and meet different people who can provide links to employment opportunities.
“Personally, workshops have helped me connect with influential individuals, enabling me to find employment and engage in voluntary work,” Mervat Hazim Mohammed, a young woman in her twenties shared during the meeting. The meetings, she explained have broadened her cultural horizons, and enhanced her personal development.
Laying the path to sustainable peace and development
“It's very important to get the communities talking as many of them endured the loss of loved ones and property. While many are eager to resume their lives, they are also afraid of this process of return. This process is going to be long-term, so UNDP’s facilitation of these conversations is vital,” Muhammad Kopurlu ( pictured left), the head of the Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights Watch (KOHRW), who moderated the town hall in Kirkuk Governorate shared.
Organised in partnership with local partners Al-Tahreer Association for Development, these meetings gather local authorities, Local Peace Committees, tribal and religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, security officials, returnees, and other vulnerable segments of the communities. They serve as platforms for healing discussions, raising awareness about the return process, and fostering community support for returnees, essential for their successful reintegration. During the meetings, participants also propose ideas for community-led initiatives that they can later refine with UNDP support and implement to promote community acceptance and cohesion.
Altogether, the meetings attracted 340 community members across the four Governorates, 114 of whom were women. Recommendations from the meetings guide both UNDP and the Government in addressing the communities' most pressing needs as Iraq advances towards sustainable development.
Through its Social Cohesion Programme, UNDP is using an integrated approach through town hall meetings, and livelihood programmes to foster return, reintegration, social cohesion and stability in areas of return.
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UNDP’s Integrated Social Cohesion Programme supports efforts towards peaceful and more cohesive societies in Iraq. Its work in this area is made possible by the generous contributions of various donors through the UNDP Funding Windows.