Shows
The GLocal26. Understanding IraqIraq is often in the news, but few understand this ancient society. We spoke with Erik Gustafson, the founder and executive director of Enabling Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC), an independent non-profit organization in Washington DC, to help us understand some of the dynamics that are rarely reported in the news. Learn more and follow updates at https://enablingpeace.org/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theglocal/message
2021-11-3045 min
EnablingPeace#38: Social Media and Iraq's Protest MovementThe 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.
2020-02-281h 01
EnablingPeace#37: The Iran-Iraq War and Its Enduring Impact on the RegionWhen you think of Iraq, more than likely your thoughts turn to the country's troubles since 2003. However, the roots of those events trace back to one of the region's most consequential wars of the 20th Century.
Thirty-nine years ago this week, Iraqi forces invaded Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province, starting the Iran-Iraq war. The conflict saw the region's first use of weapons of mass destruction, an escalation of proxy warfare, a genocide against the Kurds, and the beginning of greater U.S. military involvement in the region. Fueled by arms sales and financing by the U.S., Gulf states, and over...
2019-09-2359 min
EnablingPeace#36: Basra's Water CrisisOn this edition of IRAQ MATTERS, Basma Alloush of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) discusses Basra’s water crisis and the implications for the province's 4.5 million residents and for the rest of Iraq. With growing frustrations fueling ongoing protests and unrest, why does Basra matter and what can be done before it is too late?
2018-12-1133 min
EnablingPeace#35: Mosul's Recovery: A Dream DeferredOn this edition of IRAQ MATTERS, Rasha al-Aqeedi, a native of Mosul and an acclaimed Iraq analyst, discusses Mosul's 3 years under ISIS, ongoing challenges to the city's security and recovery, the role of young people and civil society in the fight against intolerance, and Ninewa's central importance for enabling peace in Iraq.
2018-12-0149 min
EnablingPeace#34: Corruption and Reconstruction - Lessons LearnedAside from the social and political costs that ISIS has wrought on Iraq, intense damage to cities and villages leaves the Iraqi people and their government with the massive task of rebuilding critical infrastructure. The reconstruction process presents an opportunity to bolster Iraq’s existing civil society, empower local populations, and foster new relationships between policymakers and their constituencies. Yet serious challenges – including economic crisis and government inefficiency – could handicap this effort as they did in the years following the 2003 U.S. invasion. Only with serious international engagement in a post-ISIS Iraq, both in terms of humanitarian funding and political guidan...
2018-01-1923 min
EnablingPeace#33: What is next for Iraqi Kurdistan?On September 25, the Kurdistan Regional Government held a referendum asking voters “Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the region’s administration to become an independent state?” Two days later, the Electoral Commission announced that 92.75 percent of more than 3.3 million votes cast were in favor of independence. Since that time, Iraqi Kurdistan and its government has experienced considerable backlash from the government in Baghdad, including the loss of territory outside of the Kurdistan Region, and control of oil exports, international borders, and air traffic. On November 1, longtime KRG President Masoud Barzani resigned from office.
On this editio...
2017-11-2356 min
EnablingPeace#32: Yazidi Women and Conflict in Northern IraqAs they swept across northern Iraq in summer 2014, ISIS militants targeted members of the Yazidi faith in Sinjar – launching a genocidal attack on the ancient religious minority that galvanized a global response. Nearly two years after the town of Sinjar’s liberation in November 2015, the future for Iraq’s Yazidi community remains perilous. As regional actors compete for control of Sinjar today, the region has yet to be rebuilt or repopulated. Thousands of Yazidi women and children remain in ISIS captivity, and many more are displaced across the country and region.
On this edition of Iraq Matters, we are honored to wel...
2017-08-1028 min
EnablingPeace#31: Reconstructing Iraq After ISISAs Iraqi forces near victory against ISIS militants in Mosul, policymakers in Baghdad now face the daunting task of restoring infrastructure and essential services in cities and territory damaged by three years of brutal occupation and war. The costs of such work in Mosul alone could rise above $100 billion over the course of 10 years, while elsewhere the Iraqi government faces similar multi-billion dollar price-tags. Failing to meet these costs could foster future instability. Finding the financial and material resources to meet these challenges will prove critical as Iraq moves beyond the ISIS nightmare.
On this edition of Iraq Matters, we...
2017-07-1130 min
EnablingPeace#30: Remembering Mutanabbi Street 10 Years LaterMutanabbi Street is a celebrated part of Baghdad named for the 10th century Iraqi poet. It is filled with bookstores and cafes where people have gathered for centuries to exchange knowledge and ideas, and has been dubbed the heart and soul of Baghdad’s literary community.
But 10 years ago, on March 5, 2007, 26 people were killed when a car bomb exploded – destroying lives, businesses, and the vibrancy of this intellectual meeting place. Since then, the street has reopened, but the lives that were changed that day remain changed forever.
On this edition of Iraq Matters, we are pleased to welcome Moussa al-Naseri, a Ba...
2017-03-0152 min
EnablingPeace#29 How are Refugees Resettled in the United States?On January 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspends refugee admissions to the United States for 120 days, bars all Syrian refugees indefinitely, and dramatically reduces the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States in 2017, among other immigration restrictions. The order, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” was issued alongside an assumption that somehow terrorists are blending in with refugees and making their way here to the US.
On this edition of Iraq Matters, we are pleased to welcome Jen Smyers of Church World Service, who will help explore this notion, disc...
2017-02-1027 min
EnablingPeace#28 Displacements Beyond MosulToday, more than 10 million Iraqis – half of them children – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. More than 3.3 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes since 2014. As Iraqi Security Forces and their allies work to liberate Mosul of ISIS militants (a process that may last for months), hundreds of thousands more families could be displaced and in need of care. How can this impending crisis in Mosul be mitigated while not losing sight of the millions of others who will still need food, medical care, and temporary shelter? What are conditions like for Iraq’s displaced population? And what are ai...
2016-10-2038 min
EnablingPeace#27: Mosul After ISISSince June 2014, ISIS militants have occupied Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the capital of the Ninewa Province. As Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, a U.S.-led coalition, and their allies prepare to clear ISIS from the city – beginning perhaps as soon as next month – we look ahead at what might come next. On this edition of IRAQ MATTERS, we ask how this complex region that has long been a center of ethnic factions vying for power will be governed as it rebuilds and repopulates. What pre-ISIS conflicts among these groups linger, and how will that shape the future...
2016-09-2933 min
EnablingPeace#26: Civil Society And Youth Respond To Iraq’s NeedsIraq faces an ongoing humanitarian emergency with 10 million people—nearly a third of the population—in need of immediate assistance. Nearly 3.5 million individuals have been forced to flee violence, leaving behind their homes, communities, and all they have ever known in search of safety. On this edition of IRAQ MATTERS, EPIC Director Erik Gustafson talks with Hala al-Sarraf, one woman who is going to extraordinary measures to help meet the needs of these vulnerable families. Listen as they discuss how Iraqi civil society groups are operating in Iraq's difficult environment, why local NGOs ought to be empowered and trusted to lead...
2016-05-2542 min
EnablingPeace# 25 : الشعر و تطور حرية التعبير في العراقعندما يسمع معظم الأميركيين كلمة العراق ، سوف يفترضون أن الحديث سيكون عن القنابل ، والعنف ، والنفط ، والسياسة. في حين أن هذه هي من القضايا الحديثة الهامة ، لكنها تجعلنا ننسى أن العراق هو موطنا لواحدة من أولى الحضارات في العالم التي يعود تاريخها الى اكثر من 6000 سنة . منذ ذلك الوقت ، أعطى الشعب العراقي المتنوع الكثير للعالم من خلال المساهمات في الفنون والعلوم و الموسيقى والأدب ، والفلسفة . يتحدث مدير برامج EPIC طيف جاني مع الشاعرة العراقية الشهيرة، الناشطة ومحامية حقوق الإنسان أمل الجبوري حول التحديات التي تواجه حرية التعبير في العراق التي واجهتها قبل الغزو الذي قادته الولايات المتحدة عام 2003 ، و أهمية تبادل قصة العراق مع العالم ، و دور الفتيات الشابات في رسم مستقبل العراق . هذه الحلقة متوفرة ايضا باللغة الإنجليزية.
2016-03-2942 min
EnablingPeace#25: Poetry And The Evolution Of Free Speech In IraqWhen most Americans hear the word Iraq, they assume that the conversation will be about bombs, violence, oil, or politics. While these are important modern issues, they make us forget that Iraq is home to one of the world’s first civilizations dating back 6000 years. Since that time, Iraq's diverse people have given so much to the world through contributions to art, science, music, literature, and philosophy. EPIC Program Manager Taif Jany talks with celebrated Iraqi poet, activist, and human rights lawyer Amal al-Jabouri about the challenges to free speech that she faced prior to the 2003 US-led invasion, the importance of...
2016-03-2933 min
EnablingPeace#24 A Conversation With Iraq's Ambassador Lukman FailyToday, Iraq is facing three simultaneous crises: ongoing insecurity and violence on and off the ISIS battlefield, a serious economic downturn precipitated by falling oil prices, and a humanitarian emergency with 10 million people—nearly a third of the population—in immediate need of assistance. The good news is that conditions in Iraq are favorable for an effective government, thanks to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s genuine commitment to reforms that improve governance for all Iraqis.
EPIC Director Erik Gustafson speaks with Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Lukman Faily on the needs of displaced persons in Iraq, government reform...
2016-03-0828 min
EnablingPeace#23: A Trip Report On Iraq's Displacement Crisis With Refugees IntlSince the escalation of armed conflict in Iraq that began with ISIS seizing territory in Anbar in January 2014, 3.2 million people have fled their homes. As Refugees International reports: "They are living in rented accommodations, unfinished buildings, and makeshift camps, often without adequate food, water, or medical care." We talk with Refugees International's Senior Advocate Daryl Grisgraber about her recent mission to Baghdad and her visits to the southern city of Hilla and a hard-to-reach area in Anbar. Get a firsthand account of the crisis, including untold stories of some of the families most affected and of youth volunteers who are...
2015-11-3048 min
EnablingPeaceIraq Briefing With Ahmed AliAn Exclusive Briefing with Ahmed Ali on the latest updates on the fight against ISIS, political developments and challenges facing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and the United States Role in Iraq.
2015-11-0553 min
EnablingPeace#22: Giving Voice To The Street Kids And Orphans Of IraqFor years, we've been singing the praises of the Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF). Today we're thrilled to finally share their inspiring story with you. Just days after their most recent mission to Baghdad, we sit down with ICF co-founder Jonathan Webb. After four years of experiencing the war in Iraq up-close and personal, Jonathan returned with a very different vision for Iraq. In 2008, he co-founded ICF to mobilize a life-changing “Surge of Love” for millions of children traumatized by violence in Iraq. Jonathan shares the story of ICF's success in helping orphans and other vulnerable children living on the streets of w...
2015-08-3154 min
EnablingPeace#21: One Year After The Fall Of SinjarOne year ago this week, ISIS captured the city of Sinjar, the historic home of Iraq's Yazidi community. ISIS massacred hundreds of residents in cold blood and kidnapped thousands of women and children. To learn what has happened to the people of Sinjar since then, we talk with Christine van den Toorn, director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Also featured: an Iraq update with our Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor research team.
2015-08-061h 00
EnablingPeaceEPIC Interview With Minister SindiThe following is the full recording of EPIC’s exclusive interview with the Kurdish Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi, who oversees the management and support of internally displaced communities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The interview took place on March 18th, 2015, in the Minister's office in Erbil. Thank you for tuning in to this important conversation.
2015-04-2120 min
EnablingPeace#20:Under Threat: An Exclusive Report From Iraqi KurdistanWith the war against ISIS, a worsening fiscal crisis, and the challenge of hosting 1.5 million Iraqis and Syrians displaced by ISIS militants, Cathy Otten of IRIN reports that Iraqi Kurdistan is nearing ‘the breaking point.’ To learn more, EPIC Senior Fellow Ahmed Ali joins us from Erbil in an exclusive interview with the KRG’s Minister of Planning Ali Sindi. We then turn to Joel Wing of “Musings on Iraq” for an update on the latest security and humanitarian developments in Iraq. - See more at: http://www.epic-usa.org/20-under-threat/#sthash.VFxNSR7X.dpuf
2015-03-3146 min
EnablingPeace#1 Re-Release: Our Debut PodcastThis is an encore release of our very first Iraq Matters podcast. Over the past 15 years, EPIC has touched many lives and we created this podcast series to share these connections and stories with a wider audience.
This first episode featured Part 1 of an interview with EPIC’s current Senior Visiting Fellow, Ahmed Ali, an update on Iraq from Joel Wing, the author of Musings on Iraq, and a segment on Iraqi culture with Zainab al-Suwaji, co-founder of the American Islamic Congress.
We hope you enjoy this important piece of EPIC’s history. Keep an eye out for the re-release of E...
2015-03-0351 minEnablingPeaceFull recording of EPIC's "Out in the Cold" Panel Discussion on the Deepening Crisis in IraqAccording to the latest UN estimate, 5.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Iraq. To discuss that challenge, EPIC convened a distinguished panel with Francois Stamm of ICRC, Michel Gabaudan of Refugees International, Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch, and Nancy Youssef of The Daily Beast. Hosted by the Iraqi Cultural Center on January 16, 2015, the panelists offered insights on the deepening crisis, the opaqueness of the current military campaign, and warnings for the future of international aid in Iraq, as the fight against ISIS and inadequate shelter leaves many Iraqi families out in the cold. - See more...
2015-02-181h 23
EnablingPeace#18: United in Diversity, Full Interview with Nuri KinoYou may have seen it on your social media feed. These days it seems to be appearing everywhere. The Arabic ن (“noon”) symbol has been used by the Islamic State to mark Christian homes and businesses. Now Christians and their supporters, as well as advocates for religious freedom around the world are turning the tables and using it as a symbol of solidarity. Tune in to this episode to hear from Nuri Kino, Juliana Taimoorazy, and Jeff Gardner and learn more about how a global movement is coming together to defend Iraq’s minorities and preserve its rich heritage and cultural diversi
2014-10-1635 min
EnablingPeace#13: Preventing A Lost Generation, Full Interview with Zach BazziIn the season 2 premiere of our IRAQ MATTERS podcast, we sat down with veteran Zack Bazzi, TentEd Co-Initiator. Here we have a special extended version of our interview with Zack which includes more personal connections and a big picture look at the Syrian Refugee crisis. Thank you for listening to IRAQ MATTERS, and don't forget to subscribe to us on iTunes and Stitcher by searching "Iraq Matters". Happy listening!
2014-06-0538 min