Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are a land of diversity, where dozens of ethnic groups and religions have lived together for thousands of years. In recent decades, however, large segments of society have suffered from war, terror and other forms of terrible violence. Members of minority groups in particular were repeatedly subjected to serious attacks. These experiences of violence have left scars on individuals and families. The psychological consequences range from post-traumatic disorders, anxiety and depression to secondary trauma in children, as well as domestic violence.
One major problem is the lack of well-trained psychologists and trauma therapists. The public health system is not equipped to treat tens of thousands of people with trauma-related disorders.
At the same time, the experience of violence has led to a fragmentation of the local communities, manifested in widespread mutual prejudice and mistrust. One problem is the lack of knowledge about “the other”: Young people grow up with narratives about the other side that are not questioned due to the lack of safe spaces of encounters.
Our Partner Organization
In Kurdistan-Iraq, we have been cooperating with the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights since 2015. The Jiyan Foundation supports survivors of severe human rights violations with free medical, psychotherapeutic, legal and social assistance.
To this end, it operates a network of trauma support centers in Kurdistan, Iraq and Syria, where trauma therapists and social workers treat hundreds of people every year.
Contact Us
Atran Youkhana
Project Coordination Middle East
atran.youkhana@wings-of-hope.de
Phone: +49 89 50 80 88-52
Professional Training for Trauma Specialists
We are strengthening the Iraqi health care system.
In Kurdistan and Iraq, we have been training trauma specialists from our partner organization and employees of the local health care systems since 2012. In a total of four rounds of training, we have certified more than 100 psychologists, social workers and medical doctors in trauma therapy, trauma pedagogics and trauma counseling.
They apply what they have learned in their work with severely traumatized people and thus make an important contribution to overcoming experiences of violence and stabilizing families and communities.
We are currently supporting the colleagues of our partner organization with in-depth seminars and supervision.
Each year, graduates of our training courses in Kurdistan-Iraq take part in an international refresher seminar at Labenbachhof in Ruhpolding.
The current project is funded by Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation.
Youth Network for Peace and Dialogue
We support young people in their commitment to reconciliation.
Together with our partner organization, we support a network of over 50 young people in Kurdistan-Iraq who are committed to peace and dialogue. They come from almost every ethnic and religious group in the country and overcome decades of conflict.
Several times a year, the young women and men attend workshops on the topics of cultural diversity, advocacy for peace and the culture of remembrance. They then meet in regional groups to implement small projects in their communities.
In 2021 and 2023, almost 20 particularly committed adults came together for Iraq’s first and second Academies for Peace and Dialogue. For eight days, they engaged in workshops and discussions to find common ground in diversity.
Learn more about this program in this YouTube video from our partner organization.
” I’m a person who blocks out a lot of bad things to protect myself. I cried here today. I can’t help but think of the sentence from one of the participants who said: ‘The source of our strength lies in our diversity’. This sums up the project perfectly. ”
Member of the youth network
