The participants of the “With Dialogue We Endure and Rise” camp visited the Artists’ Syndicate in the city of Basra.
The delegation was welcomed by artist Fathi Shaddad, Head of the Basra Artists’ Syndicate. The camp is implemented by Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development, in partnership with KAICIID and the House of Coexistence. The meeting discussed the role of art and artists in promoting dialogue within a city historically renowned for its diverse artistic traditions.
Mr. Shaddad provided the camp’s youth with a detailed explanation of the role of the Syndicate in producing and encouraging the production of artistic works that promote acceptance of the other, prioritize the language of dialogue in the city’s diverse society, and strengthen peacebuilding among Basra’s communities.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the youth participants from Sinjar presented the Head of the Syndicate with a stone from Mount Sinjar as a token of appreciation, symbolizing their pride in this mountain, which represents a symbol of Yazidi resilience, attachment to land, country, and identity.
It is worth noting that the #With_Dialogue_We_Endure_and_Rise camp was launched in Baghdad with the participation of youth from Sinjar, later joined by youth from Baghdad in its first phase, and then continued to Basra, where young men and women from the city joined the team. The program will soon continue its journey across other Iraqi cities, aiming to promote #Dialogue as a mechanism for peacebuilding among followers of different religions and for rejecting hate speech.
