As part of their tour in the Nineveh Plain, participants in the Dialogue Education and Knowing the Other camp met with Mr. Qusay Abbas, a political activist and former member of the Iraqi Parliament.
The camp participants discussed with Mr. Qusay the reality and future of diversity in the city, and the role of dialogue in preserving the uniqueness of the Nineveh Plain, which has historically been distinguished by its religious and ethnic diversity. Mr. Qusay highlighted the importance of the role of youth and civil society in promoting acceptance of the other and leading efforts in dialogue between followers of different religions and ethnic groups in the Plain, in a way that safeguards the city’s identity. He stressed the need to develop young people’s capacities, focus on cultural aspects, and contribute to enhancing knowledge of the other and learning about all cultures, based on the idea that diversity is a source of richness not only for the Nineveh Plain but for Iraq as a whole.
The Knights of Dialogue also met with Mr. Muadh Haji, a member of the Nineveh Provincial Council, who provided the visiting delegation with a summary of the council’s efforts in managing diversity in the province and his ambition to establish a national policy in Iraq that organizes diversity management as a source of strength, distinguishing Iraq from other countries in the region.
The team discussed with Mr. Muadh the role of dialogue in fostering peaceful coexistence among the city’s communities and the challenges facing administration and civil society in this field. Participants also discussed the role of Mosuli women in dialogue and the mechanisms the council adopts to enhance this role, particularly in the post-liberation stage from ISIS control.
The campers presented souvenirs to their hosts, consisting of handicrafts made by participants in the Citizenship Education Camps organized by Masarat Foundation.
It is worth noting that the “Through Dialogue We Survive and Rise” camp was launched in Baghdad with the participation of youth from Sinjar, later joined by youth from Baghdad in its first phase. The camp then moved to Basra where young men and women from Basra joined the team, before continuing on to Dhi Qar, then the Nineveh Plain, and later to the Old City of Mosul. The camp will soon continue its tour across other Iraqi cities as part of a program aimed at promoting dialogue as a mechanism for building peace between followers of religions and rejecting hate speech.
