During a recent trip to Baghdad this April, IF's executive director, Ms. Rend Al-Rahim, appeared on Al-Iraqyia TV to discuss current happenings in Iraq and the ministerial meeting between Iraq, its neighbors and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council that was held in Kuwait on April 22. Al-Iraqyia is a local Iraqi media outlet, which broadcasts throughout Iraq and the region.

IF held its seventh in-country workshop on April 24 to promote its Accountability Education Platform, as part of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency (ACT) project. The workshop aimed at expanding public outreach and education on combating corruption and promoting transparency and accountability. The workshop took place in Fallujah, located in the Al-Anbar governorate. Participants included media representatives, members of local provincial councils, government employees, academics, NGO members and representatives from the Ministry of Human Rights and various political, secular and religious blocs. In addition, IF's executive director Ms. Rend Al-Rahim, met with CPI's director Judge Raheem Al-Ogaili to discuss ways in which IF and CPI can expand their collaboration and promote transparency and accountability.

As part of the Human Rights Education (HRE) Project, IF began recording a new cycle of eight radio programs this April. This third cycle of broadcasts includes programs on rights for handicapped persons, minority rights, violence against women, gender equality, the defense of citizen rights, and a program about IF's Human Rights Defenders Network among other human rights issues. IF's radio programs reach a larger, more diverse audience across Iraq, and have benefited thousands of Iraqis since its inception in October 2006. To date, IF has completed the two cycles of radio programs, producing and broadcasting 16 programs on various Iraqi media outlets.

On April 24 2008, IF's Human Rights Defenders Network (HRDN) completed an annual report of the human rights situation in Iraq from February 2007 to February 2008 with a special report on the human rights repercussions of illegal marriage in Iraq. In addition to completing this special report, many HRDN members organized press meetings to publicize their human rights activities. The meetings were widely covered by local TV and radio stations as well as newspapers. The organizations elaborated on the Network's activities and responded to the press inquiries. They also disseminated samples of HRDN's monthly newsletters. Participants included local government council members, tribal leaders, law enforcement officers, academics, lawyers, as well as NGOs and media representatives.

In addition to arranging several media interviews and our continuing media and parliamentarian monitoring activities, the Iraq Foundation staff setup and participated in meetings with prominent figures in Iraqi politics to promote the Pledge for Iraq (PFI) campaign in April. The first meeting, which was held on April 8, brought together PFI's Chairwoman, Dr. Azhar Al-Shaikhly, and board member Ms. Jacquelyn Zumaya with Dr. Jinan Al-Obaidi, President of the Political Women's Organization at the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI). Later on April 14, IF staff arranged a meeting between PFI's Executive Committee and the Head of the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, Mr. Salih Al-Mutlag. During these meetings, the PFI team discussed their legislative agenda as well as the two PFI-backed laws (the Equal Opportunity Law and Freedom of Expression Law), currently awaiting their second reading in the Council of Representatives, Iraq's parliament.