IF is gearing up for its second annual fundraising dinner to support Iraqi children’s charities on March 23, 2007, which will be held in downtown DC in the Renaissance hotel. This year’s dinner will feature a charity raffle, an art exhibition, DVD presentation on IF's humanitarian work, and traditional Iraqi music from the Sun Band, as well as a host of prominent speakers, including Congresswoman Kay Granger, Co-chair of the Iraqi Women’s Caucus, ABC’s Dan Harris, and Former Iraqi Minister of Municipalities and Public Works, Nasreen Barwari. It is our great pleasure to invite you to share an enjoyable evening with us and support this humanitarian cause.

Last year, thanks to the generosity of our supporters and contributors, we raised funds that benefited six organizations, helping over 200 orphaned, mentally handicapped, and physically disabled children in Iraq. The humanitarian need is great; hundreds of organizations remain that need our assistance to meet the needs of these children. Together we can make a difference!

In January, IF’s Executive Director Rend Al-Rahim appeared on BBC World News on the 17th and Al-Hurra on the 19th to discuss myriad issues facing Iraq and the implications of US policy in the region. Ms. Al-Rahim commented on President Bush’s plan to send more than twenty-thousand extra troops to Iraq, the general security situation in Baghdad and the country as a whole, as well as addressed growing concerns about Iran’s influence in the region.

The Iraq Foundation held its first Human Rights Education workshop for 2007 on January 10-11 at our Human Rights Resource Center (HRRC) in Baghdad. The workshop was part of IF’s efforts to spread human rights education in the country and increase awareness on human rights principles, standards, and conventions among the public. Some 23 Iraqis attended the workshop that was specifically held for employees of the Directorate of Radiation Surveillance at the Ministry of Environment. The workshop discussed human rights and the environment, and introduced participants to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and conventions protecting women’s and children’s rights.

On January 25, 2007 IF’s executive director Rend Al-Rahim testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Biden to discuss securing America’s interest in Iraq and political options and strategies. Ms. Al-Rahim was called to give expert testimony on the nature of the conflict in Iraq and political strategies and options, which the US could pursue to address the underlying factors that have created the present situation. In her address, Ms. Al-Rahim outlined a series of short and medium term goals for Iraq designed to break the cycle of violence and facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive national reconciliation plan.

As part of the Iraq’s Pledge (IP) Project, IF’s Ms Suhaila Hassan visited the parliament and the Legal Committee numerous times during the last week of January to follow up on the progress of the Equal Opportunity Law and the Freedom of Expression Law and report to IP Board of Directors on the laws progress. Both laws received a first reading in the parliament session 64 on January 25, 2007. After the first readings, the laws where submitted to the Committee of Human Rights to be discussed there before they are submitted to the relevant government ministries.

The Iraq’s Pledge platform is committed to seeing five laws enacted which will secure (1) freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, (2) have a civil status law as one of the options for matters of personal status (such as marriage and divorce) as an alternative to religious laws and courts, (3) ensure the independence of the Iraq Federal Supreme Court and require that all judges on the court have a high degree in law and experience as practicing judges, (4) strengthen the High Commission for Human Rights by enabling it to refer cases to the Supreme Court for review, and (5) enable the High Commission for Human Rights to enforce the right of equal opportunity for all Iraqis no matter their religion, ethnicity, gender, and disability.

Executive Director Rend Al-Rahim was awarded the Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in January. Ms. Al-Rahim will use the opportunity to research topics related to post-conflict peace and stability in Iraq, which focuses on Iraqi social groups and political formation from 2003 to 2005. Ms. Al-Rahim is co-author of The Arab Shi’a: The Forgotten Muslins, with Graham E. Fuller, (St. Martin’s Press, 1999) and has authored numerous reports, journal articles, papers, and has given expert testimony in both houses of Congress.

Ali A. Al-Assaf was appointed Director of Programs in IF’s Baghdad office on January 15, 2007. Mr. Assaf originally joined IF’s Baghdad team on September 1, 2006, where he worked as a Project Coordinator for the Human Rights Education Project (HRE). As Director of Programs, Mr. Assaf is responsible for the implementation of all projects in Iraq, new project development. Mr. Assaf will also act as a liaison with the Iraqi government officials, international organizations, NGOs, experts, and others who share IF’s vision. Mr. Assaf has extensive experience working for a variety of NGOs operating in Iraq, which includes Unlimited Horizons of Development, the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq, Triangle Generation Humanitaire, Action Contre la Faim and Enfants du Monde Droits l’Homme, a French NGO that assists disabled children in Iraq.

Mr. Assaf has a Ph.D in the Applied Sciences and a diploma in Engineering Management and speaks fluent Arabic, English, and Serbo-Croatian.