IF Cooperates with the Ministry of Environment and the World Health Organization to Spread Human Rights Education across Iraq

IF is assisting the  MoEn and the WHO on their joint human rights education program by sponsoring a full day of their respective workshops, where the primary focus is on using human rights as a tool to protect the environment, building bridges between communities, and enhancing acceptance of the other. The MoEn’s and WHO’s program requires holding 160 two day human rights education workshops in eight different Iraqi governorates by December 2007.

The IF is supporting the program by sponsoring the third day of the workshops. This agreement was reached following a series of meetings that took place between representatives of the three sides on April 1st, 4th, and 16th at the MoEn. IF has very good relations with the MoEn and has held several human rights education workshops for its employees. The Human Rights Resource Center (HRRC) is still housed at the MoEn.

Starting in May, IF has assisted the MoEn and WHO through helping with eight workshops in Baghdad, two in Diwaniya, and two in Kut and Najaf.. The workshops were held during the following dates: May 8-10 and 29-31, and June 4-6, 5-7, 11-13, 19-21, and 26-28. The workshops reached out to more than 300 people, with an average of 25 Iraqis participating in each workshop. The participants belonged to the Ministry of Education, Civil Society Organizations, MoEn, Baghdad ’s Treasury, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electricity, provincial councils, TV stations, tribal, religious, and community leaders.