On Jan. 24, 2015, in an extraordinary move by the modern founders and activists in Iraqi civil society, the first Civil Society Leaders Conference was held in the Oil Cultural Center. The conference honored 50 activists and civil society organizations, from all of Iraq’s provinces, who have contributed to Iraq’s civil society for more than 10 years. The Iraq Foundation was one of the first organizations to be honored, as well as a number of organizations which founded the core of Iraqi civil society after 2003. The event also honored activists like Umaia Aljibara, lawyer Saadia Lami, and others who have sacrificed their lives in order to advance Iraq’s civil society. The conference was held in the presence of hundreds of organizations working in Iraq as well as members of the House of Representatives, the Baghdad Provincial Council, and the Commission on Human Rights.
