Where can you go to talk freely with Iraqis of Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, Palestinian, Christian, Eziidi, International and many other backgrounds about equality, civil and human rights, solidarity, unemployment and freedom? Anyone visiting Baghdad last week could not have missed the great energy of the nearly 3500 diverse Iraqi activists (young and old) from across the country who came to support the third Iraqi Social Forum, the second running of the Baghdad Marathon for Peace, and closing ceremony of the Forum. Ten international supporters included attendees from Italy, Norway, UK, the USA, Japan, and Canada. Followers of the events on social media reached 24 thousand via the Iraqi Social Forum Facebook page and the Baghdad Marathon Facebook page.
The Iraqi Social Forum [ISF] is a chapter of the World Social Forum that strives to build a powerful social justice movement uniting Iraqis as part of a shared, worldwide struggle to advance human rights and freedoms, and oppose corruption, exploitation, and militarism. The ISF brought together NGO leaders, labor union representatives, and human rights activists who participated in 19 small group sessions on topics including nonviolent social action, creative media advocacy, women’s rights, environmental action, legislation to advance the needs of differently abled persons, workers’ rights and other critical labor and economic issues. On the second day, Assemblies of Convergence addressed three theme: citizenship
Baghdad, 8-10 Nov 2019.
As Iraq experiences escalating violence that has resulted in at least 15,000 civilians killed and 30,000 injured since January 2014, the Iraqi Social Forum has consistently viewed the bloodshed as the result of long years of dictatorship and military coups, then years of occupation that produced the current political system with its corruption and sectarian quotas.
The Iraqi civil movements, NGOs and unions rose up in response and took the streets of several Iraqi cities this summer to protest against the lack of services and corruption in the administrative, financial and political systems. They won approval by the Iraqi Parliament of many important reforms. At this critical moment, the Iraqi Social Forum and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative believe Iraqi civil society has the capacity to promote coexistence between Iraqi communities through nonviolent action and peace-building programs, and that this is the way to defeat violent extremism.
A thematic Iraqi Social Forum on Coexistence and Civil Peace has been launched by Iraqi civil society organizations, and will take place in Baghdad (in Abu Nawas Gardens, on the Tigris River) from 8-10 of September 2019. During the Forum we will host a full-Marathon for Peace (including a 42 km race) .
Since the call for the Forum was spread in July, about 50 self-organized activities have already been registered online, and 180 young people from Iraq and Arab countries have offered to work as volunteers to organize the event. Now it’s time for internationals to consider taking part in this event and show international solidarity for Iraqi civil society! Iraqi activists commit to organize the presence of an international delegation and manage security aspects with unarmed accompaniment. In 2013 a delegation of 16 internationals and more than 3000 Iraqis took part in the first Iraqi Social Forum and never experienced security threats. Register Online Here:http://www.iraqicivilsociety.org/archives/4536
Join us in Baghdad! Iraqis are acting and it’s time for us to do the same!
Another Iraq is Possible
With Citizenship
The Iraqi Social Forum Committee
Website: http://iraqsf.org/ Contact: info a iraqsf.org - programme.isf.iraq@gmail.com
The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative
Website: http://www.iraqicivilsociety.org Contact: icssi.project a gmail.com
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Please consider the following ways of joining us:
1) Be with us in Baghdad.
This year's Forum is an opportunity for all dreamers to join us to imagine a better tomorrow for all of Iraq, to share and exchange ideas and propose solutions. It is an opportunity for NGOs in the Middle East and North Africa to attend and contribute to this diverse and important event for and by civil society.
The Forum will be divided into three main events, starting on 8 November with the Baghdad Marathon for Peace, followed by the "Another Iraq Is Possible" Festival on the same day. During the following two days, 9-10 November, a series of workshops and panel discussions will be held in the following areas:
• Economic and social rights addressing social justice;
• Political and civil rights contributing to better democracy and participation in decision-making;
• Environmental rights and preservation of the environment and water participation;
• Peace-building in the context of conflicts and wars;
• Nonviolent struggle as an effective means of achieving social and political change;
• Social cohesion in the context of racial and ethnic diversity.
Please join us for this exciting event and contribute to a vibrant democratic debate to find sustainable alternatives to the problems of our countries!
For more information click here
To participate in the season, please fill out the following form click here
2) Take part in the Extended Iraqi Social Forum: organize a solidarity event in your own country before or during the ISF, and send pictures or solidarity statements to the Iraqi Social Forum.
by supporting us sending solidarity pictures and videos to us at our facebook page : or by Whats up Number: +9647735854235
Also, a live exchange via Internet with activists in Baghdad will be set up through Skype or Google Hangout during the forum at times that will be announced, and some activities may be followed online through live streaming, but the quality of the connection cannot be guaranteed.
3) Support financially the Iraqi Social Forum.
If you can make a donation to cover some costs of the event, ICSSI would be glad to assist you and make sure all your funds reach the Iraqi Social Forum Committee. Even small donations are important, and will allow Iraqi organizers to have better tents, stages, amplification, banners and printed material. Donations by credit card can be processed online through the Italian NGO Un ponte per… Click here!
Extension of ISF 2015 ?
Presence of Zambia in Iraq Social forum from distance participation to direct participation
Preparation of tunis WSF - إعداد تونس المنتدى الاجتماعي العالمي 2015
Activities in Iraq social forum space in 2014
Activities in Iraq social forum space in 2018
Activities in Iraq social forum space in 2019
