Iraq varies religiously, ethnically, and linguistically, yet this diversity is exposed to the risk of social exclusion as minorities are exposed to daily threats of violence, abuse, and discrimination, despite the formal recognition in the Federal Constitution of the rights of minorities and their representation at the government level, further work is yet to be done by civil society to raise awareness on the issue of minorities in Iraq. More recently, these challenges have dramatically increased, especially with ISIS, responsible for committing genocides and displacing numerous families between 2014 and 2017. After the liberation of their towns in 2017, some Iraqi ethnic and religious minority groups are still facing challenges pushing them to leave the country. These challenges are linked to the lack of essential services, job opportunities, and massive destruction of infrastructures.
In order to address these challenges, the Innovation for Change MENA and the Station awarded young Iraqi advocates from minority groups, through training 22 advocates from different minority groups on conducting advocacy campaigns, and awarding small grants to 5 local organizations to conduct campaigns with objectives they designed based on minorities needs in the Nineveh plains.
