In Basra: Hammurabi Completes its First Activity within the Project “Protecting the Christian Minority and Creating a Culture of Human Rights in Iraq”
On November 27, 2024, the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization in Basra completed its first activity within a project to promote human rights in Iraq by raising awareness of four topics: women’s rights, as well as violence against them and its impact on society, protecting the rights of Iraqi minorities, children’s rights, and those of people with disabilities. This is a project sponsored by the John Paul II Foundation and funded by the Italian Development Agency.
It began by implementing an awareness workshop at the University of Basra’s College of Education for Girls, in cooperation with the Scientific Society for Sustainable Educational Studies. This addressed two axes: the first on violence against women and its impact on society, and the second on protecting Iraqi minorities. Dr. Amal Mahdi, a specialist in educational and psychological sciences, provided a comprehensive explanation of the international and Iraqi laws and legislations concerned with protecting women from violence, the main actors in following up on violations against women, as well as the responsibility of state and governmental institutions in providing protection and preserving women’s dignity. She also addressed the challenges and obstacles facing Iraqi women, and presented recommendations that would enhance the reality of Iraqi women, along with mechanisms for protecting them, preserving their dignity, and enhancing their role in achieving development and stability in the country, in addition to building peace and reconciliation.
For his part, Dr. Abdul-Salam Abdul-Majeed, a lecturer at the College of Arts, gave a lecture within the workshop’s second axis, regarding the protection of Iraqi minorities and their role, as well as the importance of diversity and its richness in Iraq. He further addressed the Iraqi laws and legislations that guarantee the protection of minorities and relevant international laws, Iraq’s obligations to protect human rights and minorities, as well as the importance of preserving the cultural, human and historical heritage of Iraqi minorities, since they are indigenous to the country.
The workshop, which was moderated by Dr. Abdul-Razzaq Rahim and lasted two hours, witnessed an interactive discussion between students and lecturers. This included interventions by students and many questions to the lecturers, which they answered, enhancing the former’s understanding and awareness.
It is worth noting that the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization had completed a broad awareness project on human rights in Basra during the past two years, in cooperation with the Italian John Paul II Foundation and with funding from the Italian Development Agency. This included four schools and kindergartens in the city, the teaching staff, administrative bodies and employees of which benefited from it.
