Together with Wolfgang Dietrich I have become engaged in a process of capacity building for Peace and Conflict Studies in Iraq. In this project, which includes nine Iraqi Universities, we can draw on the University of Innsbruck UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies’ long experience in this field, having been engaged in similar projects around the world. After a fruitful assessment workshop we are very much looking forward to our next steps with our Iraqi colleagues and our partners from the Iraqi Al-Amal Association and UNDP.

About the Project

Iraq is a country with a conflict-torn history from colonialism, to the regime of Saddam Hussein, the foreign invasion led by the US-American coalition, and the rise of ISIS. The long- term Kurdish conflict, as well as ethno-political conflicts amongst Sunni- and Shiite lines, have all contributed to the evolvement of a socio-political status quo that has left many communities and society at large traumatized and divided. In this context, the UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies, in cooperation with the Iraqi Al Amal Association, the Iraqi Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research conduct a comprehensive capacity building project in the Iraqi higher education system, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The initial project phase from October 2018 to March 2019 aims at facilitating the development of a practitioner pilot Diploma Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Baghdad in collaboration with academics from the universities of Baghdad, Kufa, Karbala, Anbar, Tikrit and Mosul. Furthermore, the University of Innsbruck will facilitate workshops for 26 Iraqi academics from different Iraqi Universities to promote peace education developed through training in Peace Education pedagogies and developing material for Peace and Conflict Studies in Iraq.

For more information regarding this project please contact Wolfgang Dietrich (Wolfgang.Dietrich@uibk.ac.at) and Adham Hamed (Adham.Hamed@uibk.ac.at).