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 The Pledge for Iraq  

The Pledge for Iraq (Ahd al-Iraq) is a grassroots initiative to mobilize civil society groups and leaders to lobby politicians and engage in grassroots campaigns to promote values of human rights within Iraqi society. For more information about the Pledge for Iraq, please visit www.ahdaliraq.net.
   
 Phase I  

2005 Elections Campaign

When the new Proposed Iraqi Constitution was announced in August 2005, Iraqi women activists were concerned that key issues affecting women rights would be deferred to the future National Assembly, leaving them open to interpretation. These women needed a strategy to influence the future parliament and prevent it from passing laws that would curtail or violate the equal rights of women.

With less than three months before the elections, the following strategy was proposed to help a dozen Iraqi women leaders protect women’s rights in the future assembly:
  • Prioritize five laws that the new assembly should pass to secure the rights not only of women, but all Iraqis, thus positioning the campaign for women's rights as part of a broaded human rights agenda.
  • Conduct a "pledge campaign" in which assembly candidates promise to pass the suggested laws.
  • Develop a clear and united message about the human rights platform and mobilize Iraqis to support party lists whose members had signed the pledge
  • Build coalitions with other civil society groups to educate candidates and voters about the platform

Within a few weeks, a team of legal experts was assembled, which led the women through a campaign planning session and sent a campaign manager to Baghdad. A local team was recruited to help the women to develop the campaign platform and messages, write campaign materials, meet with political candidates and civil society groups, generate media coverage and hold grassroots and university-based events.

   
 Phase II  

Building a Civil Society Movement in Support of the Pledge for Iraq (2006) – ongoing

In addition to driving a legislative agenda, the Pledge for Iraq presents a unique opportunity to engage civil society, especially Iraqi youth, in the important democratic concepts at the core of its agenda.

In association with Baghdad-based NGO, Friends of Democracy, a one year program was proposed to build a broad civil society movement supporting the Pledge on three pillars:

  • Expanding the coalition of civil society organizations that endorsed the Pledge for Iraq during parliamentary elections, and deepening their involvement in lobbying efforts.
  • Developing a university-based network of students and professors in support of the Pledge for Iraq.
  • Publishing educational materials on the principles underpinning the Pledge for Iraq (freedom of the media, or association and of religion, and an independent judiciary), to be distributed through the NGO coalition.

Results

Awareness raised within the NGO and university communities was one of the primary successes of the Pledge. This was achieved in the context of worsening violence in Iraq, and almost non-existent legislative activity from the National Assembly. It is a tribute to the courage and determination of our local partners.  The program‘s results are summarized below:

 
  • 140 NGOs signed the pledge, from all 3 regions of Iraq and 13 of the 18 governorates.
  • Close to 200 NGOs have attended conferences where board members explained the campaign’s legal goals.
  • 50 NGOs submitted proposals to promote Ahd al-Iraq in their communities.
  • NGOs have expressed enthusiasm for Ahd's platform, and are positioned to lobby the parliament to pass specific laws through a letter-writing campaign to members of parliament.
  • A network of students and professors has been created in 10 Iraqi universities.
  • An estimated 1,000 students have attended Ahd al-Iraq discussions and debates in 10 universities in Baghdad, the South and Center of Iraq (Amara, Babyl, Basrah, Diwaniyah, Kerbala, Kut, Najaf, Nasirya, Samawa and Sulaymaniyah).
  • Students have reviewed and provided feedback on 2 draft laws.
  • Generated extensive national media after each NGO conference and local media coverage of workshops and students lectures in more than 20 print, tv and radio outlets.

   

The Tharwa Institute for Democratic Leadership  | The Pledge for Iraq | Women's Election Campaign Mentoring | General Advocacy Support | Materials
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