Irak

NP’s work in Iraq 

NP began operating in Iraq in 2017, focusing on protecting people affected by violence, particularly those in critical need of protection in the IDP camps, people returning to contested and high-risk areas and those located in tense regions near the Syrian and Turkish borders. As the immediate humanitarian response shifted to ongoing development, NP continued its focus on both violence prevention and peacebuilding based on community capacities and needs. 

To that end, NP fosters resilience among communities affected by ISIS to prevent the re-emergence of violence in Ninewa Governorate, Iraq. 

• Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion: NP strengthens Community Peace Teams who work to prevent violence, protect communities, manage conflict, and build peace. 
• Relationship-Building: NP supports relationships and trust-building between the community and duty bearers while also improving the responsiveness of the latter to protect civilians.  
• Women & Youth Engagement: NP champions women and youth inclusion and engagement. NP does this by establishing women and youth peace teams, enhancing their capacities to participate in decision-making processes.  
• Digital Protection & Peacebuilding: NP and community peace teams focus on stopping harmful narratives, such as rumours, mis- and disinformation, and hate speech in digital spaces. Together, we also address online extortion through strengthening digital competency and providing direct protection. 
• Direct Protection: NP, with the Community Peace Teams, provides needs-based direct physical protection to those experiencing threats of violence through protective accompaniment, patrolling, and ensuring safe access to services. 

The future of NP’s work in Iraq

While progress has been made, Iraq’s protection and social cohesion challenges are far from resolved. NP will continue working on increasing the safety and security of civilians and enhancing the peaceful coexistence of communities. We will continue to focus on the inclusion of women and youth in decision making processes at the local and national levels.  

Simultaneously, NPIQ will continue its focus on digital peacebuilding  By doing so, NP remains committed to increasing the communities’ ability to protect themselves, strengthening nonviolent methods of conflict resolution and paving the way to reach durable solutions.