Світле майбутнє Крови: Іракська молодь виводить село з ізоляції

Nearly a decade after the end of ISIS invasion of northern Iraq, communities across the region continue to rebuild their lives. For residents of Krovy village, the scars of mass displacement are still felt every day.

When residents began returning in recent years, they faced significant challenges: limited public services, damaged infrastructure, and a lack of structured engagement with authorities. For a long time, Krovy was described as a “neglected village” because so few organizations visited.

Yet, through community-led action, youth within the village are steadily changing this narrative.

From Neglect to Agency

Determined to address the challenges facing their community, a group of young people in Krovy village reached out to Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) staff. They wanted to address the presence of war remnants (such as mines), limited access to water, and the absence of functioning government services, including schools.

Together, they formed the Krovy Youth Peace Team (YPT), bringing together Yazidi, Sunni, and Shia youth to strengthen community unity and create positive change. 

“We call our team ‘Bright Future’ to reflect our vision for the village, vibrant with awareness, positivity, and youth initiatives that create real change in the community.” -Bilal, Krovy YPT Member

Through a series of Unarmed Civilian Protection training sessions with NP, these young leaders gained a better understanding of local conflict dynamics and learned practical approaches to preventing violence and reducing harm. They then conducted a participatory risk assessment, aimed at identifying the community’s most pressing concerns and developed action plans to address them.

Some of those plans included leading awareness sessions for community members on digital protection, rumor control, and online blackmail prevention, creating safe spaces for community members to engage on issues affecting their daily lives.

“Our self-confidence as a team, along with our determination, was the key factor in building the community’s trust in us,” shared Ahmad, a YPT member.

Building an Ecosystem of Protection  

As the Bright Future YPT grew, so did its ability to mobilize local resources and respond to community priorities.

The team secured funding for a tree-planting campaign to help tackle desertification and strengthened relationships with local authorities and service providers.

“Through our communication and efforts, we were able to secure food baskets from Ninewa Governorate for the people of the village during the month of Ramadan. These initiatives did not exist before the establishment of our team,” explained another team member. 

By building relationships with government officials, local security actors, and community members, the team began transforming the village’s sense of isolation. Krovy started receiving support from outside organizations and institutions, including dignity kits for women and girls and supplies for new agricultural initiatives.

Women in the community also began reaching out to the YPT, sharing their safety concerns and expressing interest in engaging in activities. In a context where women’s engagement in public life had often been limited, this shift reflected growing trust in the YPT as a safe and accessible resource. 

“We realized that responsibility towards the village had become our duty.” -Mazen*, Krovy YPT Member

A Future Built by Youth

Since their establishment, the Bright Future YPT has met with other Youth Peace Teams across the region to learn from their different contexts and adapt successful approaches to meet Krovy’s needs. Inspired by the advocacy efforts of other teams, members began engaging local authorities to push for the reconstruction of the village school. 

Today, after sustained advocacy and coordination, the Krovy school reconstruction request has been approved, the site has been assessed, and the project is awaiting final budget allocation. 

For a village once defined by neglect, these changes represent something much larger: a growing culture of local leadership, youth engagement, and hope. As one member said, “Peace is a collective responsibility.” Through their dedication and action, they are helping build exactly that—a brighter future for Krovy. 

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*Усі імена були змінені для забезпечення конфіденційності та конфіденційності.

Примітка: There are two villages named Krovy in Sinjar; the western Krovy belongs to Ba’aj district and the eastern Krovy belongs to Sinjar district. This story refers to the western Krovy.