ongoing & past Projects
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaimanya and Garmian -2023
This project is a self-funded project, entails the following activities:
1- providing legal consultation and advice
2- Providing legal representation
3- Providing support for the Shelter of Threatened Women at Sulaimanya.
4- Conducting training for the staff of the Shelter of Threatened Women at Sulaymaniyah.
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaymaniyah and Garmian-2022
This project which is funded by UNHCR entails the following activities: 1- Provide case management and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Conduct Safety Audits program in the ARC. 3- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 4- Establish two Women Listening Centers/WLC, one in camp and one in off camp. 5- Organize awareness raising activities on GBV. 6- Organize “Engaging Men in Accountable Practices/EMAP”. 7- Sanitary kit Distribution targeting girls and women in the camp and urban. 8- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV. 9- Organizing FGDs to assess needs of PoCs. 10- Organize and broadcast radio programs through local radios in Sulaymaniyah Garmyan, Halabja, and Raparin to raise awareness on legal, PSS, and GBV. 11- Publication and dissemination of brochures on legal, PSS, and GBV issues.
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaymaniyah and Garmian -2022
This Project Which Is Funded By UNHCR Entails The Following Activities: 1- Provide case management and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Conduct Safety Audits program in the ARC. 3- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 4- Establish two Women Listening Centers/WLC, one in camp and one in off camp. 5- Organize awareness raising activities on GBV. 6- Organize “Engaging Men in Accountable Practices/EMAP”. 7- Sanitary kit Distribution targeting girls and women in the camp and urban. 8- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV. 9- Organizing FGDs to assess needs of PoCs. 10- Organize and broadcast radio programs through local radios in Sulaymaniyah Garmyan, Halabja, and Raparin to raise awareness on legal, PSS, and GBV. 11- Publication and dissemination of brochures on legal, PSS, and GBV issues.
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaymaniyah and Garmian - 2023
This project which is funded by UNHCR entails the following activities: 1- Provide case management and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Conduct Safety Audits program in the ARC. 3- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 4- Establish two Women Listening Centers/WLC, one in camp and one in off camp. 5- Organize awareness raising activities on GBV. 6- Organize “Engaging Men in Accountable Practices/EMAP”. 7- Sanitary kit Distribution targeting girls and women in the camp and urban. 8- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV. 9- Organizing FGDs to assess needs of PoCs. 10- Organize Community-Based protection programs
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaimany and Garmian- 2021
This project which is funded by UNHCR entails the following activities: 1- Provide case management, MHPSS and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 3- Organize awareness-raising activities on GBV. 4- Organize “Engaging Men in Accountable Practices/EMAP”. 5- Sanitary kit Distribution targeting girls and women in the camp and urban. 6- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV. 7- Organizing FGDs to assess needs of PoCs. 8- Organize and broadcast radio programs through local radios in Sulaymaniyah Garmyan, Halabja, and Raparin to raise awareness on legal, PSS, and GBV. Publication and dissemination of brochures on legal, PSS, and GBV issues. 9- Publication and dissemination of brochures on legal, PSS, and GBV issues.
Protection and response to GBV survivors for refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaimany and Garmian-2020
This Project Which Is Funded By UNHCR Entailed The Following Activities: 1- Provide case management, MHPSS and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 3- Organize awareness-raising activities on GBV. 4- Organize “Engaging Men in Accountable Practices/EMAP”. 5- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV. 6- Organizing FGDs to assess needs of PoCs. 7- Publication and dissemination of brochures on legal, PSS, and GBV issues. 8- Conducting and in-house training for DHRD’s staff under the project about how to treat the LGBTQI community and remote provision of case management and PSS services due to CORONA pandemic and lockdown. 9- Conducting an online survey throughout Iraq on COVID-19 and quarantine as other factors of increasing domestic violence.
Peace and Development Horizon in Arbat Area for the Welfare of All- 2019-2020
This project which is funded by GIZ and UNDP entailed the following activities:
1- Conducting a basic training on mental health topics for the non-mental
health staffs, i.e. teachers and social workers.
2- Conducting an advanced training for mental health staffs about mental
health topics and how to treat the survivors of sexual violence.
3- Providing legal consultation and representation and mental health
consultation and referral to psychiatrist and therapy for GBV survivors.
4- Providing mental health service to those who need it, for that purpose visiting the health centers in Arbat area, and appoint a therapist and a psychiatrist in the area with the support of the Sulaimanya Directorate General of Health.
Conducting a survey on the mental health related issues in Arbat area.
Safer Passage: Securing Justice and Healing for Iraqi IDPs-2017 till 2019
This Project Which Is Funded By HAI Entailed The Following Activities: 1. providing legal consultation and representation. 2. Providing individual psychological session service and medication for IDPs. 3. conducting child protection and combating GBV training for the teachers. 4. conducting legal and psychological awareness sessions on GBV prevention and some of the applicable laws in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Protection and response to SGBV among refugees and asylum seekers in Sulaimanya and Garmian- 2019
This project which is funded by UNHCR and implemented in partnership with UPP, and CDO entailed the following activities: 1- Provide case management, MHPSS and psychosocial support/PSS services for GBV survivors. 2- Provide capacity building trainings for government, DCVAW, polices, COV, and NGOs’ employees on GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. 3- Organize awareness-raising activities on GBV. 4- Organize activities for International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against the GBV.
Safer Passage: Securing Justice and Healing for Iraqi IDPs-2017-2019
This Project Which Is Funded By HAI entailed the following activities: 1. providing legal consultation and representation. 2. Providing individual psychological session service and medication for IDPs. 3. conducting child protection and combating GBV training for the teachers. 4. conducting legal and psychological awareness sessions on GBV prevention and some of the applicable laws in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Promoting Social Coherence and Dialogue at Arbat Area - 2017-2018
This project which is funded by UNDP and GIZ entailed the following activities:
1- Conducting seminars and workshops for all the components and ethnic groups residing at Arbat area, including refugees, IDPs and host community people, about peace, social mediation and dialogue, etc. These seminars were implemented by UPP under the general supervision of the project.
2- Civil Development Organization (CDO) implemented various activities including:
a) Conducting language courses for learning Arabic, English and Kurdish languages.
b) Organizing educational activities under the informal education curriculum.
c) Conducting vocational and handcraft courses for women, men and girls as part of various campaigns promoting co-existence.
d) Setting up sports teams and conducting various sports activities.
e) Promoting volunteerism.
3- DHRD conducted various activities and provided service to the residents in Arbat area including IDPs, refugees and host community individuals, as below:
a. Conducting capacity building training for DHRD staffs and the volunteer staffs.
b. Conducting training for government and non-governmental staffs working at Arbat area on the principles of protecting women and girls from GBV focusing on the legal and psychological aspects.
c. Conducting legal and psychological awareness sessions.
d. Providing legal consultation and representation to GBV survivors.
e. Conducting gender awareness sessions on gender and sexual harassment self-prevention.
f. Providing psychological consultation and psychological sessions for GBV survivors.
g. Three brochures were disseminated, two legal brochures about the Anti-domestic Violence law in Kurdistan Region and the rights and responsibilities of the refugees and a psychological brochure on mental health and the family. And a third brochure about the 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
Enhancing protection for vulnerable women and girls among IDPs from SGBV-2015 to 2017
This Project Which Is Funded By UNDP and Japanese government Entailed The Following Activities: 1. Conducting training for the staff of the project. 2. Establishing two offices for the project at the IDP camps. 3. Conducting legal and psychological awareness sessions for the IDPs. 4. Providing legal consultation and representation. 5. Providing psychological consultation and therapy. 6. Opening a legal consultation clinic at the Sulaimanya courthouse. 7. Conducting legal awareness sessions about the Anti-domestic Violence Law and the legal age for marriage, unregistered marriage, polygamy, and abuse of telecommunication devices. 8. Conducting psychological awareness sessions about psychological tension, IDP status and its impacts, violence and its consequences on the individuals, solving the family problems peacefully, and presenting an animation film names "An Angry Man".
Enhancing protection for vulnerable women and girls among REFUGEES from SGBV- 2017 to 2018
This project which is funded by UNDP and the Japanese government entailed the following activities:
- Providing
social service, through mediation and re-establishing the family in a way
that is suitable for the women and girls who suffered from GBV.
- Providing
legal service including representing the GBV survivors in the courts, and
following up the implementation of the court decision at the
implementation office. And all the legal works needed by the GBv survivor
to solve her legal problem. Providing legal consultation to the GBV
survivors and their family members.
- Providing
psychological education to the GBV survivors and family members when
needed. Refer the GBV survivors to the Family Counseling Center and the
psychiatrist to receive therapy.
- Conducting
legal awareness sessions about the Anti-domestic Violence Law and the
legal age for marriage, unregistered marriage, polygamy, and abuse of
telecommunication devices.
- Conducting
psychological awareness sessions about psychological tension, refugee
status and its impacts, violence and its consequences on the individuals,
solving the family problems peacefully, and presenting an animation film
names "An Angry Man".
- Disseminating
a booklet about the Anti-domestic Violence Law, No.8 of 2011.
Improving the human rights condition of the prisoners and detainee
This Project Which Is Funded NPA entailed the following activities:
1.
Visiting five locations at Sulaimanya and filling the form
specified for adults, juveniles, and women reformatories and detention and
transfer centers and combating crime stations.
2.
Conducting two-day training for 25 staff of adult reformatory,
about the impact of the reformatories in the rehabilitation process and the
exemplary principles for treating prisoners and the impact of post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) after torture and combating torture.
3.
Presenting six lectures to 250 prisoners at the juveniles, adults,
and women reformatories.
4.
Conducting two-day training for 20 police officers at the
Sulaimanya Detention and Transfer Directorate, about the impact of the
administration on the rehabilitation process and the exemplary principles for
treating prisoners and the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
after torture, human rights, and combating torture.
Awareness About the Defendants' Rights and the Conventions related to Prevention of Torture and Illegal Detention - 2009
This project which is funded by UPP entailed the following activities: 1. Conducting three workshops for 30 senior police and security officers on the topics of the rights of the defendants in the Iraqi constitution and laws, detention before trial, and combating torture. 2. Booklets were prepared for each of the topics, and 500 copies for each were disseminated to the participants and other police and security officers.
Reinforcement of tolerance and social cohesion in Halabja -2022 to 2023
This Project Which Is Funded IOM under WASL Program entailed the following activities: 1- Provision of PVE and peacebuilding workshops for conflict affected youth who had perceived and past affiliations to extremist ideologies to increase resilience to violent extremism organizations and ideologies. 2- Provision of MHPSS workshops for mental health professionals on the principles of MHPSS in the modern context. 3- Provision of awareness-raising workshops for children and youth students around social and emotional learning (SEL), psychosocial support (PSS to build self-awareness, self-management and social awareness, further enabling resilience to VE and increased mental fortitude. 4-Provision of workshops for police and security forces on employment of non-violent methods and awareness of potential push factors.
Reinforcement of tolerance and social cohesion in Halabja through community-led actors and peace makers
This project which is funded by IOM entailed the following activities:
1-Organize training courses on the employment
of non-violent methods and human rights considerations for police and security
officers working in the investigation sections.
2-Organize awareness-raising workshops on
self-care, self-protection of burnout, techniques of greeting visitors
respectfully and employment of non-violent techniques for males and female
polices who work on regulating visits in the reception points of hospitals,
banks, courts and other government facilities and have daily close contacts
with visitors.
3-Organize training courses on promoting
respectful and nonviolent interactions with patients and their companions and
on self-protection of burnout and techniques of greeting visitors respectfully
& employment of non-violent techniques for male and female employees
working in the government maternity and pediatric hospitals on principles of
human rights, burnout and PVE.
Improving the human rights condition of the prisoners and detainee- 2016-2019
This Project Which Is Funded NPA under WASL Program entailed the following activities: 1. Visiting five locations at Sulaimanya and filling the form specified for adults, juveniles, and women reformatories and detention and transfer centers and combating crime stations. 2. Conducting two-day training for 25 staff of adult reformatory, about the impact of the reformatories in the rehabilitation process and the exemplary principles for treating prisoners and the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after torture and combating torture. 3. Presenting six lectures to 250 prisoners at the juveniles, adults, and women reformatories. 4. Conducting two-day training for 20 police officers at the Sulaimanya Detention and Transfer Directorate, about the impact of the administration on the rehabilitation process and the exemplary principles for treating prisoners and the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after torture, human rights, and combating torture. 5. conducting two-day training for 24 investigative police officers, about the exemplary principles for treating prisoners and the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after torture, and combating torture.
Enhancing the role of the judicial investigator for protecting human rights.- 2017
This project which is funded by OHCHR entailed the following activities: 1. Conducting four three-day training courses, each training included three workshops, the training participants were 80 judicial investigators, the topics included: • the international laws and principles of the criminal justice investigation. • the defendant's rights and combating torture. • forensic medicine for the purpose of a fair trial. 2- At the end of each training, the participants' recommendations were compiled, and at the end of the project all the recommendations were shared with the relevant authorities, i.e. the Judiciary Council and the legislative authority; in order for them to implement these recommendations for the purpose of improving the investigation procedures.
Monitoring the detentions and the police stations at Sulaymaniyah-2010
This Project Which Is Funded Diakonia entailed the following activities: 1. Monitoring the condition of the detainees and prisoners at the detentions, and police stations through conducting interviews about their conditions. The monitoring process was done by trained and expert staff, including six lawyers, a doctor, and a social worker. 2. Conducting numerous workshops for investigative officers at the police stations and the security about the rights of the defendants, human rights, the articles in the Iraqi constitutions about the rights of the defendant.
Training the Staff of the Reformatories- 2009-2010
This project which is funded by UPP entailed the following activities: 1- Conducting six workshops for the staff of the male adult and juvenile reformatories. The workshops focused on the correct way of treating prisoners and detainees. 2- Monitoring the treatment used by the warden and the staff of the reformatories through monitoring visits to the prisons and the reformatories.
Monitoring the Detentions-2009-2010
This Project Which Is Funded Diakonia entailed the following activities: - Monitoring the police stations at Sulaymaniyah city, the combating crime directorate, juvenile police station, the detention and transfer of women and men, and the Sulaymaniyah Security Directorate detention center at Kani Goma. The monitoring was conducted by a team of six lawyers, a doctor, and a social worker. - Conducting workshops for the police and security officers and the police staff and prison guards.
Protect the Future: Reform in the Juvenile Justice in Iraq-Sulaymaniyah 2017-2018
This project which is funded by HAI -EU entailed the following activities: 1- Conducted a survey on the situation of the juveniles who come in contact with the law, through filling an intake form. In addition to that legal counseling and representation and follow up were provided to the juveniles and their families. 2- With the support of the HAI conducted a two-day awareness-raising training for the staff and guards of the juvenile reformatory. 3- Participating in developing Know Your Right (KYR) brochure about the rights of the juveniles who come in contact with the law as per the valid Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdistan laws and disseminate it to the juveniles and the juvenile reformatories and juvenile police station, the juvenile observation house, and schools. 4- Participating in developing a guiding brochure for the juvenile police and the investigative courts to encourage adhering to the international standards and the local laws in their treatment with juveniles. 5- Participating in a Training of Trainers (ToT), about the juvenile law and its implementation at the courts and how lawyers work in the juvenile lawsuits. The training aimed at building the capacity of trainers on juvenile justice. 6- The participants of the ToT trained 20 Sulaymaniyah based lawyers for 45 hours over the course of three months; about working on juvenile cases at the court and how to defend the juveniles per the international standards and the local laws. 7- presenting two two-hour lectures about the juvenile law for the fourth year students at the Sulaymaniyah University's college of law and the University of Human Development with the support and coordination of the legal clinics of these two universities.
Court Support-2007-2008
This Project Which Is Funded NED entailed the following activities: 1- Monitoring the condition of the rule of law, human rights, the situation of the defendants in the courts, the police stations, and security stations 2- Publishing 11 annual reports about the violations. 3- Presenting recommendations to improve the work of the courts and the independence of the judiciary authority. 4- Conducted workshops, conferences, and seminars and research about the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary authority. 5- Published six books analyzing law texts on proving, Iraqi Penal Code, Personal Status Law, civil court hearings.
Monitoring the Courts 2007-2008
This project which is funded by NED entailed the following activities: 1-Conducted a conference on the independence of the judiciary authority in partnership with the Judges' Union in Kurdistan Region to: a) Integrating the principle of separation of the judiciary authority as the only power that can decide in the issues between the citizens and the government. b) Holding government accountable to implement the law. c)activating the role of the public prosecution for the sake of protecting human rights and the general freedoms and the rule of law. 2-training some lawyers and judicial investigators to work on monitoring the courts. 3- Conducted 6 seminars for the judges, and the members of the public prosecution at Sulaymaniyah. 4-Surveyed the lawyers about the quality of performance Sulaymaniyah courthouse. 5- Monitoring the courts and the judicial offices. 6-Published the reports, seminars and the topics of the project in several newspapers.
Media Legal Defence Initiative-2012-2013
This Project Which Is Funded IMS entailed the following activities: 1-setting up a hotline for the journalists. 2- Providing legal counselling to the lawyers. 3- Providing legal representation for the journalists at the courts
Protecting and defending freedom of expression 2012-2013
This project which is funded by UPP entailed the following activities:
1.Publicizing the project and the services offered for the target groups
in the public social media and other relevant media enable the beneficiaries
get access to the services.
2.Visiting the media and journalism entities and other relevant
institutions for coordination purposes and publicizing the project.
3. Offering case management for the potential cases.
4. Referral of cases to the lawyers and other entities for services.
5.Provision of legal advice and legal representations.
6. Monitoring the cases to make sure they have been judged according to
the specific available laws and regulations related to journalists.
Legal awareness for the High schools-2011
This Project Which Is Funded Asiacell Company entailed the following activities: 1. Printing and hanging posters at the schools. 2. Preparing a brochure about the text of the law and disseminate it to the students. 3. Conducted a legal awareness campaign about the mentioned law through conducting legal awareness sessions.
Enhancing the capacity of attorney profession - 2008-2011
This project which is funded by IRT entailed the following activities: 1. conducting 14 workshops for 230 lawyers on court hearings about the topics of evicting residential property, lawyers' law and the foundations of the legal profession, implementing bonds and decisions, the guide for company registration, the foundation of the criminal trial law, lectures about real estate registration, personal status law, the principles of proving, the ways of appealing a civil lawsuit, and the women's rights in the international agreements. 2. Preparing a manual about each of these topics, printing 250 copies for each manual and distributed to the participants. 3. Each lawyer was provided 5 legal references to resort to when needed. 4. The workshops were followed by practical training inside the courts, these training courses were conducted by skilled lawyers who had over six years of experience.
Civil Awareness for the Youth, Police, and Security at Darbandikhan-2008-2011
This Project Which Is Funded by NDI entailed the following activities: 1. Conducting 6 workshops for a group of 25 youths. 2. Conducted 6 workshops for security and police personnel, about the topics of human rights, law, advocacy, the police, and the security’s treatment of citizens in a legal way and violence-free and force-free way. 3. Conducting a session with both the youth group and the police and security group, to discuss the demonstrations that took place in Darbandikhan in 2006, requesting improvement of the services and identifying the weak and strong points of each other during these protests. 4. Identifying and forming a group of five active youth who participated in the workshops to survey the public’s opinion about the services provided in the area and their opinion and comments about the local administration generally and the police and security specifically, to learn the level of the response when the citizens need their support. At the end of the activity, we conducted a press conference with the presence of the press and the participants of the workshops and the representative of the offices and the political institutions and NGOs and the representative of NDI and presented the result of the survey.
Raising awareness about the Iraqi Council of Representatives 2006
This project which is funded by NDI entailed the following activities: Educational Focus: Provide comprehensive knowledge about the Iraqi Council of Representatives, including its formation and historical context. Explain the Council's structure, representatives' count, constituencies, and the election process. Duties and Responsibilities: Outline the roles and duties of the Iraqi Council of Representatives in the legislative process. Stress the importance of citizen participation in democratic governance. Legal Perspectives: Feature presentations by lawyers to interpret the legal framework governing the Council. Clarify citizens' legal rights and responsibilities in relation to the Council. Civil Society Engagement: Facilitate discussions led by activists to explore the Council's impact on local communities. Encourage community members to voice concerns and engage in constructive dialogue.
Civil Awareness for the Youth, Police, and Security at Darbandikhan-2008-2011
This Project Which Is Funded by NDI entailed the following activities: 1. Conducting 6 workshops for a group of 25 youths. 2. Conducted 6 workshops for security and police personnel, about the topics of human rights, law, advocacy, the police, and the security’s treatment of citizens in a legal way and violence-free and force-free way. 3. Conducting a session with both the youth group and the police and security group, to discuss the demonstrations that took place in Darbandikhan in 2006, requesting improvement of the services and identifying the weak and strong points of each other during these protests. 4. Identifying and forming a group of five active youth who participated in the workshops to survey the public’s opinion about the services provided in the area and their opinion and comments about the local administration generally and the police and security specifically, to learn the level of the response when the citizens need their support. At the end of the activity, we conducted a press conference with the presence of the press and the participants of the workshops and the representative of the offices and the political institutions and NGOs and the representative of NDI and presented the result of the survey.
Combating Administrative Corruption - 2005
This project which is funded by ICSP entailed the following activities: 1- Conducting a 5-week training for 25 legal staff that work in the government institutions, discussing topics related administration, administrative law, and the crimes committed against public position. 2- Organized a conference presenting various researches about the reasons behind administrative corruption and how to solve them. The conference included legal experts, and administrative experts. The conference was concluded with recommendations which were later submitted to the Council of Representatives and the government institutions.
Conducting legal and human rights awareness sessions for the judicial investigators at the judiciary institution -2005
This Project Which Is Funded by NPA- UNDP entailed the following activities: 1. Presenting few lectures and practical lessons for 25 judicial investigators at the Sulaymaniyah courthouse and the police stations about human rights protection 2. Enhancing the capacity of the judicial investigators according to the international human rights principles