Tammuz participates in the activities of the third season of the Iraqi Social Forum

Tammuz Organization for Social Development contributed in the activities of third season of Iraqi Social Forum with two seminars and awareness campaignthat held in the Baghdad Theater Forum and AbwNawa’as gardens during the period 22-24 Sept 2016.

At the beginning of two seminars, Head of Tammuz Organization Vian al-Sheikh Ali was welcomed participants and presented a summary on Tammuz Organization and Iraqi Social Forum and their aims.

Thefirst seminar held at the morning of Sept 22 and was on “youth and unemployment”and Dr.Falah al-Robaioffered an intense study on unemployment, its causes and its effects on the individual, community and country, and diagnose of the Iraqi economy and operational and educational policies that have increased both unemployment rates (open unemployment & underemployment). He also showed the conclusions and recommendations to reduce of unemployment and investment potential labor problem in order to achieve human, social and economic development.Among the most prominent recommendations are the adoption of an economic program aimed to employ the oil revenues, change the investment through the support of activities in agriculture and industry sectors, accelerates the work force and classification according to professional groups and economic status through work force planning and achieve consistency between education and market needs.

All participants of activists, academics and youths have interacted with the subject especially the matter of women work and the impact of corruption on unemployment, and some participants presented some proposals as solutions to reduce this problem.

The second seminar held at the evening of Sept 22 and was on “Voluntary work in defend of human rights”where both lawyers SabtiJuma’a and Mohammed Abdul Wahedtalked about the importance of voluntary work and employment for the defense of human rights. In addition,they talked about the rights of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the community and the role of lawyers in the voluntary work such as the role of legal clinic of Tammuz Organization and its services for IDPs of Anbar province.Moreover, the role of legal clinic network in whole of Iraq and its services in presentingthe legal consultations and aids for women and IDPs.

Colleague Vianal-Sheikh Ali submitted an intervention on the important of voluntary work in the civil society organization and how to participate the youth in the voluntary work and enhance of citizenship values to gain theself-confidence and strengthen of societalsolidarity, also affirmed the necessary to arrange the voluntary work and its continuity.Shealso mentioned some examples for the most successful voluntary worksuch as relief of refugees and displaced persons, and how todeliver the aids and needs for citizens, as well as the organized voluntary workin Baghdad Dar al-Salam Festival and Iraqi Social Forum, and referred to the important of voluntary work in defense of human rights.

The second day assigned to collect subjects of forum and recommendations resulting from seminars and activities and our organization activities were on the rights and equality, and Head of Organization managed the session and showed the outlets of workshops after discussion and notes of participants.

In the third day has held Baghdad Marathon for Peace at the morning and the closing ceremony at the evening, which included the dozen of the technical activities, bazar, camps…etc. Tammuz Organization has launched a cultural campaign in the closing ceremony to review Baiometri Registration Centers that was entitled to begin in changing and reform of elections, and the campaign was under slogan “we deiced-we register-we elect-we change”. The aim of campaign is to encourage the citizen to review Biometri Registration Centers until 30th of October 2016 in order to ensure their rights in voting and to ensure accurate electoral registration, and consider this campaign a first step to encourage citizens to participate in the next electoral process in 2017.The campaign activity is distributing a brochure and information of Biometri registration and its important and how to register, and talked with citizens about the importance of participating to register.

It is worth mentioning that Tammuz Organization for Social Development is the founding organizations of the Iraqi Social Forum and one of the members of National Committee for Forum, and has already participated in the first and second season of Iraqi Social Forum in September 2014 and October 2015. In addition, it has activities of the World Social Forum in Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Norway.

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Tammuz Organization for Social Development