Isaam Asaad wanted to do something. It was December 2008, and bombs thought to be aimed at Christians were going off in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. “I decided that I am responsible for doing something, to call for a cry against such sectarian clashes,” recalled Assad, an Iraqi human rights activist and university professor. He began searching for an organization that could help him work toward his dream of a new Iraq, an Iraq of peace and co-existence. In early 2010, Assad’s new group, Iraq Youth for Dialogue and Coexistence, became the first URI Cooperation Circle in Iraq.
One of its first projects, “We are all orphans,” targets orphaned children around Baghdad, many of whom were used for terrorist activities by their parents. The Cooperation Circle’s volunteers work with fifty children in different orphanages every Friday, organizing sports and recreational activities and teaching them songs, painting, writing and practical skills to prepare them for a better future. “While working with these children, we noticed that they have ambition to do something in their communities,” said Assad. “This project gives them positive energy to spread love and peace.” The group plans to expand the program beyond Baghdad, and is working on a project for widows as well.
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