Al-Amal Conducts Santa Clause Activity with the Children of Al-Mansour Scout Camp

Under the Guise of “Santa for All” a group of volunteers within the program of spreading the culture of religions and nationalities dialogue in Iraq Conducted a festivity on the occasion of New Year on 31^st December 2016 in conjunction with the Child-Friendly Space Project in Al-Mansour scout camp in Al-Ghazaliya.

The activity aims to define the religious minorities through planting joy, solidarity and peace among children in the camp which are about 200 child through a festivity during which a Christmas tree was set up and decorated with participation of the children and singing songs of Christmas and wearing Santa Clause outfit by one of the volunteers and introduce it. Religions and minorities existing in Iraq were introduced in a fun and exciting way that the children participated in it. Flags and symbol of each minority and religion were used and talk about them briefly and in concluding the festive event Santa Clause distributed candy and gifts to the children.

Iraqi Al-Amal Association conducted a workshop to review Childhood Protection Policy in Iraq supported by UNICEF and in conjunction with the general secretariat of the council of ministers and the Child Welfare Authority in Iraq and with participation of representatives of the ministry of health, education and interior for social police, and from the ministry of labor and social affairs, culture, planning and civil society organisations for Madarik foundation and media. The workshop was conducted for five days in Beirut during the period of 10-14 December 2016.

The workshop and reformulation included many subjects in addition to amending formulation that were addressed some of which are the concepts and principles of protecting children in sector policies and child protection system introduction included its framework, parties and components of protection environment elements. Child protection mechanisms and systems prototypes were addressed from several countries some of them are the child protection policy in institutions (Lebanon experience) and violence in the educational sector (Palestine experience) and general principles to an executive work plan in the educational sector. The framework of the guidance concepts of child protection from violence was addressed and the legal study comparing legislation with child rights convention (Lebanon experience). The hotlines: principles, standards and mechanisms of operating in Jordan experience were addressed and general principles for the uptime plan in psycho-social support for children.

Different subjects and results from policy were discussed and included within the risk management and leadership and concerned parties in addition to discussing its mechanisms and necessary steps to implement them and ensure their match with the international standards and agreements and laws accredited by Iraq in this field. The six results included by the policy had the following titles:

Result 1: protecting children through legislative framework and policies that re-enforce their rights and treat their needs fully which coincides with the international standards.

Result 2: safe living for the children within supporting families and local communities that re-enforce their rights protection and guaranteeing their growth to achieve their maximum potentials.

Result 3: Children and families obtaining enough support before risks happen to re-enforce that safety of children and early intervention.  protecting children from hazardous factors, neglect, exploitation and abuse.

Result 4: Children who were exposed to violence, abuse or exploitation should obtain support and care they need to re-enforce their welfare and facilitate their re-settlement in their communities.

Result 5: Support availability and safe environment to live for the children affected by conflict and exploited to participate in it and affected by displacement within their families and communities that they live in.

Result 6: a complete system to monitor and report child protection issues should exist.

Participators in the workshop spoke of it, one of them is Dr. Abeer Al-Chalabi the general director of the special needs directorate and head of child welfare authority office said that the workshop was important in the process of correcting goals with politics the trainer (doctor) had a big role in that and the audience with their expertise had a role in re-enforcing goals and results which includes child protection. As for the next movement after reformulation of the policy in its final form it will be accredited by the general secretariat of the council of ministers and announce it through a conference with UNICEF. Mr. Abdul Muttalib head of the public policies coordination department in the general secretariat of the council of ministers said that the workshop added solid expertise by the expert Ellie Michael for his being an expert in comparison child protection policies whether it is in Lebanon or any Arab country while the next step is to work on accrediting and approving the policy and then put an executive plan that include the programs and projects and that the importance of the subject comes from that the child is the base in the structure of the society and for the special conditions that the society is undergoing that endangered many children with different risks and it needs concentrated efforts to treat them as well as the Iraqi government pays a great deal of attention in this part. Dr. Ellie Michael said that the workshop targeted in addition to reviewing and enhancing the childhood protection policy is to give scientific background about different aspects of the policy in addition to address successful experiences that Iraq can deduct inspiration from. The audience was vastly informed with Iraqi reality and was open to discuss actively the different aspects of politics.

Dr. Widad Al-Qaisi Adviser to the Council of State said that the workshop was very beneficial and gave information of different countries experiences and in Iraq there is development in some laws but we face problems in executing laws for instance we have a law to care for minors numbered 76 of year 1983 and for the child welfare authority there is a law that we hope it would be legislated and is currently in the Cabinet Secretariat and there is the child law that is studies by the Council of State and we are waiting that its procedures to pass it for legislation is complete and there is protection against family violence act that was scrutinized in the council of state and passed to parliament and we hope it will be legislated with mechanisms of execution and we need specialized staff and trained to interact as well as these laws and regulations need financial allocations to execute them.

After discussions many alterations were made to the articles included by the above mentioned results and other subjects were discussed during the workshop some are the general principles for the prevention of school dropouts and local protection committees (Palestine – Sudan experience) and addressing the unified executive procedures for child protection in several countries.

On the fifth day a conclusion discussion was made to address all that was discussed in the workshop and reformulation of the policy to its final form was made according to the alterations suggested in the workshop and presented to the general secretariat of the council of ministers in order to present them to the cabinet secretariat to study and accredit them. The workshop ended on 14^th December 2016.

Iraqi Al-Amal Association, in conjunction with the Supreme Committee for Shelter & Relief of the displaced, organised a health awareness seminar at Al-Ataba Al-Alawiya hall on Najaf-Karbala road (Ya Hussein Road) on 13th July 2016.

The seminar included subjects about childbearing culture in Iraq, the necessity of birth-control and the danger of early marriage in addition to some health advice and guidance. Health baskets were distributed among the participants from the materials already existed in Al-Ataba Al-Alawiya warehouses.

It should be noted that the Supreme Committee for Shelter and Relief of the displaced received the assistance of Iraqi Al-Amal Association – Najaf office to facilitate and organise this health awareness seminar for women because there are no female medical staff to increase awareness in the need for birth-control under current circumstances. Lack of birth control culture increases the burden and difficulties on women and result in the increase of death incidents as well as early marriage.

Dr. Lamiyaa Hameed facilitated the workshop and presented a lecture on awareness for the participants. Dr. Lamiyaa participation came as a result of the coordination with Mid-Euphrates Hospital’s management – Health Care Unit. Najaf office staff also contributed on the danger and the burden of early marriage on the family and the community.

 It should be noted that the project was implemented in three provinces: Baghdad, Erbil and Najaf. Three schools in each province participated in the project, which aimed at enhancing the culture of tolerance and accepting the others, mastering the culture of effective communication and dialogue and stimulating the spirit of citizenship through an interactive curriculum based on exercise and students’ participation. 

One of the positive indicators that has been noticed is the positive interface of the majority of the students with the curriculum, which was considered an important subject by them. Many of the teachers pointed out that the curriculum contributed in motivating the potentials of some students who invented  
few exercises and additional activities on their own.

Iraqi Al-Amal Association organised an entertainment activity in Al-Nabee Younis Primary school for IDP’s in Najaf on 24th February 2016. In addition to the school’s administration, the Educational Supervision Department and the Human Rights Commission office in Najaf also participated in the activity.

During the activity, Al-Amal distributed stationary among the students in 121 sets, in addition to establishing a drawing session for the students to express themselves through drawings. Students participated in many activities included singing and displaying some talents during the activity.

It should be noted that the school is, in reality, made up of tents and displays many problems because of its inability to provide protection against the weather and it has no walls to protect it from the intrusion of animals, in addition to problems with the toilets and the need for maintenance. It should be note that the number of students is 650from both sexes.

In February Al-Najaf Office also organised a training workshop on the strategic campaign in the social media for defending human where 16 activists participated. The workshop included valuable information on the campaign.

Iraqi Al-Amal Association, in association with the Ministry of Education, General Directorate of Curriculum, held a workshop from 24^th to 29^th August, 2015on setting up an experimental syllabus about civic education, peace building and tolerance for the first grade students in intermediate schools. 

The workshop was attended by a number of interested members of the ministry with the participation of the Head of General Directorate of Curriculum, as well as other members from the General Directorate of Educational Supervision, General Directorate of Public Education, General Directorate of the Preparation and Training of Teachers and Educational Development, representatives from Al-Karkh and Al-Rusafa’s Department of Education, representatives from Najaf’s Department of Education, representation from the Ministry of Education in Erbil, with a number of educational supervisors and civil society activists from specialized organizations. 

The first three days of the workshop were allocated for discussing the syllabus which is intended to be applied in nine schools, three of which in Baghdad, three in Najaf and three in Erbil for students of the first grade in three intermediate schools for a whole academic year. The expansion of the programme will be discussed afterwards.

The contents of the proposed syllabus were discussed, in particular the  exercises which strengthen the principles of citizenship, tolerance, peace building, voluntary work, effective communication and listening skills. 

On the final three days, the educational supervisors were trained to become trainers of the teachers who would teach the students. The training included interactive method with exercises to achieve the aims of the syllabus in the best way possible, and help setting other similar curricula for the entire school stages.  

• During June 2003 IAA distributed large quantities of medicines and medical supplies,of various types, to six centers and health institutions in the governorate of Najaf.

• Duringthe months of July and August 2003, the installation of water sanitation devices (R.O) was executed, for a number of health centers in the governorate of Najaf, where eight devices, the capacity of 250-liter, and one device the capacity 3000 liter, were installed in the maternity hospital in Najaf (the birth and lab wards).

• IAA Completed, with the support of the Sec ours Populaire Francais and the European Union, the construction of the Maternity Hospital in Arbil, which contains 50 beds, 3 operations rooms, two laboratory and X-ray units, a pharmacy, and an external clinic for women and children. The hospital was handed over to the local government in 2005.

• IAA carried out, during the month of March 2006, the restoration of Al Gaiem clinic in the province of Diwaniyah, which Included changing the sewage, water and electricity fixtures, and, installing the containers,the restoration and painting of the interior and building the fence. Note thatthe clinic provides services for 700 families in the region.

• In 2006, the staff of IAA organized in cooperation with the Department of Healt hand the Veterinary Hospital and the health departments of both Najaf and Diwaniyah, an awareness campaign on bird flu; its symptoms and how to prevent it, in eight rural areas in the provinces of Najaf and Diwaniya, including; (Almahnanwia, Shamiya, Abu Nimr, Abu-Gharb ,Taber and Syed Jawad).

This program was established in 1994 by the Italian Organization (Bridgeto … Un Ponte Per). IAA entered into a partnership with this organisationsince 2004. The program benefited 90 patients. The Association conductsperiodic checks on the patients, and identifies their needs for medicine,health care and medical equipments. As well as keeping up to date with theirfamilies concerning their psychological and other problems. (20) Cases werediagnosed as in need for operations abroad In the second half of 2006, the program encountered some seriousobstacles, such as the inability to receive medicines from abroad, because ofthe severe restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Health, which forced theAssociation to purchase the medicines from the local market on its own budget,also, the deterioration of the security situation during this period propelledsome families to stop contacting and coming to the Association. In the year 2007, two batches weredistributed instead of three, and the cost of medicines and other expenses werenot fully covered by the donating party, therefore IAA accepted the additionalcosts. An agreement was reached with the mentioned organisation to providesupport to 65 beneficiaries during 2008.

The implementation of this project started at the end of August 2006,and lasted for three months. The aim of the project was to spread health,social, and legal awareness amongst women from rural areas. The program’s topics included; reproductive health, breastfeeding, proper nutrition, general health and psychological health of mothers and children, environmental education, and the dissemination of awareness among women on the importance of law and civil rights, particularly the personal status law, and the importance of education and literacy, and on the importance of economical security. The project benefited more than (150) women from rural areas, from three villages in the outskirts of Tikrit, which are: Al Dipsah, Al Ali and Al Waee althawri villages.

The Project was implemented in the area of Al Huriya in Najaf province,in 2004 / 2005, which aimed to develop health services for mothers and children in the region, through the organisation of workshops, training courses, and questionnaires, in collaboration with the Department of Health in Najaf and the Department of Basic Health care, and with the participation of a number of activists in the local community. The program has benefited more than 1000 women from twenty villages. As an update to its activities, for the advancement of health conditions in Al Huriya, the Association established a water sterilization plant, the capacity of 50 cubic meters / hour, covering approximately 400 houses, for (6) villages in the area of Al-Zaidi and the surrounding areas. The project was completed at the end of April 2005