Iraq Leadership Fellows

A chemical engineer and a capacity-building specialist from Baghdad. Ahmed is the Head of Training Department at Ishtar for Training and Human Resources Development, and the Technical Operations Supervisor at Majnon Oil Field. As a passionate entrepreneur, he represented the Iraqi young leaders in several programs in US, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman. Ahmed graduated from Al-Nahrain University in Baghdad. He has participated in the Social Activist Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist from Diwaniyah and one of the most prominent leaders of the protest movement in the city. Ammar took a significant role in Tishreen Protest (October’s Protests) among other protest movements. Later, he and a group of his fellow protestors founded the Al-Bayt Al-Watany party (The National House) which he is currently a member of the General Secretariat. Ammar is looking for an opportunity to translate his vision into reforming the political status quo in Iraq. He holds a B.A. in Education and participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A veterinarian and entrepreneur from Mosul. Firas works as a Project Coordinator at the Private Sector Development (PSD) project implemented by GIZ. As a registered mentor with SeedStars, he present mentoring sessions to the young Iraqis in Mosul. Firas is working on the development of sustainable solutions for fish farming in Iraq using large-scale aquaponics systems. In addition to his B.Sc. degree, Firas is PMP certified. He participated in the Social Activist Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist from Wasit. Haider is a member of the Committee for Dialogue and Societal Peace at the Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister. He is also a member of the technical team of civil society organizations in the TAKAMUL project, supported by USAID. Haidar works as a coordinator for the Y-Peer Network. He also works in the media as a reporter for the Aqalm Hurra (Free Writers) news agency. Haider holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media and a certificate in the training of trainers from the UNFPA. Haider participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A petroleum engineer and the founder of the Baghdad Educational Center (BEC) that aims to create jobs for unemployed graduates through training, and to provide an optimal learning environment for the children in poor and remote areas. Hassan is also the co-founder of the Awda initiative, which aims to build the capabilities of the younger generation and recent graduates and encourage them to create and develop their own businesses. Hassan holds MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Technology. He participated in the Social Activist Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A social and political activist from Diyala. While leading the Women Advisory Board (WAB), a program launched in Diyala by the National Democratic Institute and the Canadian Government, Israa implemented many initiatives to renovate the public parks and make them accessible to the youth, and to empower women to make their way into the job market. She also established her own organization that focuses on empowering vulnerable groups. Esraa holds a Ph.D. in veterinary and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

An activist from Duhok where he works on community development through coordination with local and international organizations. He is the team leader of the Outreach & Communication with Communities team at an international organization in Duhok. Jory’s goal is to contribute to improving the political, social, and economical aspects of Iraq and KRI. In addition to his Master’s degree in International Relations, he has a ToT certificate in NLP. Jory has participated in the Political Candidate Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A researcher in political affairs from Salahuddin and a prominent leader Al-Bayt Al-Iraqi Movement (Iraqi House). He is also the head of the Homeland Builders Organization for Development, where he implemented many development projects to support the youth of his province and other provinces. In his blog posts and media interviews, Kitab focuses on strengthening the state institutions, activating the role of youth in political decision-making, and reforming the political system from corruption and Muhasasa. He holds a BA in Accounting, and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leaders Fellowship 2021.

A Lawyer and human rights activist from Najaf. Laila worked in humanitarian relief with a number of international organizations such as the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help the displaced people from conflict areas residing in Najaf. She is currently working at the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), on the community police support program at the Ministry of Interior. Laila is concerned with public and social affairs, and she is a member of the “Friends of People of Determination” voluntary team in Najaf. Laila has participated in the Social Activist Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A civil activist working in the field of youth empowerment and activating their role in political decision-making, and a member of the third round of the Iraqi Youth Parliament, where he headed the Education Committee. Marwan is currently working in the Preparation and Training Department of the General Directorate of Anbar Education, and he previously worked in the Advisory Board of the Anbar Provincial Bureau for Foreign Relations and International Organizations. In addition to being one of the founders of the 21 Alliance for the Development and Empowerment of Women in Iraq, Marwan is a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee for Arab Youth of the Arab Women Organization, which operates under the supervision of the League of Arab States. Marwan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Anbar. Marwan participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

Human rights advocate and the team leader of the Right to Peaceful Assembly Monitoring team in Basra. Having a Bachelor’s degree in law, Mudrik joined the Al-Sayyab Association for Human Rights as a Legal Advisor to foster the team’s efforts to defend the demonstrators who were subjected to acts of violence. He also became a member of the legal committee of the Arab-European Center for Human Rights and International Law and the deputy head of the Legal Committee at The Freedom Ambassadors Network. Mudrik was chosen to represent the southern region in the 2250 Alliance for Security, Peace, and Youth. He participated from the Social Activist Track in the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A university professor and activist in the field of humanitarian work and youth support. In addition to his university work, Muhammad works as an assistant in the Advisory Board at Anbar Provincial Bureau on foreign relations and international organizations. He also heads the Sanabel Al-Gharbaia (Crops of the Western Area) Foundation for Relief and Development, which works in the field of empowering women and children wh. Muhammad holds a master’s degree in Islamic studies and aspires to establish an advanced educational program to support people affected by conflict. He has participated in the Social Activist Track of the Iraq Leaders Fellowship 2021.

A journalist and civil activist from Diwaniyah. He is also a livelihoods coach at the Ministry of Sports and Youth. In coordination with local and international organizations, Murtada provides training to youth activists on minority rights, advocacy campaigns, peer education, and psychological support. In addition to his membership in the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, Murtada works as a liaison officer with the United Nations Population Fund in Iraq (UNFPA) in assessment and qualification programs for youth forums.  He participated in the Social Activist Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist and a researcher from Baghdad. Noor is the founder and director of the Sasa organization, which aims to promote political participation in Iraq. Her researches focus on strengthening the democratic tools and practices inside societies. She has published about the role of youth in peacebuilding, harassment against female candidates in National Elections, and strengthening the use of democracy tools in the political parties. Noor holds a BA in Political Sciences and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A civil activist and dentist from Babil. Osama leads the Babylon Toastmasters Club, where he implemented many initiatives at the local level in partnership with many organizations in peace-building issues, youth empowerment, and gender equality. Osama is a graduate of the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program IYLEP, and the Young Peacebuilders Program implemented by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Osama published a research paper in Forbes Science in 2020. He participated in the Social Activist Track from the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

Ream Dhaher is a Project Manager at the Eyzidi Organization for Documentation based in Erbil. Prior to that, she worked as a Research Assistant with Un Ponte Per (UPP) and with Top Mountain company for development as a Project Coordinator. She has published a research report about Women’s Role in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution after Daesh in Nineveh. Ream holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS). She participated in the Political Candidate Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

Sahar is from Halabja in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where she works on women and youth empowerment. She is working now as a Junior Project Advisor with the GIZ on the Migration and Reintegration Program (PME). Prior to that, Sahar worked with local and international organizations in addition to private firms. She is fluent in Kurdish, English, Persian, and can understand Arabic. Sahar holds a B.A. degree in English literature. She participated in the Social Activist Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist in political and international public relations from Baghdad. Saif is the Head of Public Relations at the Political and Governance Development Academy. Seif practiced political work, benefiting from cooperation with international organizations such as the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in administrative capacity building, leadership, and parliamentary work. Saif holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Pharmacy and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist from Anbar, and an activist in humanitarian relief since 2010. Samir has worked in the field of peacebuilding, advocacy, and awareness-raising using blogging via social media. He also worked as a Community Educator within the democracy fostering programs implemented by the International Republican Institute (IRI). After his active participation in the Tishreen protests, Samir co-founded the Albayt Al-Iraqi (The Iraqi House) Movement and the Al-Rasheed Center for Studies as part of his quest to correct the political track in Iraq. Samir holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

An environmental activist from Kirkuk. Shahoo works as a Field Monitor with the World Food Program (WFP) in Kirkuk since 2016. He is also a human rights activist and member of Amnesty International. Shahoo works voluntarily with several groups in peacebuilding and environmental governance regarding Climate Change. He has two published papers on water resources management, in line with his academic background as he holds a Master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering. Shahoo has participated in the Social Activist Track of Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.

A political activist from Karbala, and a member of the second round of the Iraqi Youth Parliament. Wijdan started her activism career at an early age and was active in raising awareness about elections. During her work in the Rehabilitation and Training Division at the Ministry of Youth and Sport, she organized development workshops to encourage women in her city to run for office. Wijdan also worked with UN Women, where she became a member of the Implementation Committee of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Security. Wijdan holds a Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry and has participated in the Political Candidate Track of the Iraq Leadership Fellows 2021.