USG-FUNDED DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003591

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: USG-FUNDED DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Classified By: A/DCM Robert Ford for Reasons 1.4 (d)


1. (U) This cable was drafted jointly by Embassy Baghdad and
visiting DRL staff from Washington.


2. (SBU) Summary: Poloffs and visiting DRL officers
conducted an intensive round of field visits to DRL-funded
democracy and human rights projects in Iraq from Oct 14-22,
touring and meeting with representatives of 17 DRL-funded
projects in Erbil, Kirkuk, Sulaimaniya, Basrah, and Baghdad.
The projects visited covered a broad range of democracy and
human rights objectives. This cable will focus on select
programs that support the Iraqi parliament, capacity building
for NGOs, media development, human rights education, and
support to victims of torture. The field review coincided
with the visit to Iraq of Board members from the
International Republican Institute (IRI),who indicated prior
to departure from Iraq they would support increased program
activities in Baghdad and the provinces. End Summary.

Assistance to Parliament
--------------


3. (SBU) From October 14-22, Poloffs and DRL officers
visited several regions of Iraq to monitor democracy and
human rights programs funded by the DRL. IRI is one of DRL's
major democracy grant recipients. IRI's program in Iraq
works to enhance government capacity to perform core
functions; foster transparency, public dialogue, and
responsiveness in the legislative process; strengthen civil
society organizations; and encourage movement toward
internally democratic, issues-based political organizations.
On October 19, poloffs observed IRI training in Baghdad for
approximately 15 COR members, including three women. The
training, "On Camera Message Strategy," focused on increasing
communication skills and outreach to constituents. During a
tour of the COR's Research Directorate, established in 2006,
the head librarian noted that the creation of the library
would not have been possible without support from IRI.
Poloffs and RRT Erbil staff also visited the DRL-funded IRI
media center in Erbil on October 15. The center provides
training to members of the COR and political parties on
communications and media outreach; it also produces TV spots
and talk shows with Iraqi public figures in cooperation with
partner civil society organizations to promote public
awareness of key issues. For example, eight Iraqi TV
stations aired spots to encourage voter registration six
times per day for fifteen days during the voter registration
period for the upcoming provincial elections.

Training NGOs
--------------


4. (SBU) The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is also one
of DRL's major democracy grant recipients. NDI's program
seeks to strengthen democratic political institutions,
provide neutral space for political opponents to engage in
dialogue and decision-making, promote the participation of
youth and women in the political process, and support the
monitoring of elections. In accordance with these goals, NDI
is working to improve the capabilities of civic activists and
provide political access and skills development to future
political and civic leaders. On October 15, emboffs observed
a capacity-building training in Erbil for approximately 15
civic activists from Anbar Province. The two-day training
focused on strategic planning and on building an NGO network
throughout Anbar. NDI continues activities to prepare for
provincial council elections, including work with the
Election Information NetworQ(EIN),which has trained 20,000
election observers, and other regional civil society networks
to prepare for nationwide domestic election monitoring. NDI
is also linking partner civil society organizations and
activists with the Independent Higher Electoral Commission
(IHEC) to help the IHEC and governorate electoral offices
(GEOs) better understand citizen needs and prepare for the
administration of the elections.

Support for the Iraqi Media
--------------


5. (SBU) Poloffs and visiting DRL officers met with the
program director of a recently launched DRL-funded grant to
the International Exchange and Research Board (IREX). IREX
supports independent media in Iraq, providing technical
training highlighting professionalism and impartiality to
journalists. Other activities include voter education and
objective media coverage of the provincial elections. IREX
is also working with the election commission (IHEC) to
produce and disseminate publicoutreach messages in advance of
the late-January provincial elections.

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6. (SBU) In Baghdad, DRL is also funding the Institute for
War and Peace Reporting (IWPR),whose programs support
Iraq's independent media sector by addressing the urgent need
for journalists to be trained in unbiased and comprehensive
reporting. IWPR has been conducting a special program that
focuses on womens issues since 2004, and was recently awarded
three additional grants in support of journalist training,
safety, and legal representation.

Human Rights Education
--------------


7. (SBU) In Baghdad and Basrah, Poloffs and DRL officers met
with the Iraq Foundation (IF) to review current programming
on grassroots human rights training. IF is conducting a
human rights education program that assists widows in
learning handicraft skills after attending morning classes on
basic human rights principles. IF then assists the same
women in marketing these handicrafts or in finding jobs that
employ their skills, building upon their newly developed
sense of self-worth and greater familiarity with their
rights. Also addressing human rights needs and education in
Iraq is Relief International's (RI) Iraqi Legal Aid Centers
(ILAC) program. The ILACs are located in Erbil, Baghdad,
Kirkuk, Ramadi, Hilla, Kut, and Ammara, and will continue to
improve Iraqis access to grassroots legal assistance as well
as rule of law and human rights education.


8. (SBU) Poloffs and DRL officers met with staff and
participants of the Assisting Marsh Arabs and Refugees (AMAR)
International Charitable Foundation in Basrah and Baghdad.
With the support of several donors, AMAR manages a large,
diverse program in Iraq. AMAR's current DRL project, The
Marshland Heritage Project, addresses the Marshland Arabs'
history, economic status, geography, and social structure.
The project works from three learning centers (middle
schools) in Basrah, Dhi-qar, and Maysan, includes lectures
and text books that redefine the region and culture as a
significant and valuable part of Iraqi society, and
introduces basic human rights concepts and their application.
All lectures and texts are created by Marshland academics
from Basrah University. Previous texts were supplied by the
Ba'athist regime and included nothing on these topics.
Additionally, AMAR also informed DRL that local tribal
leaders are requesting and using these texts to instruct
their people. Emboffs were invited to attend a diwaniya
hosted by a local sheikh, who attended the Basrah meeting,
during a future visit.

Treating Trauma and Torture
--------------


9. (SBU) In Sulaimaniya and Kirkuk, poloffs and DRL officers
met with three organizations that provide treatment to
torture victims: Heartland Alliance (HA),the Berlin Center
of Victims of Torture (BZFO),and DePaul University. DRL
funding supports HA programs that provide comprehensive
services to survivors of torture through the Trauma
Rehabilitation and Training Center (TRTC),mediation and
prevention of gender-based violence, and advocacy for rights
of institutionalized persons in Iraq. Thus far, TRTC has
treated 109 out-patients, of which 75 still receive
treatment. The majority of patients suffer from extreme
depression, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, and sexual
dysfunction.


10. (SBU) BZFO, a treatment center that offers psychological
counseling and related support, has treated 809 patients
since 2005 (55 percent male, 35 percent female, and 10
percent children). The majority of patients treated by BZFO
experienced muscular-skeletal trauma and are the primary
victims of torture, but the percentage of secondary victims
(family members) suffering psychological effects is rapidly
increasing. Both TRTC and BZFO were the first of their kind
in Iraq and are paving the way for other such organizations
to be established. DePaul is concluding its very successful
DRL-funded program, the Iraq History Project, which collected
more than 7000 testimonies from victims of torture during the
Saddam era. DRL also supports DePaul's International Human
Rights Law Institute's project to train NGOs in the
methodology of collection and analysis of testimony-taking in
order to build capacity and sustainability.

Mass Graves
--------------


11. (SBU) On October 23, DRL officer met with
representatives from the US Civilian Research and Development
Foundation (CRDF) in Irbid, Jordan, to monitor a training on

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applying DNA to identifying missing persons in mass
fatalities. In cooperation with Jordan University for
Science and Technology, CRDF is training a core group of
Iraqi microbiologists from Baghdad, Kirkuk, Najaf, and Basrah
in DNA analysis techniques. This project is one of two
funded by DRL to address missing persons and mass grave
excavations in Iraq. The other project will be implemented
by the International Committee on Missing Persons (ICMP).

NDI and IRI Expansion
--------------


12. (C) The DRL visit coincided with the visit to Iraq by
IRI President Lorne Craner, Executive VP Judy Van Rest, and
senior members of the IRI Board of Directors. After meetings
with Ambassador Crocker and senior Iraqi officials, IRI local
staff indicated the likelihood of the Board supporting an
expansion of program activities in Baghdad and the provinces.
IRI is already planning trainings in Baghdad in November and
scouting out additional property in the Green Zone. NDI's
board recently made a similar determination and will permit
the placement of three expatriate staff members in Baghdad
full-time. Both NDI and IRI have been headquartered in Erbil
for the last two years. NDI's Iraq-based staff have also
conveyed their commitment to increasing staff presence and
trainings in Baghdad.

Comment
--------------


13. (C) We were pleased with the quality and achievements of
the DRL programs we monitored during this field visit. Our
major focus in the near term will be to ensure robust and
effective programs to support upcoming provincial and
national elections, including activities to conduct voter
education and trainings for political parties, domestic
election monitors, and the IHEC. NDI and IRI's expansion of
program activities, including more programming in Baghdad, is
very positive and timely. We look forward to a possible
Board visit from NDI later this fall.

CROCKER