Letters from Iraq

About 200 Iraqi youth have attended Global Youth Village since 2008.  Last week, the last remaining American troops left Iraq. How will their departure affect the situation in Iraq? What are things like on the ground now? Read letters from our  2011 Iraqi alums for some answers; they  reflect personal opinions from various parts of the country and the writers’ names have been withheld.

Young man from Baghdad:

” For the past two years, we haven’t been seeing American soldiers  in the streets.  The average Iraqi citizen in the street will not notice that the soldiers have left.  Security is generally in the hands of the Iraqi forces these days so I don’t think that there will be a lot of changes in security. Compared to three years ago, things in general are better. The recent bomb blasts are creepy.  Every time a bomb goes off we race to the phone to call our family members and make sure that everyone is OK.”

Young woman from Basra:

“I don’t have strong feelings about the troops leaving or staying.  The future of Iraq doesn’t depend on their presence or departure.  Iraq’s issues stem from our messed up government.”

A man from Anbar:

“I’m partially happy that the troops are leaving  because we are going to have our freedom back and our army will have a chance to take responsibility.  However, our army may not yet be to handle security.  I am afraid that the country will be divided or it will be controlled by Iran. The P.M. of Iraq is merely a toy in the hands of the Iranian government. The security situation is deteriorating.  Last week we had some kidnappings and assassinations along with explosions and bombings.  Around  250 people have been killed. My cousin decide to leave his school in Baghdad because three of his friends were kidnapped on Thursday because they are Sunni. Nobody knows where they are.   A professor from Baghdad university/ college of law was murdered last week too so it looks like we’re headed into a civil war.  This time, we will have no US troops to protect the civilians and to take  weapons away from the militias.“

Young woman from Hilla:

“I have mixed feelings about the situation in Iraq.  I’m happy for the American troops because they will go back to their families; they have suffered a lot. I’m sad because I don’t think that my  country can protect itself and our future is probably better with the American troops here. The security situation will become worse because our soldiers don’t honor their profession and if they receive bribes they will not pay attention to the country’s security.  In general, the  Americans soldiers carry out their duties loyally and faithfully compared to the Iraqi ones.”

Young man from Baghdad:

“I  feel very bad because the American soldiers were protecting us and their departure was premature.  We don’t have a strong army yet.  Iraq’s future would have been  brighter and better with American troops because of our army is not ready to protect  us and defeat the terrorists from other countries. I plead with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to work harder and process our papers. We are waiting for our U.S. visas and are receiving threats.”

Young man from Kurdistan (Northern Iraq):

“Currently our country is on the brink of a civil war – the Vice President has fled to the North (to Kurdistan where I am living) because he’s been accused of leading terrorist operations. A wave of bombings was targeted at Baghdad, the capital, along with the other southern cities right after the U.S troops left. Iran is also making things worse by interfering in our politics. The Iranian government, which is composed of the Shiites, supports Nuri Maliki who is now seen by the Sunnis as a dictator.  To sum it all up up: things do not look good. I am just hoping that things get better – especially in the South, where so many are dying due to lack of security.”

 

Global Friendships

9-day Indonesia-US Exchange Program

June 24-July 3

Have you ever met an Indonesian? If not, meet several passionate and dynamic ones this summer and discover what you have in common with people from halfway around the world. Share what is important to you and what you do for fun. In morning workshops, explore global environmental issues, discuss the basic principles of different faiths, and determine ways to encourage community involvement through volunteerism.

• Dates: June 24-July 3
• Youth: 16 Indonesian youth and 20 American youth
• Age: For those entering 9th-12th grade (ages 13-18)
• Scholarship: Indonesian teens sponsored by US Department of State
• Tuition: $1000  for all youths APPLY NOW

11-day Peace-Building programs

July 6-July 16 & July 19-29

Join young Iraqis intent on re-building their futures for this unique program.  Gain skills in listening, prejudice reduction, conflict management, creative thinking and problem solving during the peace-building/dialogue workshop.   Choose a second morning workshop focused on the arts or environmental action.   Enjoy soccer,  pottery, yoga, badminton, volleyball, swimming, basketball, ping-pong, rock climbing and many other activities and bond through afternoon and evening events. 

• Dates: July 6-16 and July 19-29
• Youth: 30 Iraqi youth, 20 US  and other internationals
• Age: For those entering 10th-12th grade (ages 14-18)
• Scholarship: Iraqi teens sponsored by US Department of State
• Tuition: $1,200  for all youths APPLY NOW

Interested in our longer in-depth programs?   Learn more about our Crossing Cultures Programs,  June 24-July 16 and July 19-August 4.

Crossing Cultures

This year  at our international summer camp, we are offering two sessions of  in-depth Cultural  Immersion programs for US and international youths, 14-18 years old.

Crossing Cultures Program

June 24-July 16

This option spans the 9-day Indonesian/US program and the 11-day Peace Building Program plus it includes 3 days of touring and service projects in Southwest Virginia. Become a true global citizen as you “travel” and make friends from Indonesia, the Near East, Europe and the U.S.  Develop your leadership skills with our highly qualified instructors. Each session offers new activities and themes.  Diving in more depth will result in a more profound experience and deeper skill development.

Community Involvement Program

July 19-August 4

Engage with Iraqi and other international youth for a dynamic 11-day Peace Building Program, including interactive workshops in dialogue, the arts and environmental action.  Get leadership training and use your new skills during the program.  Then enjoy 6 days focusing on Community Involvement through our summer service program with  agencies in Southwest Virginia and Washington DC.    Receive advocacy training, roll up your sleeves for some local service work, and meet with community leaders and organizations addressing issues of hunger, environmental justice, affordable housing, civic engagement, healthcare and criminal justice reform.

• Dates for U.S. and International youths: June 24-July 16 and July 19-August 4
• Dates for internationals: June 24-July 16 and July 17-August 4     
• Age: 14-18 years old (rising 9th-12 grades)
• Tuition for 22-day program: (includes room & board): $2,600
• Tuition for 17-day program: $2,600

Internationals: see Application for tuition rates.

To apply for Crossing Cultures Programs – 22 and 17-day programs - APPLY NOW

 

Peacebuilding Workshop- An Iraqi Prespective

 

The Peacebuilding Workshop is a kind of workshop  that focuses on communication and dialogue as tools to bring about peace, understanding and experimental knowledge.  It helps promote listening, expressing thoughts and sharing personal experiences to build connecting bridges between participants to bring them closer together so that they could comprehend and appreciate each other in a peaceful and productive manner.  Providing a safe and comfortable environment for the participants is the key to beneficial communication and it accommodates speaking up and learning diverse techniques about conflict resolution skills by experiencing the facts rather than studying them.  Demonstrating that respect and positive attitude leads to a win/win result provokes the participants to try to make a difference through embracing dialogue and peace as the lane that leads to solutions for our problems. 

When I first came here I was really confused about my goals and I had so many thoughts in chaos that I didn’t know how to sort them out, but I have experienced in this workshop that there is really no way to peace, peace is the way.  I finally have the motivation that I was lacking to go for my dreams which is to make a positive difference in my society.

 

~ Iraqi Participant Session B, 2009