Inside Kurdistan

We met the Kurdish-Belgian director Sahim Omar Kalifa in Zakho and we talked about his movies Baghdad Messi and Land of heroes.

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Stella Martany is a fixer and journalist based out of Erbil. Like many fixers in KRI, she got her start covering the war against ISIS in Mosul, but she joins me today to talk about how she's developed since then, explaining the differences between reporting during and after the war and the challenges with both. 

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Isadora Gotts is a Ph. D. student whose background is primarily focused around Mosul's shifting economy after the 2017 liberation. She has now expanded her research towards focusing on the city's economic and cultural outlook as whole, with a particular emphasis towards its municipal planning and layout as well as how its economy affects and interacts with other cities like Erbil. 

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It's an Inside Kurdistan Pride extravaganza! Today we're joined by Lilith, an advocate and KRI transplant to come give us some of the best stories fun facts of past civilizations' queer icons.

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In the second episode of our fixer series, Nasir talks about his background growing up in and leaving Iran, his work in Syria during the war from 2014-2018 and his continued work in KRI, specifically with his work as a translator and remote fixer during the past year's uprising in his home country. 

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Halan Akoiy is a fixer and producer in KRI and Iraq. He began his career covering the ISIS conflict in Mosul and has since branched out into delving into the cultural relations and history that defines contemporary Iraq and Kurdistan.

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Dr. Barwari is a former KRG and Iraqi Federal Government Minister whose work in public planning after the fall of the Ba'athist regime in the country helped to define both Iraq and KRI in the following decades.

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With job recruiting becoming more decentralized and the influence of Artificial Intelligence growing, it's important to examine how the cultural values of a region may affect a vital aspect like employment. Carwan Rasoal is the founder and CEO of Genvalues, a job recruitment site that puts an emphasis on the ethical values of an employee- specifically with regards to ecological conservation, rather than purely skillset.

To learn more about Carwan and Genvalues, visit: https://genvalues.com/

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Brenda Hershey is the president and  founder of TRY Global- be sure to check out their information below.

https://www.tryglobal.org/

Upcoming training in Erbil (May 26-27): https://www.tryglobal.org/iraq 

Donate to Syria project: https://gogetfunding.com/help-folks-in-northeast-syria-bring-trauma-recovery-yoga-to-their-communities/ 

Our research study: https://www.tryglobal.org/research

Our Youtube channel (with practices in English, Arabic, Badini, Sorani and Ukrainian): https://www.youtube.com/@tryglobal8452/playlists

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Below are some of PLAY 97.1's programs, check them out here:

"The Morning Show" is live three times a week at 8 AM and brings both local and global updates on entertainment and the media world alongside new music releases and artist updates, presented in local, easy-to relate-to Kurdish. Every week the show is joined by an interesting guest and the topic becomes the guest's project.

Hip Hop On Tuesdays is live once a week in the afternoon and brings  both old and new Hip Hop updates, presented by a local upcoming Hip Hop artist who gives the show its own signature.

Alongside the live shows, PLAY Radio produces various social media segments that are mostly aimed at bringing entertainment news and the general pop culture of the world while promoting local pop art and talent.

Also, here's some of Rasan's past ad-work:

https://youtu.be/Qg8EmPrVyTA

https://youtu.be/SBebWk1JjqQ

https://youtu.be/WnQ6kbJgYCg

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Artin Barawi is the club manager and founder of Suli Football Friends.

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Water is one of the most important growing topics in Iraq and KRI, and the most important aspect of understanding the water crisis of the region is understanding the historical decisions, from both the public and private sectors, that has allowed for pollution, drought and disease to spread and affect hundreds of communities whose futures are now at stake. Nabil Musa of Waterkeepers is an advocate, artist and expert on water (mis)management. To learn more about Waterkeepers, as well as PAIA agency, where he also works, check out the links below on our website.

Waterkeepers:

https://kurdistanin.net/blog/sulaimani%27s-water-keepers

PAIA:

https://kurdistanin.net/blog/paia-agency

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Understanding the importance of climate change is difficult without understanding the larger economic political and cultural systems that have allowed the planet to get to the point where it is today. Intersectionality is a philosophical approach toward understanding the relationship between an unlimited number of different factors that indicate why a certain individual, community or country may have advantages or disadvantages. Enje Jawher explains why intersectionality is vital towards understanding the solutions towards KRI and Iraq's current environmental predicaments.

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While we've touched on mental health through many different perspectives in the region, we've never actually covered one of the chief perpetrators of mental health issues in Iraq and KRI. The past 20 years of conflict has touched every single person in this region and the effects of first and second-hand trauma are complicated and vary on each individual's story. Center for Victims of Torture provides care for not just those who have suffered from abuse due to terror and war but were affected from conflict in ways that indirectly affected their financial, familial or personal wellbeing.

If you, or someone you know may need assistance for conflict-related trauma services, please visit: https://www.cvt.org/

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Children's rights is a difficult topic to cover in this region. This is largely due to a lack of centralized legislation around the topic. There are labor laws, education laws and criminal laws, but there is no centrally codified legislation that protects children in Iraq. This leads to a variety of different human rights infringements here, child labor serving as a prominent and growing example. Noor Musa is an expert on child's rights in Iraq and Kurdistan. Her past work with Save the Children has made her a specialist in a variety of different topics, also including child imprisonment, abuse and marriage. We discuss these along with her own background and interest in Iraq's legal system regarding children.

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There are three major categories to focus on with regards to real estate in Iraq and KRI. The first two are financial and infrastructural, the money that changes hands here and the development plans that have rapidly changed certain areas of the cities in the region. But the third category - environmental sustainability - often goes overlooked. While water and electricity are quickly becoming leading topics in the country, it's important to focus on exactly how these development plans will evolve to meet the challenges of the next decade. Muslim Mohamad is focused on developing Passive Houses - housing that meet high standards for efficiency and have zero net energy waste. We discuss the challenges he's had starting his business in Sulaimani, and his own insight on the future of housing for the next generation.

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Lelo majeed is the first woman to complete the Sandhurst Military Training Program for international military personnel. We discuss her training as well as the current situation with the Peshmerga forces and the political developments of the past six months due to the uprising in Iran

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There are three major factors to consider when discussing real estate in Iraq: money and infrastructural issues often dominate the conversation. But the importance of environmentally sustainable construction is increasingly dominating the conversation around development in the country. Passive House construction is based around the concept of a single home having net-zero ecological footprint. Muslim Mohammad has been working in Sulaimani trying to build the Passive House culture in KRI and Iraq.

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The idea of digital records is a fundamental cornerstone for well established, developed democracies all around the world. It's easy to take digitalization for granted. But the struggle to implement a digital system for areas such as migration, education and health is Deputy Minster Hiwa Afandi's task in the Kurdistan Regional Government. We discuss some these struggles, as well as digitalization's role in combating corruption oil and real estate sectors, and the growing topic of AI in the public sector.

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Mohammad Shwany is the CEO and founder of the Real Estate company Malumulk here in Erbil. In our conversation we talk about the economic system that has allowed for development, real estate and property ownership to skyrocket in this city. But we also focus on the weak points of that system, for example the lack of incentive to focus on safety, in light of the recent earthquakes that have come to define this week's news.

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There's not really much of a description to write for Namo Socks. We just liked the socks and decided to do a quick podcast interview. Check out Namo's website below, as well as our video below.

https://kurdistanin.net/blog/namo-socks

https://namosocks.com/

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In this second interview concerning abuse and exploitation committed against migrant workers, we speak with Brenda, who focuses on the issues workers from Ghana face in Erbil, KRI and Iraq. Specifically, we focus on the consequences of expired residency (iqama) that traps many Ghanaians in the country after their work contracts have expired.

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Naseem Azeez is an activist focusing on sustainable development goals in Iraq and Kurdistan. She's specializing in climate action, gender equality and 

Below, she's provided information on the Hurricane Island Project and how to vote for her:

1. Open the link: https://upglive.org/vote-naseem

2. Click on "Register to vote" and fill in the data.
3. Submit registration.
4. Then on the same page, after you have "submit registration", you will click on "Vote".
5. There you will fill in your data again and after you have approved the "Declaration".
6. There you can see Middle East & South Africa - click on [YES] and you must vote both genders:
Female – Naseem Azeez 
Male – Akram Hussein Mahb Al-Dayn
7. Click "Vote" and your vote is officially confirmed.
Thank you!

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With anti-advocacy legislation still in play in the Kurdistan Regional Government's Parliament, the situation for the queer community in Iraq and Kurdistan is more uncertain than it has been in decades. In this first of two episodes with guest Kween B, we explore the complicated nature of gender and politics in the region, as well as the issues the transgender community in Iraq and Kurdistan face specifically. This episode focuses on Kween's life, growing up and navigating her own identity as she figured out who she is today.

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In the last interview from the Duhok International Film Festival, Mano Khalil discusses his film: Neighbors, a film that explores a Syrian village's Arabization as Assad's Baathist regime begins to assert it's influence in the northern Kurdish region of the country. The story focuses on 6-year-old Sero, as he observes his classes change with a new teacher, and sees his own Jewish neighbors face increased pressure to leave Syria altogether.

Khalil discusses the film's reception, with Jewish, Arab and Kurdish audiences, and the importance and delicacy of scriptwriting when discussing themes of Kurdish oppression, anti-Semitism and the legacy of Ba'athism in the Middle East.

Frame Films:

https://www.framefilm.ch/en/

Trailer for Neighbors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSzkntElVEY&ab_channel=FrameFilm

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Sean Wang's film: A Marble Travelogue, may not seem like it has much to do with the Kurdistan Region on it's surface. The documentary follows China's growing demand for marble, specifically marble sourced from an economically struggling Greece. The film explores the complicated nature of modern globalized capitalism. Different aspects of the industry, including status and worth, labor exploitation and mimicry are all explored and interwoven as the viewer follows the marble's journey from Greece. In this episode, Sean talks about the inspiration for the film, it's cinematic style, and how its themes resonate all over the world- including, of course, in the Kurdistan Region.

Trailer for A Marble Travelogue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GunyJuRx68&ab_channel=visionsdureel

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In this first of three different director interviews from the Duhok International Film Festival, Kurdish Director, Actor and Documentarian Kae Bahar talks about the needs of Kurdish media in the future, as well as his own short film submission: Where Was I?

Kae Bahar's Website, Joka Films:

https://www.jokafilms.com/English/

Where Was I? Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5C88bRGCNo&t=1s&ab_channel=KaeBahar

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In this episode, the first of a series of different conversations collected from the Duhok International Film Festival, I sat down with cinematographer Muriel Aboulrouss. She serves as a jury at the festival this year, as well as an instructor in the festival's Nuhat program. We discuss her own artistic approach to film, as well as her insight into what is required for the next wave of storytelling in the region. 

Below are links to Home of Cine-Jam and episodes of Muriel's docu-series, Zyara:

https://homeofcinejam.com/

Zyara:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XInBytE_zqQ&ab_channel=HomeofCine-Jam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV-XyT-YTJc&ab_channel=HomeofCine-Jam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uMDmED3It0&ab_channel=HomeofCine-Jam

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The Kurdistan Region of Iraq sits in a very precarious position when it comes to international diplomacy, and one of the consequences of this position is the inability for migrant workers to access proper legal aid and safety from abusive and exploitative employers. Christine Chatto Luna is a business owner and president of the Filipino overseas community, but she has also been a victim to labor violations committed by manpower companies in the region. Here- she shares her own story and the developing situation for migrant workers from the Philippines in Kurdistan.

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Jaco Beerends is the Consul General for the Netherlands in KRI. His agenda contains five different pillars, including focusing on local economics and security to ensure growth in the Kurdistan region as well as with Dutch-Kurdish relations in the future. In particular, we focus on agricultural sustainability and conservation as a cornerstone for this plan, and merging of environment and economic agendas in the coming generation 

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The Kurdistan Region has a series of different challenges with healthcare in general, as discussed in previous episodes (Min. Saman Barzinji). These problems often manifest themselves through logistical challenges, such as space available in public hospitals, and the availability of certain medications throughout the region. These problems exist in the world of psychiatry and psychological assistance as well, but with an added challenge of societal stigma. 

Dr. Mohammed Khoshnaw has worked in the public and private sector of psychiatry in Kurdistan, along with having served as the public spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. In this episode, he details the various logistical and social obstacles in his and other doctor's practices here, as well as the solutions needed going forward to ensure proper care for patients in the region.

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David Hunt is the Consulate General representing the United Kingdom in Erbil. Among a variety of different responsibilities Hunt has with navigating the political differences in KRI and Iraq as well as implementing projects ranging from digitalization to environmental sustainability in Kurdistan.

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In 2014, as families were fleeing from their homes because of the threat of the Islamic State and relocating to camps, not much emphasis was put on the continuation of proper education for the children in these communities. Jessica Prentice has specialized in developing educational groundwork in KRI for the Yezidi communities that have still not been able to return to their homes eight years since leaving them. 

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Today two guests from the queer community in Kurdistan come to talk about issues ranging from isolation and mental health issues to the recent spike in violence towards gay, trans and other individuals in the LGBTQ community. We also discuss the new legislation currently being proposed regarding expression, advocacy and coverage of queer identity and issues in KRI. 

For more information about some of the topics regarding safety and mental health in the Iraqi and Kurdish queer community here, check out:

Human Rights Watch Report - click here

News regarding the report: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-60859049

Check out more reporting from HRW on the LGBTQ+ rights in the region here

More information regarding the "Bill on the Prohibition of Promoting Homosexuality" -

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/07/push-silence-lgbt-rights-kurdistan-region-iraq#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20%E2%80%9CBill%20on,million%20dinars%20(US%243%2C430).

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-kurdish-region-banning-homosexuality-lgbt-activists-condemn

For comments and questions, please reach out at: info@kurdistanin.net

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Since 2014, Sangar Khaleel has played a key role in helping develop some of the most important stories in Iraq and KRI as a fixer for international reporters coming to the region. He got his start during Mosul's liberation, the city where he grew up, and has since become one of the most prominent and highly skilled fixers in Iraq and KRI. 

In the second half of our interview, Sangar opens up more about his own losses in his work, as well as dealing with balancing his personal and family life with his work as a fixer. 

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Since 2014, Sangar Khaleel has played a key role in helping develop some of the most important stories in Iraq and KRI as a fixer for international reporters coming to the region. He got his start during Mosul's liberation, the city where he grew up, and has since become one of the most prominent and highly skilled fixers in Iraq and KRI. 

In the first of our two-part interview, we discuss his past work, including his introduction to fixing during ISIS's occupation of Mosul, as well as how he's now trying to change journalism's culture regarding treatment and assistance for fixers all over the world. 

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Xeyal Qertel grew up in Turkey. Her parents, school and community imparted on her from a young age that her Kurdish identity must be kept a secret. After moving to New York and embracing her heritage more outside of the Kurdistan region, she decided to establish the New York Kurdish Film Festival in 2017. The 2022 festival will begin on October 14th.

For more information on the festival visit:

https://kurdishculturalcenter.com/film-festival/

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The past decade of education in Kurdistan has been defined by budgetary struggles and a lack of resources for both students and teachers. Education being an enormous topic for any discussion, so for this episode, we've focused on the difference between public and private schools in Kurdistan. Azhin Sayd Abdullah has had experience teaching at both and her experience as teacher in the past decade has been representative of a lot of teachers' struggles and perspectives on the issue. 

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Noor Matti doesn't require much of an introduction in Erbil. The longtime host of Babylon FM has played an active media role in Kurdistan and Iraq for a decade since he helped found the radio station. He is now stepping back to focus more on his NGO, Shlama Foundation, which focuses primarily on developing housing and infrastructure projects for communities in need living in remote and rural areas in KRI and Federal Iraq

For more information visit: https://www.shlama.org/

For questions and comments, please contact: info@kurdistanin.net

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Following the Barzan genocide in 1983, no one knew what happened to the thousands men who were executed. Dr. Mohammed Ihsan began his work on recovering their bodies over thiry years ago and to this day remains an advocate and scholar in the field of human rights in Kurdistan, Iraq and on the global stage.

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Randall Rhodes is the President of the American University in Kurdistan. 

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The rising gym culture in Erbil has lead to an increased emphasis on steroid and hormone use for workouts. This, coupled with a lack of consistent regulation, has lead to new health crisis in Kurdistan, spurred on by a plethora of protein stores that sell illegal and dangerous supplements to whoever might be interested. BIlind Dilshad is a registered Crossfit trainer in Erbil, one of the few, and he's joins this episode to talk about the history of gym fitness globally, in Kurdistan and this new trend that's affecting his field.

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Minister of Health, Dr. Saman Barzinji discusses the current obstacles and improvements of Kurdistan's health sector, with specific focus on the differences between public and private hospitals and their capacity in the KRI. He also discusses the discrepancy between rural and urban healthcare and the availability of vital medication in remote areas. 

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The KRI is in a unique diplomatic position, operating as an autonomous region rather than a sovereign country. Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman has spent nearly a decade in Washington DC. She's operated as the KRG's chief diplomat in the United States. Representative Abdul Rahman has served as Kurdistan's ambassador through multiple presidential administrations and numerous historical hurdles, such as the 2017 referendum to declare Kurdistan an independent state from Iraq, the military coalition to defeat ISIS and care for the refugees and IDPs that have fled due to the resulting conflict. In this episode we discuss her background and upbringing, including her family's legacy in Kurdistan as well as her views on the ongoing Sadrist protests in Baghdad.

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Within all forms of Western Classic music there are regional variations. Most Western composers can differentiate Viennese and Italian composers, and in the Middle East, Oriental composition has the same diversity. Kurdish music has a long history of appropriating and being appropriated from Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi and Levantine classic compositions. Boran Zaza is one of the most prominent and gifted Kurdish music performers in the world that understands these intricacies. With both a background in musicology and growing up in a musical family, she has navigated her own journey through performing Kurdish music as a pianist, with her love of music taking her from Syria to Canada, where she continues to explore her own identity as a pianist and a Kurdish musician living abroad. 

Link to Boran's Website: https://boranzaza.com/

Link to Boran's performance of "Newroz":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WHFflbdnrw&ab_channel=BoranZaza

For questions and comments, contact us at: info@kurdistanin.net

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With the Mesopotamian Region's rich and deep history, it's a given that the fields of archeology and heritage preservation would take root in Iraq and Kurdistan. But with the current and past political developments in the region, coupled with a recent pandemic, excavation and preservation projects have run into numerous obstacles. Professors Schwartz and Bahrani discuss their current projects in KRI as well as some of these obstacles and the developments that have come to define overall field of research in the region.

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Dlawar Ala'Aldeen has worked as a researcher, a professor and a minister in the KRG throughout his career. But his work can all be tied to a common theme of merging the partisan world of policy with the objective, data-based, peer-reviewed one of scientific research. His current institute, MERI (Middle East Research Institute) is dedicated to towards using research to establish better public policy for the future of Kurdistan and the region at larges.

Link to MERI - http://www.meri-k.org/

For questions and comments, reach out to us at: info@kurdistanin.net

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In this episode we examine the development of animal rights in Kurdistan and Iraq with Ashti Falakadin, who is an animal rights activist based out or Erbil. In the past ten years, the culture of pets has shifted dramatically in the region, as has the treatment of livestock and working animals. Falakadin has been on the forefront of advocacy, now helping to draft legislation protecting animals. In our conversation we discuss the differences between animal abuse in the West and the Middle East, as well as the culture of dog fighting and smuggling that remained present in Kurdistan despite heightened awareness and support for animal protection in the region.

Link to War PAWS: https://warpaws.org/

Link to Kurdistan Organisation for Animal Rights: https://www.koarp.org/

For Questions and Comments, email us at: info@kurdistanin.net

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Tanya Aziz is the Coalition Commanding General's special advisor for cultural affairs and politics. She talks about the personal stake of working between cultures in a military capacity, the loss of her friend and colleague, Husham al- Hashimi, who was murdered in 2019, and the current and future state of the Coalition as it continues to combat terrorist activity in Iraq and Syria.

For Questions and Comments, email us at: info@kurdistanin.net

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Col. Myles Caggins III was the spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, a coalition of over 70 countries brought together with express purpose of defeating the Islamic State. He discussed his work in the communication sector of the coalition, undermining ISIS' messaging strategy- a media strategy that led the Caliphate to become to powerful in the first place.

For Questions and Comments, email us at: info@kurdistanin.net

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For an episode released on World Refugee Day, we speak with UNHCR representative Jean Nicolas Beuze. We discuss the history and current needs of the Syrian community in Kurdistan, the status of the refugee camps in both the Kurdish region and Iraq and the displaced Yezidi community from Sinjar and what is needed moving forward.

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When it comes to dealing with the myriad of economic and social issues Iraq and Kurdistan face- one of the biggest hurdles towards navigating the future of the region has to with the generational gap between parents and their children. Abdulsalam Medeni's Rwanga organization focuses on youth employment, education, environmental conservation and overall societal engagement. We spoke about what is needed to motivate the next generation of Kurdistan, and with whom the responsibility for ensuring a stable future rests.

For more information about Rwanga, visit: https://www.rwanga.org/project#showmore

For more information about Kurdistan Information Network, visit: https://kurdistanin.net/

Contact us at: infor@kurdistanin.net

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In this episode, Wan Rashid explore the complications of being part of a diasporic community, and the choices and challenges that come with that community. We discuss generational divides, struggling for one's own identity in America and, in general, her work as an advocate on behalf of the Kurdish community in Nashville, primarily through her organization Effendi.

For more information on Effendi, check out Wan's work here: https://www.effendifoundation.org/

For more information on Inside Kurdistan, visit our website at:

https://kurdistanin.net/inside-kurdistan-podcast

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