About Hiwarouna
Hiwarouna, Arabic for «Our Dialogue» is a four-year EU-funded project Interfaith ad Intercultural Dialogue project implemented in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon by our partner organizations, Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue (FDCD), Iraqi al-Amal Association.
Hiwarouna aims at contributing to cultural and religious pluralism, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence through targeting high-level religious leaders, opinion-makers, activists, media persons, youth, academicians, and students from different religious, geographical, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
Danmission, together with its partner organizations, Forum for Development Culture and Dialogue (FDCD) and Iraqi Al-Amal Association (IAA), brought at least 45 high-level leaders political and religious leaders into joint platforms that serve as safe spaces. In light of these platforms, the consortium partners worked on fostering dialogue, cooperation, and a relationship of trust between the different groups and that for the aim of positively influencing their role in promoting tolerance and acceptance in the local, national and religious levels.
On the other front, at least 189 Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese youth took part in numerous capacity-building programme that led to improving the knowledge and skills in areas of peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution, Dialogue, Human Rights, citizenship, and Good Governance. As a result, the youth perceptions and behaviors were improved that they are now acting as change agents and actors for peace in their communities.
Moreover, 169 opinion-makers including media persons, journalists, and local activists are also part of Hiwarouna project, supporting other actors including youth and women in promoting the culture of dialogue and peace.
The target groups, mostly the youth, joined efforts and were provided with the technical and financial support needed to implement 55 different local peace initiatives targeting their peers as well as other local community members
On the other front, all partners are supporting research studies that aim at further exploring issues that influence peace and coexistence in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
Lastly, In Iraq, IAA builds a coalition involving the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Innsbruck University, and four Iraqi public universities to develop peace manuals, and a diploma incorporated into the national curriculum. 25 University professors were trained to deliver the manual and diploma to Iraqi students.
Hiwarouna proved to have long-lasting positive effects and influence on the attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, and practices of the targetted groups including at least 25000 indirect beneficiaries taking part in the locally-implemented peace initiatives.
Higher levels of acceptance, tolerance, and coexistences, and positive interactions are witnessed among the different groups.