Public Aid Organization (PAO) organized the closing meeting of the project “Enhancing Social Cohesion through Local Peace Committees in the Post-Conflict Phase in Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, and Nineveh Governorates” in Nineveh Governorate. The project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and brought together a wide participation of heads and members of Local Peace Committees, along with a number of decision-makers.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Local Peace Committees from Kirkuk, Hawija, Tuz Khurmatu, Amerli, Al-Dujail, Al-Baaj, Al-Qayyarah, Al-Shirqat, Balad, and Baiji, in addition to Mosul’s right and left banks. The gathering aimed to strengthen coordination, unify efforts, and support community stability and post-conflict peacebuilding.
The event featured two main components.
The first was a dialogue session that brought together Local Peace Committees and decision-makers to review the current status of committee work, discuss key challenges, and develop a clear task framework to improve performance and strengthen their role in resolving local conflicts and building trust among community components.
The second component included a musical concert and an exhibition showcasing humanitarian and community initiatives implemented by the Local Peace Committees, reflecting the tangible efforts made on the ground to support social peace and promote coexistence and solidarity.
Participants emphasized that arts and humanitarian initiatives are effective tools for fostering a culture of peace and social rapprochement, underscoring the importance of sustaining such activities as supportive pathways to strengthening social cohesion and achieving long-term stability in the targeted governorates.
