MPT Partnership with United Nations

MPT, also called (Muslim Peace Taskforce), is currently engaged with the collaboration of UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project services) to implement 16 sessions of newly voted Iraq constitution discussion and review to be amended serving the purpose of violence reduction and bringing about national reconciliation. So far MPT has accomplished 10 sessions and will be done with remaining 6 sessions by middle of September. UNOPS is financing the project and set a budget of $37,350 for it.

Project Title:
Supporting Reconciliation in Iraq through Constitutional Review and National Debate

Project Description:
The province of Najaf is located 180 KM south of Baghdad and it is within the upper south region, its community mostly of religious scholars, intellects, doctors, politician and writers in different topics including arts, literature, history in addition to traders, handy craft makers, manufacturers and professionals, farmers and farm owners; the province is famous for its rice crops which is considered to be one of the best in the area. There are a lot of religious schools which supervised by Al Marja'ia and Al Hawza which many Iraqi students are attending and others from the Islamic world, also there are other scientific universities and institutes and colleges fort Humanitarian studies and, technical institutes.

The province is of special historical and religious importance; the city of Najaf is considered one of the holy and worshiped places both locally and for the Islamic world for the shrines of the Imam Ali, fourth Islamic Caliphate, cousin of the profit Mohammed and his son in law, 2-4 million pilgrims in addition to its population come to visit every year.

In addition the city of Najaf is the religious capital for the Shiite Islamic sect in the world for it hosts religious scholars and offices of most of the Iyat AL'Lah and they do play a great role in the Iraqi political decision makers also all the FATWAS that are abiding to all Shiites in Iraq like Ayat Allah Ali Al Sistani who is continually visited by many government, political leaders locally as well internationally seeking advice and approval on matters of religion, political and Sharia. In Najaf reside the famous Al Hakeem families who have represented the Shiites of Iraq before and now also they head the high council for Islamic revelation and the leader of the Alliance party which is one of the biggest and spear heading the political affairs of the county. Muqtad Al Sadir and his political office is also resident of Najaf city for which it had an important role to end past British occupation in Iraq in the twenties of the last century.

It is an irony for the city of Najaf to produce one of the top leaders of the communist part also other leaders and political figures in the Al Baath part and other Arab nationalist political movements. Al Najaf is considered to be safe and secure in comparison to other provinces but also affected by the very bad security situation in the near by places and there are pressures exerted like the rest of the southern provinces to cater for the forcibly replaced families who came to seek shelter and safety after they had left their homes in Baghdad and the near by places of tension away from the daily violence and killing which pushed the rent prices up.

Economically, the city has a positive limited activity which attracts local and foreign (Iranian and Arabs) investors in buying real estates, construction, health, hospital and drugs, general trade, simple manufacturing and religious tourism and hotels. But still there are many who suffer from unemployment and there are wider sections of the community who are relay on the monthly rations given for his daily bread since the nineties, and because of the high inflation (70%) and the rise in the prices of basic foods and commodities, most of the farmers have come to the city seeking jobs and volunteering in the police and the army. Najaf accommodates the biggest burial grounds for the Shiite sect which brings some extra money for the local people.

Link to Constitutional Review:
If there is no justice in the distribution of rights and duties for all, then there will not be reasonable state of security and stability that covers the whole of the country; thus and from this assumption comes the importance of the project to realize the shining truth by all authorities and leader, political, religious, lawmen and intellectuals to protect and abide to a permanent and broad constitution where facts ca be defined and civic justice is achieved for all which is the main key for peace. Please take note of the following paragraph:

Link to National Reconciliation:
Through the discussion of the tragic situation in which all of the people of Iraq are suffering with no exception; the project will help proactively for all the ladies and gentlemen participating in the debates which will be convened serially, that they have no choice but to sit with other segments of the Iraqi people to rebuild the new Iraq without discarding any side from the political process and the fair distribution of national riches, and to give all minorities their complete rights. On the political parties and alliances to be aware of respecting other opinions through peaceful dialogue which is recognized by Islam, customs and habits, all of which are build on forgiveness and equal opportunities also this is required by modern civic ethics if for the Iraqis to choose a democratic free community to be as the other civilized world's communities which adopt for child care, human rights, freedom of expression, and to empower youth and women by giving her the rights she deserves to take her important role in the community as it is important in the creation and care of her family. This positive result should by invested by all of the Iraqi people, as this can not be achieved with out the review of the differed upon current constitution and to discuss in the sprit of brotherhood and understanding to reach goals acceptable to all.

Project Goal:
Supporting Reconciliation in Iraq through Constitutional Review andNational Debate

Project Objectives and Outputs:
Objective 1: Educate on the constitution amendments which will guarantees the best interest of all the Iraqis, for the different leaders of all of the sections of the public and from both genders; heads of non/ and government offices, professors, teachers, youths and students, lawyers, MPs, PC members, tribal and clan leaders, political parties, independent committees, and others

Objective 2: Submit recommendation, feasible and special suggestions in articles which will be modified by the special committee to the related committees in the provincial council and the parliament,

Objective 3: Promote and encourage those MPs in the province to receive a working paper, ready, comprehensive and professional compiled by the people of the province to submit on their request to the CSO in parliament.

Project Outputs:
Support a realistic program for national reconciliation and to protect the national unity of the country through dialogue and peaceful negotiation with those who oppose the political operation and the presence of foreign occupation, regardless of their political views, race and religious sect.

Support a national government that is able to undertake independent political decisions with out external interferences or influences to assert the rule of Iraqi law and to abide by the human rights charters and child ant to elevate the role of the Iraqi women and to fight corruption and to demand a time table for the withdrawal of all of the foreign armies in Iraq and to end occupation.

Establish a program and practical projects for non violence and to all armed displays and district violence and to promote peaceful co-existence and to make dialogue language is the substituted civilized language in the new Iraq. Guarantee the rights of the province population equally to the rest of the country's public entity and act openly and transparently with all and in particular with the political decision makers in the province and the government establishments, in a community of freedom and democracy in accordance with the constitution after amendments.

Civic education materials to be produced:

• Prepare and print 1000 copy of the reviewed articles and issues in the constitution with questionnaires each on a particular focal issue as stated in the RFP.
• Media coverage of the local and national radio and TV.
• Willingness of all to participate to take part in the debates and share in shaping he future of Iraq Work plan of activities

There will 16 conferences to implement during the time frame of the project, in each one of the conferences is to educate on one of the eight main debatable articles of the constitution and the secondary articles too as indicated in the work plan; at the end of each conference, recommendation and suggestions of the participants after revision will be submitted.

Sami Rasouli
Muslim Peacemakers Team
Najaf, Iraq