http://www.epic-usa.org/
Environmental conservation in Iraq? Part 1 of Joanna Fisher’s fascinating interview with Nature Iraq Foundation CEO Virginia Tice AND the first installment of “Partners for Change”, an EPIC series of interviews with institutions and people who inspire us.
23rd October 2012
EPIC’s board of directors and advisers met for a strategy session last weekend to discuss our future projects. We ended the night with a terrifically fun dinner!
Music always plays a big role in youth movements. But what happens when a government wants in on that action? By endorsing perceived “positive” messages in music, do governments inhibit an artist’s authentic voice? Does targeting music with political or even violent themes impede free speech? Can protest music be a tool for “The Man,” or will that make it lose the counter-culture appeal? Plenty to think about for everyone working to engage youth culture worldwide.
TEDx Baghdad announces the theme for 2012: The Beginning Begins
Notes: 3
Painting a picture of a bygone Iraq- through Bollywood? A bitter-sweet story with lots of character.
By Thomas Oldfield, Program Design Intern
Here at EPIC, we have been exploring tools and techniques for forwarding our mission in Iraq. We are particularly excited about a technique called photovoice because of its power, simplicity, and participatory nature. We thought we’d share some of our excitement with you, to keep you updated on what we’re working on.
Who ever said that Fridays can’t be productive?
- Camera: iPhone 4
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Exposure: 1/40th
- Focal Length: 3mm
Too Good to be True?
Kurdistan is proving to be an economically booming region. ExxonMobil has struck an oil exploration deal with northern Iraq, the Czech Republic has faithfully invested in energy pursuits, and Japan has likewise shown an interest in the area. All of this foreign interest and investment proves very exciting for a country recovering from war. Or does it? While the outside world is tempted to see a recovering Iraq, for those on the inside, this may have the potential to reopen old divides. Iraqi Kurdistan is largely autonomous. But how autonomous is too autonomous? With this separation between the two regions, can the necessary trust be built in this critical time of development?
Iraq PM Warns of ‘Wars’ over Exxon Deal with Kurds
Czech Companies to Ink More Deals in Iraq
Japanese Companies Seek Partnerships with Turks in Iraq
Iraqi Youth Hike 2011
Hikers, Nabil, and Erik Gustafson, EPIC Executive Director
Visit EPIC-USA for more information on future youth empowering programs.
Iraq is in a state of transition from war to peace, from occupation to independence, from an old to a new identity. As Iraqis face this transitional stage in their history, they have an opportunity to reflect on both the past and the future. TEDx Baghdad, an event initiated by Yahay AlAbdeli, acts as a mirror for the Iraqi people, where Iraqi viewers witness their peers discussing relevant topics on Iraq and see a reflection of themselves and where the country is going. TEDx acts as an intermediary between rhetoric and action. The structure of the talks—often beginning with an idea and ending with a plan of action—provides the country with a model to orient itself to a path of security and harmony.
(Source: epic-usa.org)
chukar patridges; iraqi kurdistan, 1999 (via chris kutschera)
Reblogged From cityofbaghdad
By Thomas Oldfield, Program Design Intern
As the Euro Cup draws attention from the soccer-loving world (read: everyone but the US), another lesser-known competition has just ended. Iraqi Kurdistan beat out Northern Cyprus in the VIVA World Cup. What’s that? You didn’t catch the game? I’ll be honest, I didn’t either. The games were held in Erbil, and though it was the largest contest in VIVA’s six year history, it only featured nine teams. What brought these teams together? Only sub-state nations unrecognized by FIFA are invited to join VIVA (which is always capitalized, though unlike FIFA it is not an acronym). VIVA raises interesting questions about the role non-state actors play on the international stage.
(Source: epic-usa.org)
