On November29,2021,C4JR held its second annual meeting of all members in-person and virtually in Erbil
This meeting provided an opportunity for C4JR members to elect new members of the C4JR´s executive body Coordinating Committee to take stock of the Yazidi Survivors Law implementation and identify challenges and opportunities.
We are incredibly proud of taking the time to listen to the voices of survivors members of the C4JR Survivors Council.
This Council consists of ISIL survivors (of different genders and belonging to targeted ethnoreligious communities) who provide advice and guidance to C4JR bodies and members on promoting and strengthening survivors´ perspectives in current and upcoming activities.
They also suggest and prioritize activities and topics relevant to the survivors, families, and communities.
It has agreed that C4JR should advance its advocacy by undertaking comprehensive training provided by the New Tactics in Human Rights Middle East and North Africa Team.
New Tactics in Human Rights is a program of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) established to strengthen the capacity of human rights defenders by providing training on innovative strategies to advance human rights.
The Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), with the support of IOM Iraq, is publishing regular newsletters on the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL) in three languages. Check out the Eighth Newsletter now, in English, Arabic, and Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji).
The eighth issue of the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) newsletter covers:
- Reparation Payments: The Directorate for Survivors’ Affairs has disbursed reparations to 1,975 survivors covered by the YSL in August 2024.
- UNITAD Reports: UNITAD has recently released several key reports on ISIL's international crimes in Iraq, concluding that ISIL's actions likely constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against Yazidis, Shi’a Turkmen, Christian communities, and other minorities.
- End of UNITAD’s Mandate: Following the conclusion of UNITAD’s mandate, C4JR’s Criminal Justice Working Group published a statement emphasizing the urgent need for the Iraqi government to pass legislation enabling the prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
- New Toolkit Released: C4JR and Jiyan Foundation released their Ethical Engagement Toolkit, to guide NGOs and journalists in engaging with survivors to address key issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, and cultural sensitivity, designed for various contexts.
- Yazidi Genocide Commemoration: On the tenth anniversary, Yazidi civil society held a commemoration in Solagh, Sinjar, honoring victims and demanding justice from the Iraqi government and international community, by prosecuting ISIS terrorists, rebuilding Yazidi areas, compensating survivors, and ensuring legal reforms to prevent future atrocities.
- UN Special Rapporteur Report: The UN Special Rapporteur’s report calls for action against sexual torture in wartime and will be presented to the UN General Assembly on October 25. The report acknowledges contributions from the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights and other stakeholders during a study visit to Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Challenges and Recommendations: The newsletter presents an overview of the outstanding challenges faced by survivors applying to the YSL and recommends measures to ease YSL application burdens.
- Get to Know C4JR Members: Learn more about Emma Human Development Organization, which provides legal and psychological services to ISIL survivors.
🗣 The newsletter is available in Arabic, Sorani, and Kurmanci.
Read more and find out how you can support: