“My School” and an Evening of Music and Art

Following the capacity building workshop conducted by CPI for youth from different communities in Erbil, groups of youth contacted CPI and proposed several initiatives aimed at promoting citizenship and a sense of belonging to Iraq. One of the projects proposed by the youth of Tal Afar was to organise an artistic evening in collaboration with the Tal Afar Youth Forum and sponsored by CPI.

The activity focused on the importance of youth engagement in society as a vital component of the peacebuilding process in Iraq. The CPI team in Tal Afar worked to organise meetings between the young people and the Tal Afar Youth Forum. There was also collaboration between many artistic groups from Tal Afar, including the Art has a Language group, which presented a children’s play called ‘My School’ with the participation of artists: Saadoun Khalaf, Yehya Ajam and Mustafa Kamal. There was also cooperation with the folklore group affiliated to the Turkmen Students and Youth Union in Tal-Afar and the famous singer Hazem Jolagh. This activity was carried out in cooperation with the Directorate of Youth and Sports, represented by the Tal Afar Youth and Sports Forum.

The different parts of this artistic evening took place on Friday 10 November 2023, which included a play called “My School”. The play reflected the diversity of the students, their support for each other and addressed some of the problems among the students such as bullying and sectarianism. The play ended with the message that everyone is Iraqi and ended with the Iraqi national anthem.

The play was followed by a performance of traditional songs from the ancient Tal Afari heritage, as the historical and artistic heritage is the strongest factor for social cohesion in Tal Afar. During the song and music performance, the folklore group, dressed in traditional costumes, performed various traditional dances.

A folklore dance group from Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu added to the uniqueness of the event, along with poets from both cities. They contributed with poems and dances that reflected their rich folklore.

The folklore group then recited Turkmen poems, known as “Khawarit”, encouraging unity and emphasising that Iraq is the only meeting point, not sects and other national backgrounds, because everyone is Iraqi.

The event was notable for the participation of families and a significant presence of women, making it a unique occasion for Tal Afar, which has rarely witnessed activities involving the active participation of women and families. Parliamentarians and government officials were also present.