The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (AUIS) recently hosted the second workshop of the Iraq Leadership Fellows program in 2023, held in Sulaimani. The workshop, titled "Leadership as Practice," delved into leadership specifics, equipping participants with practical tools to enhance their skills.
During the First day, participants from the Political Candidate Track, guided by Hussam Fakhoury and Mohammed Almoumin, focused on topics such as Building Trust, Personal Storytelling, and Emotional Intelligence. Simultaneously, fellows from the Social Activist Track, led by Zainab Qassim and Humam Rajab, explored Managing Diversity, Advocacy Campaigns, and Building Trust. On the second day, both tracks converged on design thinking. The third and last day of the workshope witnessed joint classes where social activist fellows presented their advocacy campaigns to political candidate fellows. This collaborative session sparked a productive discussion, facilitating an exchange of ideas between the two groups.
The Iraq Leadership Fellowship (ILF) was founded in 2017 to equip the next generation of politically and socially engaged young Iraqis who are keen to shape the future of their country. On an annual basis, the ILF recruits 40-50 fellows representing every province of Iraq (aged 25-35) to undergo a year-long leadership and advocacy training program. The capacity building and training team at IRIS is proud to have the responsibility of overseeing the operation of the ILF program in coordination with our partners DT Institute and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.