While IRIS is best-known for its work as a policy research organization, we firmly believe that research must always be coupled with effective advocacy and practical engagement. To that end, 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 32 fellows representing almost every province of Iraq (aged 25-35) to undergo a year-long leadership and advocacy training program.
Over the past eight years, ILF has developed a distinctive model of leadership training grounded in Iraq’s social, political, and institutional realities. The program is structured around two core tracks: a policy track, which supports individuals working within or alongside formal governance structures, and a civil society track, which focuses on actors engaged in community-level initiatives, advocacy, and social change. This dual structure reflects an understanding that leadership in Iraq is shaped through the interaction between institutions, communities, and the spaces between them. Unlike other training efforts that often dissipate with the conclusion of the workshop, the ILF program cultivates an active alumni network of more than 350 graduates and fosters ongoing collaborations.