Could you briefly introduce your organization and its mission?
Saya Organization for Human Rights and Democracy is a non-profit civil society organization working to promote the principles of human rights, democracy, and sustainable peace in Iraq. It focuses particularly on empowering marginalized groups, especially women and youth, as well as advancing the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Our Mission is to build a just and peaceful society in which everyone enjoys their rights without discrimination. This is achieved through awareness and training programs, advocacy campaigns, and community initiatives that foster civic engagement, counter violence and extremism, and promote women’s leadership and decision-making roles, contributing to social justice and sustainable development.
How does your work connect with social justice, human rights, peacebuilding, MHPSS, or community resilience, and what role do you see faith actors playing in these areas?
Saya Organization’s work is closely linked to the those concepts through the following programs and initiatives:
- Social Justice and Human Rights: The organization promotes equality and raises awareness about the fundamental rights of all individuals, especially women and girls, through advocacy campaigns, legal awareness workshops, support for access to justice, and calls for policy reforms that work on enhancing civic participation.
- Peacebuilding: We implement field initiatives to resolve local conflicts, foster intergroup dialogue, and train women and youth in mediation skills and decision-making participation to promote social cohesion.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Recognizing the importance of mental health, Saya integrates psychosocial support into its activities, particularly for survivors of violence and displacement. This includes group support sessions, safe spaces for women and girls, and expressive art activities like theater, painting, and silent expression.
- Community Resilience: We build the capacities of targeted groups to help them adapt to crises and challenges through life skills training, economic support, civic engagement, and connections to local support opportunities.
The Role of Religious Actors:
Religious actors play a pivotal role in these areas, which includes:
- Promoting values of peace and tolerance: By using religious discourse to counter hate speech and extremism, and to promote a culture of coexistence and acceptance.
- Supporting social justice: By highlighting religious values that emphasize equality, human dignity, and fairness.
- Contributing to community mental health support: Religious leaders can be a source of comfort and trust for many and can deliver supportive messages that enhance mental well-being and solidarity.
- Supporting resilience efforts: Through fostering community solidarity, encouraging charitable initiatives, and supporting vulnerable groups during times of crisis.
Saya Organization believes that integration between civil society and religious actors is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable positive change.
Why did you decide to join JLI, and what value do you find in being part of this community?
What motivated us to join the JLI was the deep conviction in the importance of exchanging knowledge and experiences among diverse actors, especially those that bring together religious, humanitarian, and development perspectives. We also found in JLI a dynamic space for joint dialogue between civil society organizations, religious actors, researchers, and humanitarian practitioners. This is a rare yet critically important space within the working environment we navigate, particularly in a country like Iraq, which faces complex challenges in the areas of peacebuilding, human rights, and social cohesion.
Moreover, JLI’s emphasis on evidence-based research and its connection to field practices was a strong motivating factor. We believe that sustainable change begins with solid knowledge, but it can only be fully realized through practical application that is sensitive to the local cultural and religious context.
As for the added value of our presence in the group, it goes as follows:
- A local perspective from Iraq, where we work in a complex environment facing challenges in peacebuilding, social justice, and violent extremism, offering a deep understanding of field experiences from the Iraqi context.
- Practical experience in linking religious discourse with community engagement, through Saya’s initiatives that focus on involving religious leaders in efforts to promote peace and combat violence and marginalization.
- A feminist, rights-based vision that promotes the inclusion of women and girls, not just as recipients of support, but as leaders of change.
- Experience in designing and implementing innovative initiatives, such as artistic activities, peace tours for children, and community-based environmental programs, which open new avenues for shared learning and collaboration.
Our presence among JLI members is not only an opportunity to learn but also a chance to contribute to the development of comprehensive solutions that are more responsive to real-world needs and more respectful of religious and cultural diversity.
How can the JLI community best support you and your work moving forward?
- Supporting our organization in documenting success stories and challenges from working with religious actors to use as educational or advocacy materials.
- Helping amplify the voices of local organizations on international platforms through conferences or policy papers that reflect local realities
We believe that continued JLI support not only provides resources, but also serves as a strategic enabler for deepening impact and fostering greater integration between knowledge and practice, religion and civil society, or the benefit of more just, peaceful, and resilient communities.
What advice would you give potential JLI members?
My advice to future members of the JLI: come into this space with an open mind and a genuine willingness to listen and learn from others’ experiences, regardless of differences in context or background. The real value of JLI lies in its rich diversity, bringing together voices from religious, community-based, academic, and humanitarian sectors.
I also encourage members to use this platform to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, and between faith-based principles and humanitarian action, this is where true transformation and lasting impact begin.
Is there a “hidden gem” from your organization that you believe more partners should adopt?
Our “hidden gem” is our ability to transform complex societal challenges into simple and impactful creative initiatives, by smartly integrating religion, human rights, peacebuilding, and constructive community dialogue.
One of the most prominent examples is the programs we implemented under the “Peace for All Conference” and other community initiatives, where we helped create safe and effective spaces for dialogue among diverse societal groups, including religious leaders, security forces, civil society, media, youth, and women, on issues of social cohesion, preventing extremism, and promoting social justice.
This kind of initiative opens the door to deep and peaceful change. It is grounded in mutual listening and positive interaction and gives communities a chance to see themselves in a new light and rebuild trust among their members.
I believe that this model, using participatory dialogue and locally rooted community initiatives, is worth exploring and adapting by other organizations, as it offers a soft and sustainable path to driving meaningful change.