Nadia, a 40-year-old female internally displaced person (IDP) from al Abbase sub-district in al Hawija District in Kirkuk province, was trained as a community leader by Blumont as a part of the Conflict Resolution and Resilience Building (C2RB) project.
C2RB empowers IDPs and host community members to solve local conflicts. Following the training, Nadia was provided with a tent in Daquq camp to allow IDPs a space to meet and resolve issues.
In August 2017, Nadia reconciled two men in Daquq camp. The men had gotten into a dispute over a watch one had purchased from the other. The buyer, an IDP, claimed the watch stopped working within one hour of purchase, therefore he was returning it. The seller and owner of the shop, a member of the host community, rejected the claim and refused to refund his money.
The dispute escalated into a fight when brothers of the buyer attacked the seller. Police intervened and arrested both the buyer and the seller. The latter sustained minor injuries in the fight.
The incident was brought to Nadia’s attention by other IDPs living in the camp.
Nadia discussing small issues with IDPs at the camp
Nadia proposed methods to resolve the dispute over the watch, which led to the release of the two men. She convened the two men and their relatives in her tent where she engaged them in discussion and encouraged the men to settle their argument. Heeding Nadia’s advice, the buyer asked the seller for forgiveness and it was given. Blumont’s C2RB program has equipped numerous IDPs such as Nadia with the skills to solve disputes through amicable solutions which are helping form an empowered, peaceful, and hopeful community.
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Nadia received training through Blumont’s Camp Coordination and Camp Management/Conflict Resolution and Resilience Building (CCCM/C2RB) programs. CCCM provides camp management in four camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, including accommodation and community mobilization activities. C2RB improves the lives of individuals in Iraq by identifying and implementing solutions to mitigate violence and conflict among IDPs and host communities. They are both funded by UNHCR.
RELATED READING:
Camp Coordination and Camp Management/Conflict Resolution and Resilience Building (CCCM/C2RB)
Infrastructure Improvement Through Livelihood Development for IDPs in Iraq
