February 21st in Iskan, Baghdad. The tribal leaders of more than 30 tribes meet with the administration of Al-Salam Football School and CCPA’s program coordinator to find solutions on major issues in the Iraqi society through CCPA’s projects.
The tribal leaders of Baghdad with their religious head and the municipal police directorate, the meeting was held to combat several issues facing the Baghdadi citizen and youth. The exclusion of girls & women from the society, the return of militias and how to keep the children from harms way.
After an hour of introduction of Al-Salam Football School’s history and CCPA’s contribution to Iraqi youth, the tribal leaders were then brought to the opening of the new conference hall, administrational office and libraries at the sports complex in Iskan, Baghdad.
This was followed by discussion on how to include women into society and what way can sports make the presence of women more visible in the different aspects of decision-making and prepare them on how to challenge inequality at the work place, sports clubs and educational institutions.
Also a discussion on how to keep the youth and children away from the growing grasp of the militias, how can the tribal and religious leaders in cooperation with the municipal police make the different zone branches of Al-Salam Football School more safe and secure from the militias.
This was followed by a discussion on how the tribal leaders envision their children’s future in Iraq and that as long as the government doesn’t participate actively in securing a future for the next generations of Iraqis, the tribal leaders in cooperation with the religious leaders and police, will with Al-Salam Football School and CCPA make what has been until now deemed impossible by the Iraqi government.
Together they will eradicate inequality, sectarianism and not allow politics to have presence in the children’s upbringing. All this will be done at the level of the citizen, amongst the people and not from the top as it has been done until now by the government. The tribal leaders swore that they will allow all the female members of their tribe to participate in the activities of CCPA, the religious leaders will demand from the militias and in cooperation with the police to make weapon-free zones around the sports complex’s of Al-Salam Football School.
The elder of the tribal council, Sheikh Sabah of the bani Lam tribe proclaimed in front of the other tribal leaders; "What is deemed impossible by the heads of the country (MP’s), we will by God make it possible! They can steal and take for themselves, provide for their own kinds future as much as they want, but we will make sure to execute the hard work of building a proper society and future for the children of the poor and innocent trough the volunteers of Al-Salam, its associations and administrational partners in Denmark (CCPA). With or without the government."
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