The fifth USIP workshop with Iraqi Officials held in Washington, DC was from September 13 through September 23, 2004. The group of 52 participants included men and women from a variety of ministries including Finance, Justice, Planning, Foreign Affairs and Interior.

The fifth USIP workshop with Iraqi Officials held in Washington, DC was from September 13 through September 23, 2004. The group of 52 participants included men and women from a variety of ministries including Finance, Justice, Planning, Foreign Affairs and Interior. The workshop not only gave participants an opportunity to develop and enhance their negotiation and conflict resolution skills, but it gave them the opportunity to meet their fellow citizens from the various ministries with whom they would be collaborating.

The training sessions were led by Training Director George Ward and program manager Mike Lekson, with a focus on conflict analysis and resolution, styles and techniques of negotiating, and understanding the roles that third parties can play in helping resolve disputes. The program included field trips to The State Department, Federal Reserve Board and Congress, to give an opportunity for the group to meet some of their counterparts in this country, as well as give a better understanding of the way our system functions.

Highlights of the program included the SENSE simulation and the systematic development by the Iraqis of action plans to achieve concrete objectives in building a new Iraq, based on their own identification of their country´s priority interests.

Related Publications

Baghdad Is Ready for a New Chapter in U.S.-Iraq Relations

Baghdad Is Ready for a New Chapter in U.S.-Iraq Relations

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met last week with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House as part of a weeklong visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations. The visit occurred amid several historic anniversaries and dangerous developments in the Middle East. April marks the 21st anniversary of the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Since 2003, the U.S.-Iraq relationship has witnessed many ups and downs. Even as tensions persist, particularly in relation to the U.S. troop presence in the country, al-Sudani’s visit — which featured the largest delegation Iraqis have brought to Washington — demonstrates Iraqi will to start a new chapter in the strategic partnership that goes beyond security.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & GovernanceGlobal Policy

USIP Explains: Community Dialogue in Northern Sinjar

USIP Explains: Community Dialogue in Northern Sinjar

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Ten years after ISIS’ genocide against them, the wounds of the Yazidi community in Iraq’s Sinjar district remain fresh as thousands remain displaced and even more await justice for the crimes perpetrated against them. Meanwhile, despite living in peaceful coexistence prior to ISIS’ campaign, the conflict planted seeds of division among Sinjar’s various tribes and communities — resulting in tensions that threatened to tear the district apart even after ISIS’ defeat.

Type: Blog

Mediation, Negotiation & DialoguePeace Processes

Iraq’s Provincial Council Elections: The Way Forward in Nineveh Province

Iraq’s Provincial Council Elections: The Way Forward in Nineveh Province

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

On December 18, Iraqis will elect members of the provincial councils, the highest oversight bodies of subnational government and key providers of public services. The elections are the first at the provincial level in over a decade and come in the wake of the 2019 anti-government protests that resulted in the dissolution of the provincial councils following demands from the protesters who accused them of corruption. Recent findings from the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Conflict and Stabilization Monitoring Framework in Nineveh Province reveal that candidates are facing a distrustful electorate that is lacking confidence in state institutions.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

View All Publications