On Thursday, July 24, at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative, in partnership with the Free Yezidi Foundation, will host an event to mark the eleven-year commemoration of the Yezidi genocide.

This conversation will focus on what remains to be done after more than a decade of challenges in supporting the recovery of the Yezidi community following the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in 2014. Yezidi civil society leaders and US officials will discuss progress, setbacks, and next steps.

While ISIS has been militarily defeated, the Yezidis continue to face significant obstacles in overcoming individual and collective trauma, protracted displacement, socioeconomic marginalization, and a glaring lack of justice and accountability. The session will examine how the international community, including the United States, can support the Yezidi people in their journey toward healing and justice.

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Send our speakers a question—it may be featured during the event.

Opening remarks

William Wechsler
Senior Director, Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs
Atlantic Council

Speakers

Kurt Werthmuller
Deputy Director of Research and Policy
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)

Pari Ibrahim
Executive Director & Founder
Free Yezidi Foundation

Murad Ismael
President and Co-Founder,
Sinjar Academy

Moderated by

Elizabeth Hagedorn
State Department correspondent
Al-Monitor

In partnership with

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The Iraq Initiative provides transatlantic and regional policymakers with unique perspectives and analysis on the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing Iraq as the country tries to build an inclusive political system, attract economic investment, and encourage a vibrant civil society.

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