Protecting civilians in Iraq

Every day, civilians suffer in violent conflicts attacked by armed forces, militias and rebel groups. These attacks have left many dead or injured, and caused millions to be forcibly displaced. However, most attempts to address these issues are done by influencing conflict parties to cease attacks on civilians, instead of enhancing the protection of civilians in places affected by violent conflict. In this episode, we discuss the Global Public Policy Institute’s report on preventive protection efforts that hinder future harms rather than mitigating the effects of past violations, “The logic of protection approaches: Four models to safeguard civilians from harm”, and what can be done to increase protection of civilian, using examples from Iraq. We are joined by: Julia Steets, Director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, Germany. Zmkan Ali, Research Director at the Institute of Regional and International Studies at the American University in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.