MERI's Report Protecting Minorities' Rights in the Kurdistan Region'
12 October 2015 / Publication Ensuring the Protection of Minorities' within the Kurdistan Region
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) should be proud of its reputation as a guardian of minorities, providing at risk groups with security and shelter. However, despite its rich social tapestry, the political system within the KRI does not reflect its diversity. In order to give minorities a stronger voice in the KRI, this diverse ethno-religious constituency requires true representation in governance and civic life. This was reiterated in a meeting marking the launch of the Middle East Research Institute’s (MERI) report titled “Protecting Minorities’ Rights in the Kurdistan Region: A Tailor-Made Model” on Thursday 8 October.
13 October 2015 / Announcement "The Future of Kurdistan" in a Brookings Institution event
The Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution is hosting a special event in Washington DC for Professor Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, the Founding President of The Middle East Research Institute (MERI), and Samuel Morris, a Research Fellow at MERI, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Iraq’s Kurds. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm at The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington DC.
10 October 2015 / Announcement Mark your diary for MERI Forum 2015: 3 - 5 November 2015 - Erbil
Building on last year’s highly successful forum, MERI Forum 2015 will bring together policy- and decision-makers, academics and opinion-leaders to "Share Visions for the Future of the Middle East". Over the course of three days, the conference will aim to provide a platform for dialogue and reconciliation, providing creative and constructive answers to a range of policy issues. Last year’s Forum was a significant event as it brought together the President of Iraq and Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, combined with the current and former Prime Ministers from the KRG, who sat down to debate current political, social and economic developments. Details and photos of last year’s event can be found on our website.
The Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran to Erbil at MERI
7 October 2015 / Meetings Iran's Consul General at MERI: Your work is appreciated
“We are delighted about the existence of such a prestigious institute [MERI] in Kurdistan that conducts rigorous research and attempts to bring together the different key actors at different levels,” said Mr. Murtaza Abbadi, the Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Erbil in a visit to the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) on Tuesday, 29 September 2015. During the visit, Mr. Abbadi noted that, “Iran find it in its interest for Kurdistan Region to be stable and prosperous. Iran was the first country to come to the assistance of the Kurdistan Region during the war on ISIS.” He also expressed his enthusiasm to facilitiate MERI’s engagement with its counterparts in Iraq, particularly the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS).
Dr. Jennifer Coolidge & Ms Vicki Aken (Right-to-left)
7 October 2015 / Meetings Big Heart Foundation and MERI, at the crossroad for a better humanitarian response
“We are looking forward to making a positive contribution to the humanitarian plights in the Kurdistan Region and particularly in the host communities” said Dr Jennifer Coolidge, President of Big Heart Foundation (BHF) during a meeting with a MERI team on Thursday October 1. Leading a fact finding mission, Dr Jennifer Coolidge was accompanied by Laura Jacoby, Iraq Country Director, and Vicki Aken. The delegation was keen to hear MERI’s insights into the complex context of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the challenges to addressing the needs of the displaced populations. MERI’s research on building resilience among displaced and host communities was a particular topic of discussion, as both parts agreed on the need to propose durable solutions for the humanitarian response.
The Middle East Research Institute (MERI) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, focused on policy issues relating to the people, the land and the system of governance in the Middle East in general, and Kurdistan and Iraq in particular. It is based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
CONTACT US
Middle East Research Institute (MERI)
Dream City, Erbil
Kurdistan Region, Iraq
E: *|info@meri-k.org|*
T: +964 (0) 662649690
