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Dear friends,
Please read on for the Free Yezidi Foundation's news and updates for the month of November.
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FYF PURSUIT OF JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY
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The Free Yezidi Foundation has been engaged in the pursuit of justice and accountability in the aftermath of the Yezidi Genocide for several years. This painstaking effort is done in a confidential manner, to protect the rights of survivors and the safety of team members. Below are some public-facing meetings and developments that we can share.
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This month FYF's lead investigator and justice project co-manager in the field, Ms. Waheeda Omer, received her investigator's certificate from the prestigious Institute for International Criminal Investigators (IICI) in The Hague, Netherlands. The IICI is a renowned global center for international crime investigation training. Waheeda is a young Yezidi professional from Sinjar, and she has been progressively growing within FYF's justice team for years. She successfully applied for a scholarship to attend the IICI training, and is the only Yezidi from Iraq to complete this course (to our knowledge). Waheeda self-funded her trip, and we applaud her dedication and commitment to learning and advancing justice for the Yezidi people.
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In late November FYF Executive Director Pari Ibrahim met with US Ambassador Beth Van Schaack. Ambassador Van Schaack heads up the State Department's Global Criminal Justice office, which funds much of FYF's justice work. She has been a great advocate for justice in the aftermath of the Yezidi Genocide.
Separately, Pari met with the head of UNITAD, Special Advisor Christian Ritscher. UNITAD is the UN mechanism developed to pursue justice and accountability for ISIS atrocities. FYF works very closely with UNITAD, meeting regularly at field and headquarters levels. In the meeting, FYF reviewed progress and challenges in the pursuit of justice.
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FYF also works closely with IIIM, the mechanism developed by the UN to investigate crimes committed in Syria. Many of the human rights violations committed against Yezidis occurred within Syria. IIIM recently published a detailed gender strategy and implementation plan, created after consultations with a number of civil society actors. As a women-led organization, FYF was pleased to offer views on gender and justice, which were reflected in the strategy. You can view the IIIM strategy document here.
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Waheeda Omer completes IICI training, FYF meetings with Ambassador Van Schaack & SASG Ritscher, IIIM gender strategy
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FYF CRAFTS ARE TOP SELLERS AT US CONSULATE HOLIDAY BAZAAR
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The US Consulate in Erbil holds a holiday bazaar every year for local artisans to market their products. Once again the Free Yezidi Foundation presented hand-crafted Yezidi items at the bazaar, including carpets, blankets, and Chonky stuffed animals. Our team collected $2,732 in sales this year! FYF uses a small portion of sales to pay for the operational and material expenses at the Enterprise & Training Center, while the lion's share of the proceeds go to the artisans themselves. FYF also participated in an event held by UNHCR in Erbil (pictured below). We are proud to support great Yezidi women artisans!
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FYF HOLIDAY SEASON & GIVING TUESDAY DRIVE
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As the holiday season approaches, we ask friends and allies to consider supporting FYF. As FYF implements grants from governments and aid agencies, unrestricted support is immensely helpful to civil society organizations such as FYF. It helps to fund the operations, programs, and financial teams that ensure all initiatives and efforts run smoothly and effectively. If you plan on making an end-of-year charitable donation during the holiday season, we ask that you please consider the Free Yezidi Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States and the Netherlands.
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Did you know FYF began with 300 Euro in Amsterdam in 2014, but now employs more than 100 people? To make sure our work focuses on field implementation, 92% of the team is field-based. To ensure we remain a community-led organization, 88% of the team members are Yezidi. As a women-led NGO, it is important that women are represented at all levels of the organization. Outside of support staff, such as guards, cleaners, and drivers, 82% of FYF's team members are women.
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Thank you all, as always, for keeping up with our news and work, and for your steadfast support of FYF and the Yezidi community.
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Sincerely,
Pari Ibrahim
Executive Director
Free Yezidi Foundation
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