#MediaforPeace: Iraqi youth tell stories of social cohesion through filmmaking

Inside the QAF Media Lab, an innovation hub in the heart of Mosul where youth can fuse their skills and talent to pursue their passion, 29 young men and women participated in documentary film production and storytelling training. They had an intensive training by Leslie Knott, an international filmmaker with a wide range of experience in documentary film production. Based on the skills and knowledge they gained from the training the participants themselves, produced a series of documentaries to promote peace and strengthen social cohesion among their communities. In the end, these documentaries were widely shared with the people in Nineveh and beyond through events and social media platforms.

In total, ten documentary films were produced by all participants. One of these documentaries is "Noor's Journey," which talks about the journey of a Christian girl discovering the beauty of the diversity and different religions in Nineveh. To film this episode, several participants visited Lalish Temple, a holy place for the Yezidi community that symbolises peace and strength, especially after the damages caused by ISIS in 2014. The production of this film itself is a powerful message of youths' role in building peace and unity.

As the youth of Nineveh lead the efforts in promoting peace and unity, their dedication gives hope for a better future based on understanding and coming together. By sharing their stories, they support in starting important conversations and bring communities closer.

The media for peace campaign was launched by GIZ in collaboration with the World Bank, Innovation and Insight (IN2) communication company, and Radio Al Ghad, a local radio station with the biggest audience volume in the Nineveh Governorate.