Yesterday we went on a trip to
Choman to open the
Youth Culture Center. It was a great success and a great day. The youth in
Choman are very enlightened, proud and active. The center consist of a small library, a cinema a complete gym and cafeteria. Everybody work there independent of belonging and without salary. They do it to serve the youth in their area.
Choman is a city that has had big importance in the history of Kurdish struggle. It is a incredibly beautiful city close to Eastern Kurdistan. It is surrounded by mountain chain where on is the highest in south Kurdistan, Halgurd mountain.
The work we perform are unlike what have until now been done in Kurdistan and Iraq. All of our projects main criteria is that the projects are independent from religion and political belonging. This is what has caused serious problems here. We focus on youth empowerment and capacity building.
Not so comfortable but very secure =)
Entrance to
Choman Youth Culture Center.
Choman Youth Center theater group.
Part of
Choman Youth Center theater group and one of our staff that did not want to be on my blog. They had a special request, wireless mini microphones and sound system for their shows. Another request that was presented in the seminar that was held was a Radio station.
The lunch was not one minute to late. We had to wait until it was barbecued of
course.
Start of a trip with amazing views, new projects and historical places.
World most beautiful sports stadium with surroundings? This is a big panorama picture that did not fit here.
The mountain passes are just breathtaking. But the view from the top of the mountains are can not be described by word and picture can not even represent a small fraction of the feeling.
We visited this village high up in the mountains. Here people are living like they have done for many years. Villages like this with preserved cultural and historical objects are few. This is because of Saddam’s Anfal
campaign where he wanted to eliminate the Kurds for ever.
Girls in
Kurdish cloths seem to be popular.
The magnificent “Two Brother” rocks. A couple of hundred meters down this valley there is a nice river. Maybe this will be an adventurous tourist place in the future.
Close to this place is a historical bunker with underground tunnels. It was the political center and where
Mustafa Barzani performed all his work from, in the late 6o:s.
A educational summer camp will be held in Kurdistan open for all Kurds, especially for Kurds from the diaspora this summer. Those who like to experience this in real life should participate.
On the way to Choman
Driving higher and higher. The cars got stuck badly 2 times.
This area is still partly a minefield. Some organizations has been working with clearing minefield areas in Kurdistan. The areas around the borders and around Kirkuk are the worst and you still see a lot of these signs. Choman is a important and historical place in the history of Kurdish war. This was also a military heavy occupied area during the Iraq and Iran war.
A part of Choman city.
Choman culture house that is one of our projects.
The waterfall you saw a couple of posts ago.
I saw some nice puppies on our way and wanted to take this one with me but i do not have the time for it. I will do it next time.
Today was the end of the English course held for students at Salahaddin Economical University and they received their diplomas.
