Introduction of Haukari e.V.

HAUKARI – Association for International Co-operation was founded in 1995 and has been registered as a charity organisation in Frankfurt/Germany in the areas of development co-operation and intercultural dialogue. Several founding members of HAUKARI had been working with international aid organisations in Northern Iraq since 1991. In 1995 international attention for the situation in Iraq was decreasing while massive human rights violations in Iraq continued and the economic and social situation of Iraqi people deteriorated. In the Kurdish administered North efforts made in 1991 to from a regional government turned into internal fighting, exposing the population again to war, violence and displacement. In this situation HAUKAI e.V. was founded to advocate for a political solution by informing in public meetings, conferences and publications in Germany and in the same time support local non-partisan local partners active in the sector of women education, preventive health and assistance to victims of war and violence in the north of Iraq.

Since its inception, HAUKARI informs on the situation in Iraq by publications, photo exhibition shown in several German cities, participation in conferences, media statement and research. A book on the consequences of the humanitarian intervention in Northern Iraq in 1991 and the UN sanctions in the region was published in 2002. During 2003 HAUKARI was frequently present in German media with interviews on the actual developments in Iraq and articles on human rights issues. At present a research on the psychosocial situation of Anfal surviving women in the Germian region is being prepared for publication, another research on the international reception of the crimes of the Ba’ath-regime with focus on the Anfal-operations is in progress.

In Northern Iraq HAUKARI continues to support local partners in the sector of women education, preventive health and assistance to victims of violence. With the removal of the Ba’ath-regime the perspective of reunification of the Kurdish administered areas with Central and Southern Iraq and of a multi-ethnic democratic national process is open. HAUKARI and local partners have extended their work to provinces beyond the Kurdish administered region such as Khanaquin/Baqooba, Tuz Khurmatu/Tikrit and are committed to promote multi-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation throughout Iraq.
Main activities supported by HAUKARI at present are the preventive health works of the Kurdistan Health Foundation (KHF) in rural areas actually extended to critical areas with ethnic tensions and the support of multiethnic women counselling teams in Khanaquin, a city exhibiting severe tension between Arab, Turkmen and Kurdish communities. HAUKARI continues its support to KHANZAD women centre in Sulaimania offering education and counselling to women and assisting victims of violence and female prisoners.
Starting from December 2003 HAUKARI has set up a counselling centre for victims of political violence in the city of Tuz Khurmatu and funded and trained a documentation team gathering audiovisual testimonies of survivors of past crimes.
HAUKARI supports non-partisan civil society structures oriented towards a multiethnic democratic Iraq with gender equality as a decisive criteria. Most projects are designed with and implemented by local partners where HAUKARI provides consultation and funding. For the counselling program presented here, HAUKARI takes ownership for the initial phase of a project until local structures are strengthened and then hands over responsibility after a time. In its activities, HAUKARI takes cares to avoid duplication and/or parallel structures in the public sector. Local salaries are matched with salaries in the public sector in order to prevent an exodus of professionals from governmental and public sectors.

Kifri

All activities are coordinated with the local authorities (the Kurdish regional governments, the Iraqi government) as well as with traditional structures such as tribal elders, village councils etc.
HAUKARI is registered as a charity organisation with the Kurdish regional government and is currently seeking authorisation with the Iraqi government. At present, HAUKARI is also co-ordinating with UN-structures in the project areas.