In Iraq, a lack of truth, recognition, and action in relation to an estimated 250,000 - 1 million people who have disappeared over the last 30 years has affected Iraqis of different backgrounds and generations. To address this, the Symbolic Reparations project from August 2023 - May 2024 was implemented by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) in partnership with Burj Babel for Media Development, a NGO based in Baghdad. The project was supported by German Cooperation and SILM. It began by collecting stories, where five enumerators visited the families of the disappeared to interview them, gathering emotional accounts and documenting the victims' lives and memories as seen by their families. These interviews were compiled and analyzed into a comprehensive report, which served as the foundation for the project's second phase: journalistic and artistic production.
In this phase, the project supported 10 artists and 10 journalists/writers from six governorates (Baghdad, Salah Al Din, Diyala, Anbar, Kirkuk, and Basra). Each participant received a stipend to produce journalistic, literary, and artistic works, including posters, all centered on the same topic. Over four months, each participant created two pieces of work, resulting in 22 artworks, 20 literary pieces, and 5 journalistic productions under the hashtag #ماـناسيكم.
Additionally, Burj Babel for Media Development designed and executed a social media awareness campaign under the same hashtag. This campaign featured five short videos, produced and filmed by Burj Babel, highlighting the families of the disappeared from the respective governorates. These videos were shared and published across six different social media platforms, raising awareness and keeping the memory of the disappeared alive.
On May 23rd, Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) held "The Candles of Khidir" exhibition in Baghdad, Iraq. This event marked the culmination of the "Beloved: Symbolic Reparations for the Disappeared'' project. The exhibition featured the works of 20 artists and writers, aiming to provide symbolic reparations for the families of missing persons through storytelling and artistic expression.
The objective of this event was to raise awareness about enforced disappearances in Iraq through the powerful medium of art, giving a voice to the voiceless and shedding light on this pressing issue. A highlight of the exhibition was a poster contest, where visitors voted for their favorite of 15 posters, resulting in prizes for the top three entries. The event hosted parliament members, affected families, and others interested in the topic, fostering personal discussions and ways to solutions.
The media has been deficient in covering the issue of the missing and forcibly disappeared, and there is a genuine need to raise awareness about this matter among the members of society. Therefore, I support the establishment of such art exhibitions aimed at raising awareness about the issue."
Suad Abdel Jabbar - Assistant Director of the Directorate of Martyrs, Wounded, and Missing.
The quest for truth, justice and reparation looks different for each family, but what unites them is their shared struggle and their vision for a more free, safe, and cohesive society.
Top three poster winners:
1st - Mariam Saad (Baghdad)
2nd - Mustafa Layth (Baghdad)
3rd Othman Altamimi (Anbar)
