The College of Public and Community Service at UMass Boston hosted an International Conference on “Rebuilding Sustainable Communities in Iraq” from July 23-26, 2007.

Some of the Iraqi political, professional and academic leaders who attended the Conference were:

Tahir Albakaa, a former Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, former President of Al Mustansiriya University in Bagdad, a former member of the Iraqi National Assembly, and a former member of the Constitution Drafting Committee.
Abdul Hadi Al Khalili, a neurosurgeon and the Cultural Attaché at the Iraq Embassy in Washington D.C.
Rajaa Al-khuzai, An Obstetrician and Gynecologist, founder and President of the Iraqi Widows Organization, and a former member of the Iraqi National Assembly & Constitution Drafting Committee.
Mishkat Al Moumin, former Minister of the Environment in the Interim Iraqi Government and currently a Professor at George Mason University in Washington, D.C.
Dawood Atrushi, Vice President of Dohuk University of Kurdistan, Northern Iraq.
Ahmed Dezaye, Director of the Higher Education & Scientific Research Ministry in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Besim Hakim, a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and author of Arabic-Islamic Cities: Building and Planning Principles.
Ferhang Jalal, Senior Economic Advisor for Economic Development in the Prime Minister’s Office of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Mohammad Sadik, President of the University of Salahaddin at Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq.
Fuad Safwat, former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and currently Professor Emeritus of Biology at University of Massachusetts Boston, and a former Professor of Botany at the University of Baghdad, Iraq.
Nada Shabout, a specialist in Arab visual culture and Islamic art and an Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of North Texas.
Riadh Tappuni, former Coordinator of the Iraq Task Force and leader of the Urban Development & Housing Policies Team at the United Nations.

Welcome Addresses
The Conference started with the welcome addresses from the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Dr. Keith Motley, Chancellor and Dr. Paul J. Fonteyn, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs as well as from Dr. Marcellette G. Williams, Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and International Relations, University of Massachusetts President’s Office.

Dean of the University of Massachusetts College of Public and Community Service, Dr. Adenrele Awotona in his opening remarks said, “The central objective of the Conference is to provide an intellectual forum for scholars and practitioners from Iraq and everywhere else in the world, including the U.S., to explore how the reconstruction of Iraq can be carried out in a way that promotes social justice, economic and political sustainability, and the full participation of all stakeholders.” Furthermore, Dr. Awotona noted that the goal of this working Conference would be to create proposals for rebuilding infrastructure, schools, community supports, and the economy in Iraq.

Creating an Action Plan from the Keynote addresses, the more than twenty (20) papers to be presented at the Conference, and panel discussions that included lessons learned from the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast was the work of day four of the Conference. After further refinement by the attendees, final copies of the Action Plans should be ready this fall (October 2007) and would be disseminated among U.S. and Iraqi government policymakers and other stakeholders in the reconstruction effort.

Keynote Speeches
Cultural Attaché of the Iraqi Embassy, Dr. Abdul Hadi Al Khalili delivered the opening Keynote Speech of the Conference. Other Keynote Speakers were: Dr. Rajaa Al Khuzai, President of the Iraqi Council of Women, founder and President of the Iraqi Widows Organization and former member of the Iraqi National Assembly & Constitution Drafting Committee; Dr. Mohammad Sadik, President of Salahaddin University in Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq; Riadh R. Tappuni, an architect, urban planner, and founder and Director of Development and Design International; Besim Hakim, a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a member of the American Institute of Architects, a consultant in urban design and an independent scholar; Diane E. Levin, Professor of Education at Wheelock College in Boston; Sherrie Graham, national workshop leader, educator, published author, newspaper journalist, and women’s business leader.

Dr. Al Khalili gave a striking portrayal of the health crisis brought about by ongoing conflict and told of the severely depleted Iraqi healthcare system. “Since 2003, 3,000 of Iraq’s 34,000 physicians have fled, and lack of modern equipment is a major problem...unable to provide adequate care for the vast numbers of citizens wounded or made ill by the ravages of war.”

Conference Sub-themes
Some Conference sub-themes were:

The role of women in rebuilding communities after disasters: international perspectives and lessons from the Gulf Coast recovery.
The role of early childhood education and family support in rebuilding sustainable communities after disasters.
Sustainable architecture and urban design.
Restoring infrastructure: legal, social, health, economic, small business development, housing and higher education.
Revitalizing communities.
Capacity building through public and private partnerships.
Lessons from the Gulf Coast Recovery and how these could be applied to Iraq were a recurring strand in the Conference agenda.

A number of topics were explored and discussed under each of these sub-themes, including the role of organizations and institutions in defining strategies for sustainable rebuilding of community infrastructure; reversing community disintegration and middle class flight; and rebuilding the manufacturing industries in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Conference participants also addressed the following: the theoretical issues in, and practical approaches to, the rebuilding of sustainable communities after disasters; the social, cultural and technological aspects in the reconstruction of war-torn societies; the role of women in defining the needs of families and children in a post-disaster environment; the basic needs of children and families; the impact of play, media, and violence on the lives of children and families in Iraq; approaches to recreating educational communities for children; the role of the youth in Iraqi reconstruction; the role of higher education in rebuilding sustainable communities; institutionalization models for public planning and policy; the preservation of the arts and archeological heritage; and the prospects and limits of state building in the aftermath of the war in Iraq.

Gerald E. Paulus, a recently returned Army officer from Iraq, suggested the creation of temporary employment camps to carry out local reconstruction projects as an alternative for young Iraqis to taking up arms.

Special committees of Conference experts drew up specific plans of action for the implementation of the visions discussed under each theme. These Action Plans will be used to formulate essential follow-up steps and translate these ideas into practices that guide the actions of tomorrow.

Observations
Conference participants made the following general observations:

As we develop the wisdom to restore “HOPE” in Iraq, this Conference on Rebuilding Sustainable Communities in Iraq is a wonderful start. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first academic Conference where senior political, professional and academic leaders from Iraqi have met with their counterparts from around the world (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, U.S, etc.) to discuss and consider the wide range of issues affecting the sustainable reconstruction of Iraqi communities within the context of a social justice agenda.

Much good work has been done by the various agencies in Iraq and directions for future interventions were identified by the Conference; however, the scope and depth of the task to rebuild Iraq is massive and will be protracted. Moreover, post-war rebuilding is far from a systemized process. Our Conference is but a beginning.
The pain is raw. The war and suffering must end…in order to rebuild. “When you don’t have safety and security, it’s very hard to rebuild,” said Tahir Albakaa, now a visiting scholar at Suffolk University. “The professors and doctors become a target. Since April 2003, there have been 230 professors and 347 students killed.”

We know about building resilience in children. Even so, what can be done to sustain or rebuild resilience in adults who were born into war as children and are still surrounded by violence and instability as parents?

Economic conditions in Iraq have nearly collapsed in the major cities. Strong measures should be taken by the Iraqi government and donor countries to create jobs, hope, and opportunities for the Iraqi people, in addition to the important matter of security.

Successes and mistakes in the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan should be appropriately applied in Iraq.

Once security is in place, the positive rebuilding experience of the Kurdistan Region could be replicated in the other regions of Iraq. President of Kurdistan’s Salahaddin University, Dr. Mohammad Sadik, and Ahmed Dezaye, a Kurdistan government official, spoke of the growth of higher education in Kurdistan, home to just one university in 1991, but six today. Salahaddin has 18,000 students with a relatively equivalent male-female student ratio.

This Conference has shed light on some of the realities of life in Iraq today. Through their thoughtful presentations of many different perspectives, Conference participants have brought into sharp focus the challenges to be faced and overcome as the process of healing and rebuilding takes place.

The Conference is a great beginning. Now, we need to take our ideas and put them into action.

Participants recognize and commend the participation and involvement of students in the Conference.

Sustainable communities are built with leadership, commitment, collaboration, and partnership. We all belong to one world in which every day we are faced with change, asking each of us to draw upon our own spiritual knowledge, attitude, and resiliency to move forward. Leadership must help us see our commonalities, similarities, and common hopes and dreams. Leaders that do so become our lanterns. They guide us on our way through the dark passages and bring us to consensus. Successful reconstruction efforts in Iraq need men and women of vision as leaders at all levels of the society, from grassroots organizations to the national plane.

Key Recommendations
Conference participants made the following major recommendations:

Community rebuilding in Iraq must occur bottom up as well as top down in order to ensure that post-conflict reconstruction projects meet the physical, cultural, social, economic and psychological needs of the Iraqi people;

The Iraqi Government and the various major bilateral and multilateral agencies engaged in rebuilding communities in Iraq should support initiatives targeted toward specific populations at risk, for example: displaced children and their families, women, and the elderly; NGOs like the widow’s organization; organizers of the Healthy House Initiative; people who are wholly dependent on community-based education; foster parent programs to support displaced children; training and mentoring for parent support on health, education, and children’s welfare issues; and those with disabilities to ensure their safety and full participation in the development of their communities;

U.S. institutions of higher learning should be encouraged to form partnerships with their counterparts in Iraq and facilitate collaborative research activities and faculty/student exchange programs in order to contribute successfully to the urgent and necessary task of capacity rebuilding. During the on-going period of conflict and crisis, all Iraqi students and college-bound education majors must develop critical thinking and organization skills to enable them to become knowledgeable about survival techniques. Major investments and initiatives for the national rebuilding process should begin in the safe areas of Iraq such as the Kurdistan region. At the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, the travel of Iraqi scholars to the United States should be made easier by streamlining the visa issuing process for entry into the U.S.;

In order to accommodate the social and cultural dimensions of Iraqi communities, the process of rebuilding sustainable communities in Iraq should involve the active participation of the Iraqi people in partnership with those in the building industry;

The role of women in the society and the importance of keeping families intact to rebuild the infrastructure have now become both urgent and critical. The impact of violence and media on children has been devastating. Dr. Rajaa Al-Khuzai spoke about her Iraqi Widows Organization, which has provided women with sustainable alternatives by making small microfinance loans and offering skills training in areas like sewing, flower arrangement, and handicraft production.

The Iraqi government and donor countries must provide funds for humanitarian projects, like “Rebuilding Healthy Communities,” to assist displaced Iraqi refugees and to provide skills training for those living in poverty, so that they may become self-supporting. Two (2) million Iraqi refugees are internally displaced and four (4) million are in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and elsewhere;

A program which addresses capacity building for cultural heritage management should be instituted as a matter of top priority. There is an urgent need for the Iraqi government and other relevant agencies to initiate innovative projects for the restoration, conservation and preservation of the country's ancient sites, monuments, antiquities, museums, libraries, cultural institutions, damaged cultural heritage (artifacts, art, books, manuscripts, and archival materials), and the nation’s archeological inheritance.

Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters
This Conference led to the creation of the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters, which will address how to rebuild sustainable communities after all types of disasters. It will organize annual conferences/workshops which will focus on a different issue each year starting with Children and Families in 2008. The new Center, which is affiliated to the College of Public and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will work closely with researchers, academics, policymakers and organizations across the globe to determine how select communities can be rebuilt after natural and man-made disasters that include wars, pollution, and poverty.

Venue for the Next Conference
Dean Adenrele Awotona of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Dr. Mohammad Sadik, President of Salahaddin University, Erbil Iraq, jointly announced that the September 2008 Second International Conference on “Rebuilding Sustainable Communities in Iraq” will be held in Erbil, Kurdistan Iraq.

Conclusion
Dean Adenrele Awotona gave special thanks to the Curtis International Fund of the Boston Foundation for its support.

Dr. Awotona thanked the people and organizations, who contributed to the successful outcome of the Conference. These included:

Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, Boston, Massachusetts

Early Childhood Associates, Inc., Framingham, Massachusetts

Isabel Coletti, Manager
Patricia Devine, Senior Research & Development
Maia Hurley, Researcher & Policy Analyst
Karen Tewhey
Linda Warren, President

Sodexho Catering, University of Massachusetts Boston

Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts

Tahir Albakaa, Visiting Scholar

Kurdistan Planners Associates, Iraq

Hoshiar Nooraddin, President

The Comfort Inn, Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts

Peter Adams, Director of Communication and Information Technology, College of Public and Community Service
Suzanne Allmendinger, Director of Community Outreach, College of Public and Community Service
Heather Batherwich, Asst. to the Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Paul Breslin, Quinn Graphics Production Supervisor, Central Reprographics
Darrel Byers, Vice Chancellor, University Advancement
Michael Collins, former Chancellor, Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences University of Massachusetts and interim Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Worcester
Nannette Cormier, Vice Chancellor for Corporations and Foundations, University Advancement
Rose Coveney, Sr. Graphic Designer, University Communications and Community Relations
Patrick Day, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Christine DePalma, Communications Coordinator, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
John Drew, Sr. Associate Director of Admissions, Office of Undergraduate Admissions Soma Dutt, Research Assistant, College of Public and Community Service
Paul Fonteyn, Provost and Sr. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Terrence Flynn, Asst. Dean for Administration and Finance, College of Public and Community Service
Edward Hayward, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for University Communications, University Communications & Community Relations
Christopher Hogan, Chief of Staff, Chancellor’s Office
Jon Hutton, Director of Enrollment Information Services, Office of Enrollment Management
Lisa Johnson, Assoc. Vice Chancellor, Office of Enrollment Management
Anne-Marie Kent, Sr. Staff Writer, University Communications and Community Relations Will Kilburn, Assistant Director of Public Information and Public Relations
Winston Langley, Associate Provost
Martha London, Major Gifts Officer, University Advancement
Mary Lu Love, Director of Project Boston Ready, Institute for Community Inclusion
Margaret E. McNamara, former Asst. Vice Chancellor, Corporations & Foundations, University Advancement
Thijs Messelaar, Coordinator of Enrollment Marketing, Office of Enrollment Management
Cheryl Monahan, Asst. Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Undergraduate Admissions
J. Keith Motley, Chancellor
Stephanie Murguia, Executive Assistant to the Dean
Philip O’Donnell, Director, Public Safety
Joan Parker, Human Services Principal Tutor, College of Public and Community Service
Judith Roberts, Asst. to the Dean for Special Projects, College of Public and Community Service
Fuad Safwat, Biology, Professor Emeritus and former Provost
Stanley Stewart, Public Safety Special Services, Sergeant Detective Special Supervisor
Su Theriault, Institute for Community Inclusion
Charlie Titus, Vice Chancellor, Division of Athletics and Recreation, Special Projects and Programs
Lauren Tredeau, Scheduling and Event Logistics Manager, Campus Center Operations
Lisa Van Thiel, Senior Early Childhood Specialist, Institute for Community Inclusion
Sarah Weatherbee, Art Director, Marketing and Communications

University of Massachusetts President’s Office

Marcellette Williams, Sr. Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and International Relations

Dean Awotona acknowledged the many who also had worked so tirelessly on this Conference.

University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, MA
July 26, 2007

An international conference on

Rebuilding sustainable communities in Iraq: policies, programs and projects

July 23-26, 2007

College of Public and Community Service University of Massachusetts at Boston

CPCS Conference Creates “Action Plans” for Rebuilding Iraq

College of Public and Community Service
University of Massachusetts at Boston