The final training for the 2017/2018 class of Iraq Leadership Fellows took place from 22^nd to 24^th June 2018 at the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani. Fellows worked in groups to refine the advocacy campaigns they had developed throughout the fellowship in preparation for launching the campaigns. The mapped the stakeholders who could have an influence on the outcome of their campaigns and developed concise and persuasive messaging. The training deeply explored the different types of narrative that can be used as a basis for effective communication and persuasion, and Fellows practiced using these different techniques. The Fellows then engaged in self-reflection about their leadership styles and how they could be improved in order to gain support from relevant constituencies. The Fellows are now actively engaged in a broad range of advocacy campaigns including to discourage underage marriage, to provide vocational training, to reform the Iraqi education system, to enhance minority representation in parliament, and to bring about electoral reform. You can learn more about the campaigns here [Link to Campaigns page].

The Fellows also had the opportunity to meet with a senior figure from Goran, a Kurdish political party, who discussed with them the elements of the campaign that Goran recently mounted to bring about a partial recount of the results of the 2018 parliamentary elections.