The International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) at the DePaul University College of Law has received $5.1 million in new grants to fund human rights and education programs in Iraq. The funding supports three programs developed to reform legal education, train local human rights groups and empower young women leaders. The grants were awarded by the Bureau of Human Rights Labor and Democracy and the Office of International Women’s Issues of the U.S. Department of State. The combined grants are among the largest awards ever received by the College of Law as well as by the university.

“These projects are designed to advance post-conflict rebuilding efforts in Iraq,” said Charles E. Tucker Jr., executive director of the institute. “We are pleased to receive such substantial  funding because it allows us to make a positive difference in a country at an important transitional moment.”

The first initiative runs for two years and provides training and capacity building  to local human rights groups. The program will help these organizations improve their human rights  documentation and analysis skills to develop a network of professional human rights defenders throughout Iraq.

The second program offers support for education reform in a number of Iraqi law schools. The institute will work cooperatively with law schools at Salahaddin University in Irbil, the University of Kufa and the University of Babil, both located in Hilla. The program will help create new courses on international human rights and global legal issues; integrate participatory education into Iraqi law schools; improve libraries and legal research; host national conferences, and prepare and publish material on human rights, rule of law and transitional justice issues. 

The third project runs for two years and will empower young Iraqi women to become leaders through capacity building, trainings and educational programs. The institute will establish a  mentorship program that links law and professional students with established professional Iraqi women to work on human rights advocacy, combat domestic violence and increase women’s political participation. The program also will establish a network of women leaders and publish a handbook on women’s rights advocacy in Iraq.  

IHRLI, which was established by the DePaul University College of Law in 1990, has worked in Iraq since 2004 on human rights training, post-conflict justice programs and large-scale human rights violation documentation. The latest grants will help IHRLI expand these efforts. “These new programs build on IHRLI’s work in Iraq over the past several years,” said Daniel Rothenberg, managing director of international projects at IHRLI. “Our organization has had the privilege of working closely with Iraqi partners on various programs and we look forward to continuing to support the defense of human rights in Iraq.”

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