sulaimani forum 2017

The Forum, hosted on March 8-9, 2017, allowed for a candid and free exchange of ideas on issues of critical importance for the future of Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region through several panel debates as well as one-to-one conversations with distinguished speakers. Over 500 guests from Iraq and all over the world convened on the AUIS campus to participate in these discussions on a wide range of topics from the unprecedented human cost of the ongoing war against Da’esh to the prospects of sustainable reform in Iraq’s governance structure. “It is a unique forum in this region with this rich, honest dialogue,”                                                              Tamara Cofman Wittes, Brookings Institution The Forum was attended by national and regional political leaders as well as current and former ministers, diplomats, and senior officials from the European Union, United States and the Middle East. Guests and participants also included representatives from the world of academia and research, led by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University. Correspondents from CNN, BBC, Politico, Economist, New Yorker, NPR, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Al-Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as major Iraqi and Kurdish outlets also attended. Highlights of the Forum included a keynote address and exclusive interview with H.E. Dr. Haider Al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq; a conversation on Iraq’s prospects for governance reform with Professor Francis Fukuyama, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University and Dr. Barham Salih, founder of AUIS and member of the University’s Board of Trustees; and an update on the Mosul operation with the Head of Counter Terrorism Services of the Iraqi Security Forces, General Talib Shaghati. "It is probably the foremost event like this in the entire region. It's really become the Davos of the Middle East"                                                                                                                             Kenneth Pollack, Brookings Institution  The action surrounding the Forum was not confined to the event venue. A lively discussion of the conference took place on Twitter, as panelists, guests, and students took to the social media, sending more than 3,000 tweets with the hashtag #SuliForum causing the event to trend in Iraq, reaching around 6 million people on Twitter, and generating 65 million potential impressions. "It strikes me as a very unique event [...] It's kind of the gold standard where you get to see a place which is many ways totally different than the conventional wisdom back in Washington."                                                                                        Sussan Glasser, Politico Conference proceedings are available online and in print. Please email [email protected] to request a print copy. The online version can be downloaded on this link. The panel discussions are available on our YouTube channel. View and download high resolution photos on our Flickr page.

The Forum will host panels on a diverse range of issues, from the current crises in Iraq and Syria and the struggle against Daesh, to the requirements for long-term, durable peace and stability. March 6, 2017 - Sulaimani (KRG), Iraq  – The fifth annual Sulaimani Forum will take place on March 8-9, 2017 at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani under the title Beyond Daesh: Ending the Cycle of Conflicts, Toward Durable Solutions. More than 400 participants from Iraq, Kurdistan, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the United States will attend eight panel discussions over two days to discuss the current challenges and long term solutions for the Middle East.   The central theme of this year’s Forum calls on government leaders, international experts and commentators to discuss the immediate challenges in Iraq and Syria, but also to move the discussion beyond the current challenges to consider solutions that have long term impact on the region's stability and prosperity. The panel discussions will focus on a diverse range of fundamental issues that are hampering states of the region from meeting their full potential: humanitarian crisis; good governance; investment and growth; institutional development; education and innovation; and inter-faith dialogue. Confirmed speakers and guests include former and current ministers, senior officials, and the leading analysts, scholars, sector leaders and journalists from the Middle East and North Africa region, Europe and the United States. A few of our featured analysts and academics include Francis Fukuyama (Stanford University), Jon Alterman (Center for Strategic and International Studies), David Miliband (International Rescue Committee), Henri Barkey (Wilson Center), Sir John Jenkins (Institute of International and Strategic Studies), Tamara Cofman Wittes (Brookings Institution), Carl Gershman (National Endowment of Democracy), and senior commentators from international media outlets: Peter Bergen (CNN), Lyse Doucet (BBC), Jane Arraf (NPR), Mina Al-Oraibi, and Susan Glasser (Politico) among many others. The complete list of our featured guests and the program for the two days will be available on our website at www.auis.edu.krd/sulaimaniforum.    Notes to Editors: Visit our website: http://auis.edu.krd/sulaimaniforum Live webcast: http://auis.edu.krd/sulaimaniforum/live-stream Become a Facebook fan: @thesulaumaniforum; @auisofficial; @irismideast Follow us on Twitter: @AUIS_NEWS; @IRISMideast; #SuliForum Download the Sulaimani Forum app: iOS | Android Access our photo archive on Flickr: http://bit.ly/2maisbD Watch previous Sulaimani Forum sessions: http://bit.ly/2n1z2YL For media inquiries, please contact Bzhar Boskani, AUIS Public Relations & Media Manager, at [email protected] or (964) 770-152-1893. For more information about the Forum, please send your inquiries to [email protected]