The scene in Iraq is most troubling; and further failure therein – especially failure in sustainable reconstruction – will compound the tragedy and bring grievous harm to too many: in Iraq, the United States, the Middle East and the Western world. Yet, the current efforts at reconstruction cannot succeed -- as we seem to be making many of the same mistakes that were made post-invasion. Simply put, a national occupying power cannot reconstruct a massive societal vacuum by working only top down. Reconstruction is not the simple reversal of destruction. Sustainability requires serious localized reconstitution of localized community infrastructure. Accordingly, in order to explore how Iraqi communities could be rebuilt in a manner that promotes social justice, economic and political sustainability, and the full participation of all stakeholders, the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, USA, hosted a four-day international conference of Iraqi and international scholars and practitioners in July 2007. This volume collects some of the papers that were presented at the conference. Amongst the topics that the contributing authors have explored are the following: the role of organizations and institutions in defining strategies for sustainable rebuilding of community; rebuilding the Iraqi Oil Industry; and, successful project strategies in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The book concludes with a presentation of a number of international perspectives and their lessons for Iraq. These studies spring from Afghanistan, the United States of America and Africa.

Scholars at the University of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have spent the past decade exploring peace and conflict studies, and have established the field's only degree-granting program in Iraq. In 2012-2013, students and professors from the University of Duhok and New York University met to design and conduct peace research in the KRI. Finding Peace in Iraq is one result of their work. These collaborative studies offer valuable knowledge related to peacebuilding in different dimensions: economics; resource management; minority and gender inclusion; education and religion. This research represents an important step in reframing relationships between a generation of Americans and Iraqis who have known nothing but isolation and separation from each other.

M. Hakan Yavuz offers an insightful and wide-ranging study of the Gulen Movement, one of the most controversial developments in contemporary Islam. Founded in Turkey by the Muslim thinker Fethullah Gulen, the Gulen Movement aims to disseminate a ''moderate'' interpretation of Islam through faith-based education. Its activities have fundamentally altered religious and political discourse in Turkey in recent decades, and its schools and other institutions have been established throughout Central Asia and the Balkans, as well as western Europe and North America. Consequently, its goals and modus operandi have come under increasing scrutiny around the world. Yavuz introduces readers to the movement, its leader, its philosophies, and its practical applications. After recounting Gulen's personal history, he analyzes Gulen's theological outlook, the structure of the movement, its educational premise and promise, its financial structure, and its contributions (particularly to debates in the Turkish public sphere), its scientific outlook, and its role in interfaith dialogue. Towards an Islamic Enlightenment shows the many facets of the movement, arguing that it is marked by an identity paradox: despite its tremendous contribution to the introduction of a moderate, peaceful, and modern Islamic outlook-so different from the Iranian or Saudi forms of radical and political Islam-the Gulen Movement is at once liberal and communitarian, provoking both hope and fear in its works and influence.

Current Issues in Kurdish Linguistics contains ten contributions which span the field of Kurdish linguistics, both in terms of geography and in terms of the range of topics. Along with several works on Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) and Sorani (Central Kurdish), two chapters shed light on the lesser-known Southern Kurdish language area. Other studies are comparative, and treat the Kurdish language area in its entirety. The linguistic approaches of the authors are a mix of formal and typological perspectives, and cover topics ranging from geographical distribution and variation to phonology, morphosyntax, discourse structure, historical morphology, and sociolinguistics. The present volume is the first of its kind in bringing together contributions from a relatively large number of linguists, working in a diverse range of frameworks and on different aspects and varieties of Kurdish. As such, it attests to the increasing breadth and sophistication now evident in Kurdish linguistics, and is a worthy launch for the new series Bamberg Studies in Kurdish Linguistics (BSKL).

This book examines social capital and transition to democracy in Kurdistan. By utilizing the growing literature and Social Capital Theory, the project presents a different perspective on challenges that surrounded the process of transition to democracy in KRI. The work is based on a bottom-up approach as it unpacks the influences of political culture on the establishment of democratic institutions and norms in a conflicting context. The author splits the concept into three main components: trust, social networks and civic engagement and tests them imperially in the context of KRI. The monograph will interest graduate students, researchers and policy makers in the fields of political science, sociology and Middle Eastern Studies.

Can education be run as a profitable business and still be driven by a humanitarian vision? SABIS® shows the answer is yes. Now with 60 schools in 15 countries and over 60,000 students, SABIS® is a global education company committed to improving lives. The book is a journey through time - tracing the company from its humble origins in 1886 Mount Lebanon, through the civil war to the present day. It's also a journey through geographies, from Kurdistan to Katrina - from the first international schools in war-torn northern Iraq, to the first charter school to reopen after the hurricane devastated inner city New Orleans. SABIS® goes where other educational providers are unwilling to tread, helping to rebuild lives shattered by war and natural disaster. It's finally a journey through the minds of committed educators, watching as they grapple with the fundamental question of how we educate young people in the virtues that have stood the test of time, whilst still enabling them to be prepared for a future of unknown possibilities.

In this book, learn everything about Iraq, including its history, culture, economy, art, people and government. All books of the critically-acclaimed Cultures of the World® series ensure an immersive experience by offering vibrant photographs with descriptive nonfiction narratives, and interactive activities such as creating an authentic traditional dish from an easy-to-follow recipe. Copious maps and detailed timelines present the past and present of the country, while exploration of the art and architecture help your readers to understand why diversity is the spice of Life.

Kurds and their Struggle for Autonomy: Enduring Identity and Clientelism is a comprehensive study of the roots of Kurdish identity, the processes of identity formation among the Kurds, and the Kurds’ seemingly never-ending struggle for self-determination. By relying on a hybrid theoretical model of identity politics, this book offers a thorough treatment of the origins, characteristics, and evolution of Kurdish culture in general, and political culture in particular. It also examines the historical explanations and nuances of Kurdish struggles for some form of autonomy, assesses economic imperatives that shape the potentials and challenges of Kurdish social and political life, and offers a critical review of the contemporary Kurdish institutional and policy dynamics in Iraq and Syria.