Dawodia refugee camp is located in the Dohuk governorate in northwestern Iraq and is part of the Kurdistan region. It is home to 3,828 Yezidis, Christians and Muslims. There is a great need for psychosocial support among children and young people, as they have very often experienced war-related violence and loss, continuously live under refugee conditions and in an atmosphere of instability. When working with young people in Dawodia, it is important to understand mental health and well-being as the basis of social cohesion and peace. Psychosocial problems can lead to further damage of the community relations and increase interpersonal conflict – especially in a context of ethnic and religious diversity such as at Dawodia Camp.

Hudara implements together with its local partner Rusaz a psychosocial group intervention to support young people in the age of 10 to 19 years that are suffering from pronounced psychological problems. Beyond this, workshops are provided in which young people discuss various psychosocial and peace-related topics and reflect on them using creative means. Participants organise a community event to elaborate on their points of view and show their artistic productions developed during the workshops. They have the possibility to engage in the development of a brochure. The brochure will be made available to the wider public both in Iraq and in Germany.