Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

An international cultural forum in Al-Sulaymaniyah launched a peace initiative symbolized by 19 doves on Wednesday to promote coexistence and draw attention to the decades-long suffering of Halabja residents, peace ambassador Walid Al-Dosari told Shafaq News.

Al-Dosari said the Peace Doves initiative symbolizes Iraq’s 19 provinces, with four doves representing the provinces of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region (KRI). The initiative also called for redress for Halabja residents and action to address their longstanding humanitarian suffering.

Halabja, recognized as Iraq’s 19th province in 2025, was the site of a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein’s forces on March 16, 1988, that killed around 5,000 people. Survivors and medical workers interviewed by Shafaq News in March 2026 described continuing health problems and gaps in treatment, while victims’ representatives called for compensation.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Halabja- Where land, memory, and resilience intertwine

The initiative was launched during the 26th International Cultural Forum of Ambassadors of Creativity for Peace, which brought together representatives of local and international civil society organizations, artists, poets, and intellectuals from Zakho, Duhok, Erbil, Al-Sulaymaniyah, Basra, Baghdad, and other Iraqi cities.

The gathering, Al-Dosari said, is part of a cultural and humanitarian program promoting peace, strengthening coexistence, and supporting independent civil society organizations, with the delegation visiting provinces across Iraq. The program includes a visual arts exhibition, participation by poets and intellectuals, and recognition of cultural figures in cooperation with several organizations.

He added that the events coincided with World Standards Day on October 14 and referred to the environment, spaces, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.