Free Yezidi Foundation Women's Center

FYF speaks in British Parliament and signs partnership with Women for Women International - UK

Baroness Hodgson chairs APPG on Women, Peace and Security event in Parliament to discuss plight of Yezidis. The panel included Baroness Anelay, Prime Minister's Representative on Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict; Brita Fernandez Schmidt, Executive Director of Women for Women International - UK; and Pari Ibrahim and Zazi Ibrahim of the Free Yezidi Foundation.Dear Friends,

Over the last months, the Free Yezidi Foundation has continued to conduct international advocacy for justice and for the rights of Yezidis. At the same time, much of our effort has been dedicated to the well-being of Yezidi survivors through our programmes on the ground in Duhok.

In the last months, FYF has participated in a number of events and seminars to discuss the plight of the Yezidis, including in Holland, the United Kingdom, and Spain. We are particularly grateful to Baroness Hodgson and the British All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security for supporting us. FYF has also spent time with Yezidi victims recovering from the attacks in Germany, and we have undertaken efforts to expand and further develop the scope of our operational presence in Duhok.

FYF is delighted to announce a new partnership with Women for Women International - UK. Our Foundation attaches enormous importance to this new partnership. As an established and highly respected organisation, Women for Women will provide expertise, guidance, funding, and support to our Foundation as we implement our projects for Yezidi survivors. We are so pleased by the incredible level of professionalism, compassion, and understanding that we have seen from our friends at Women for Women, and we are confident that this will be a strong and lasting partnership.

Free Yezidi Foundation and Women for Women International - UK in London

Women for Women International - UK will be supporting one FYF women's centre, which focuses on all Yezidi women, integrating those who have escaped from ISIS captivity with other women in the camp. Activities include trauma-reducing activities such as art courses, gardening, and music lessons, but also livelihood skills and basic education in the form of computer courses, English language courses, and business skills lessons.

FYF remains committed to the success of its children's centre, which also requires funding and support from the international community and motivated donors. Separately, FYF seeks the pursuit of justice for Yezidi victims, including potential future projects to bring perpetrators to justice through international or domestic legal mechanisms.

I would like to thank our Foundation's supporters and friends, and I hope all Yezidi-led organisations working in favour of our survivors continue to achieve success and pursue cooperation for our shared goals as we rebuild the community.

Sincerely,

- Pari Ibrahim
Executive Director
Free Yezidi Foundation

Dear friends and supporters,

The Free Yezidi Foundation has realized some important achievements over the last several months. FYF received a small grant from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to support the FYF women's center. We are in the process of finalizing a partnership with an important global women's organization. And the first round of our efforts, with a consortium of partners, to provide post-trauma training in Kurdistan will be completed by the end of April.

FYF and other Yezidi organizations and activists continue to put pressure on the international community to recognize the genocide committed by ISIS against Yezidis and other minorities. In this regard, FYF is very pleased that the US State Department has finally recognized these attacks as genocide. The FYF statement on this decision is attached. This is an important step forward, as recognition is very important to our communities. This will also help to pave the way for the pursuit of justice and accountability - international support for justice will be necessary to reach this goal.

FYF hopes to expand the women's center and children's center in the first half of 2016 - further updates will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

Pari Ibrahim

Executive Director

Free Yezidi Foundation