·       26 January 2005: WLI held its 1st conference Women Leadership Institute has held its first conference under the line "women and leadership". It includes the following lectures • Qualities of Leadership / Sundus Abbas • Constitution and it’s importance / Dr. Azhar AL-Shakhly • Training / The role of women leaders in the period after election.  During the conference there were suggestions made by the participants about the most important subject concerning woman issues, political education and what women need in the position of making decision.    ·       22 February 2005: WLI held it's 2nd conference WLI has held its second conference under the line "civil society organizations and the political process". It includes the following lectures:- • Active Leadership of the civil society organization.  / Sundus Abbas • Planning in the work of civil society organization. / Nesreen Shakir  • Civil Society Organization and the process of making decision / Rand Hikmat • Practice the civil society organizations and the process of election  At the final session the conference made a practice about the role of civil society before, during and after elections. Their role was evaluated by all aspects (negative and positive) especially about the election supervising.    ·       25 – 27 March 2005: The institute held its 3rd conference WLI has held it's third conference under the line: "Gender Equality in the new Iraqi constitution" in cooperation with the Women Empowerment Organization in Erbil with the participation of 50 women from Kurdistan [Sulaimania, Erbil and Duhok] Mosul also. The conference includes the following lectures:- • Lobbying –The art of influencing public officials. • Women experience in getting administrative positions and decision making. Sazgar Khan, president of Prosecuting council, Erbil court • Women role in Political decision making .Example of constitution writing. Dr. Azhar, • Iraqi women and their requirements for political participation in transitional period Dr. Sundus.    ·       17-18 April 2005: The institute held its 4th conference WLI has held its fourth conference under the line "Iraqi woman's constitutional education" in Babylon Hotel. The conference includes five lectures: 1st day     • [Constitutional Democracy] Tom Palmper     • [Emotional intelegance leadership] Jelena Lukic 2nd day • [Some Constitutional Concepts] Dr. Khamis Al-Badri • [Basic issue and challenges facing the process of making constitution] / Dr. Azhar Al-Shakly WLI's Director • [The Participation of woman in the national assembly] Dr. Sundus Abass During the lectures there were many discussions. The active communication was so obvious by the conference participants because of the lectures importance. The participants were from different political parties, members of High Council of Islamic Revolution, Al-Daawa Party, Islamic party, National Wifaq and Democracy Kurdistan. The variety of participation leads to exchange and share point of views    ·       19 – 20 April 2005: WLI held its first workshop WLI has held training for 30 women from civil society organizations for two days. The training includes on the first day a lecture by (Effective Communication in Organization praise and criticism) while the second day includes two lectures:  • (Public Communication)              • (How to be successful in dealing with difficult behaviors )    ·       6 – 13 May 2005: Workshop participation According to IRI nomination WLI's director have participated in the workshop Assisting Democracy Building in Iraq at the Institute for public affairs for one week in Bratitislava. The program includes the following subjects:-  • What dose it mean democratic transition? And Slovak experience, role of political parties as Democratic Actors. • Culture and Religion. • Democratic society, human rights, political freedoms, minorities rights, civil society. • Public opinion polls as a useful tool in political and public work. • NGOs as Democratic Actors. • Building a Democratic Constitution. • Democratic transition through the eyes of Slovak public. • Media, public reach out, and civic campaigns.  ·       21 May 2005: Workshop WLI has held a workshop on Saturday 21, May, 2005 from 10 in the morning to 2:30 noon. Forty women have participated in this workshop, they are from civil society organizations. The institute focuses on inviting women who had not been participated in such workshops. The workshop involved two parts. Dr. Sundus Abass WLI, s Director has presented a lecture in the first part on Leadership as a concept and the meaning of vertical and horizontal leadership, and the non-leadership qualities. After that we made training by dividing the participants into groups, and then we discussed the results of this training. This training was a good chance for the new participants who had not been participated previously; they have shown their desire to get more training    ·       28 May 2005: WLI's 5th conference WLI has held its fifth conference in order to complete its program of constitutional education for Iraqi woman on Saturday, 28 of May, 2005 in Babylon hotel with participation of 150 women from different organizations and political parties beside the presence of the Ministry of State Ministry for woman affairs and number of national assembly members and constitutional committee under the line of "Study on/State experiences in making constitutions" The conference included the following lectures:- • Some countries constitutions...A comparative study / Dr. Azhar Al-Shakly • The role of national assembly in the constitutional process / Nada Alsodani • Constitution in Islamic vision / Sahar Jabir • The possibility of achieving settlement through constitutional process / Rand Hakmet  ·       12 – 13 June 2005: Workshop WLI has conducted a workshop in Tikrit province concerning Iraqi woman rights in the constitution, the participants males and females confirmed on the importance of the political role of woman in the coming stage.    ·       15 – 16 June 2005: Workshop WLI has conducted a workshop in Karkuk concerning the draft of the new Iraqi constitution and the role of the Iraqi woman in the coming stage, this workshop attended by 50 men and women from civil society organizations. This workshop was such a mental education for women with the importance of their role in the new Iraq.      ·       18 June 2005: Workshop WLI has held a workshop on: [Time Management skills] on Sat .18, June, 2005. WLI chooses sat. Which is a holiday in Iraq in order to facilitate the arrival of the participants? The program of the workshop was: The workshop was attended by 26 women from different civil society organizations and 5 women from political parties. The workshop was made by WLI's director Dr. Sundus Abass with the assistance Maysoon Al Badry and Lubna Akram .We prefer to organize everything in this workshop by ourselves even the hosting was made by WLI's employees all together, it was a marvelous experience . We choose the style of presenting deep academic lecture through which we listen to the view of the participants, and then there was training on how to manage time and organize it in the work of organizations. We notice during the training that there is a key need for such skills to develop woman abilities to deal with time and get use of it, for example the results of some exercise show that the majority are not able to deal with time, previous planning and organizing deal lines. That's why most of the training was on the importance of gradual organizing and the attempt to involve all the changes. At the end of the workshop WLI made an evaluation for this activity by distributing papers without mentioning names to see women's point of views on the workshop, it's time, location, the lecturer, training and write down their suggestions. On the whole they were positive and good. There are many new suggestions to make workshop, which WLI will study and involve them in its next work program for the next months.    ·       19 June 2005: Workshop WLI has held its sixth conference under the slogan "Nations protect their constitutions" the conference was under the line "Human rights and issues concerning woman within the constitution" on Saturday 25 June 2005. 1st Pivot • Constitution concept and content, Dr. Faaz Asad talked about different constitutions, he supported the classical constitution which states that the main point is to specify the rules which guide the group. • The question of rights and freedoms, Dr. Faaz thinks that it is not important to exaggerate in mentioning the detail of rights and freedoms. He has two key notes the first one is he suspicious that the new Iraqi constitution will be accepted by all and second he notice that the Iraqis interest in details and neglect the main point which is the shape of the coming political system. 2nd Pivot • Concerning international agreements was covered by Dr. Wedad Al Qaisi, She is a PhD in law she calls for some change in the items of Iraqi laws such as the right of man to beat his wife. • Women also asked that the constitution should state on details about women rights to ensure equality. • The conference was attended also by Mrs. Najiha Abd Al ameer, national assembly member and she is also member in the constitutional committee, she showed the participants some procedures on woman issues especially the right of giving the nationality of the Iraqi mother to her children. 3rd Pivot • It was the share of Dr. Ahlam Al jabiri she is specialized in law. She talked about the kinds of rights, she thinks that constitution should involve detailed statements about the rights because women should know their rights to get them by force. • The second part of this pivot was covered by Mrs. Alaa Al-Saadoun, she is member in the Islamic league, she talked about woman in the Islamic legislation, she said that Islam should be the only resource for legislation because Islam has given the woman her rights and the Islamic statement states gender equality. At the end of the conference there was a promise that the women's recommendation and proposals will be raised to the constitutional committee members.      ·      5 – 6 July 2005: Workshop WLI has held a workshop in Najaf. WLI’s director presented a lecture about the importance of Iraqi women participation in the political process and her role in the process of democratic building. It has been also confirmed upon the Islamic vision to the role of woman and the necessity of her participation in all life aspects. We notice that women were cautious at the beginning but after the first session there were real active among the participants and WLI’s director and they request to have continuous connection and to be provide with WLI’s printings.    ·        9 July 2005: Training According to the request of high legation for civil society Organizations in Iraq from WLI's director to held an educational and training course on (constitution and civil society Organizations). This course made in the location of legation for four days and five hours everyday 9-12 July from 9:30 to 12:30. Twelve organizations and three political parties participated in this course. Each organization and party was represented by three participants (males and females) from different provinces all over Iraq, from Faluja, Dyala, Karkuk etc and there were participants from Islamic parties. The activating of the participants was so good, especially during the time of discussing and training, they demand to participate in WLI's activities, we've also distribute WLI's newsletter, some agreements copies and (our constitution) brochure. At the end of the course the legation presented a thank paper for Dr. Sundus for her efforts, also one of the participants from Feluja presented a present to Dr. Sundus as an expression of his admirship for WLI's efforts. WLI's staff participated in the training of this workshop.   Home | About Us | Contact Us | e-mail copyright © Women Leadership Institute, 2005