Who would have thought that Iraqis and Kurds could start a green music and art event?
Two non-profits, Nature Iraq and Development Now are holding the first Green Music and Arts Festival in Iraq tomorrow to honor Earth Day the day after. To be held in Sulaimani’s Azadi Park in Sulaimani, it will be the first event of its kind held in Iraq, and it will celebrate the beauty of nature, the unique landscape of Iraq, and the people and organizations who are devoted to protecting the environment through the arts and education.
Admission to the festival will be free, but donations will be accepted to help fund the production of a series of Public Service Announcements to be distributed through Iraqi radio and television and over the Internet. The event will publicize Nature Iraq’s Iraq Upper Tigris Waterkeeper Program and
the Waterkeeper Hotline, which gives citizens a voice in reporting and responding to issues of water
quality and pollution.
From 4 until 7 on the day of the event, festival-goers will be treated to an eclectic mixture of music from American and Iraqi musicians, drama, and film. The Festival will also integrate an
environmentally-themed photography exhibition, a selection of locally and internationally produced
ecologically-themed films, and educational exhibitions from Sulaimani-based Non-Governmental
Organizations including Nature Iraq, STEP, the Green Kurdistan Association, Green Environment,
the Kurdistan Animal Protection Organization and others.
Nature Iraq is a very important animal and nature conservation organization, often working under duress and conflict.
For those in the hood, Sulaymaniyah or Sulaimani (Kurdish: سلێمانی / Silêmanî, Ar: السليمانية) is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq.
For more information about the festival, please visit Green Arts Festival.
Rammed earth builders use lots of old car tires. Adobe bcklos could be made from local clay. Check your newspaper for auctions they usually have lots of leftover and pre-used building materials that you could use.