Since the very beginning of IBC foundation in Jordan, I was keen that it becomes a nucleus for an economic, cultural and humanitarian project reflecting the spirit of our era, the vitality and interaction between a new generation of entrepreneurs who maintain their countries’ cultures and believe in supporting the civil societies in which they operate with such values that express the humanitarian goals under which communities thrive and prosper.  Hence the idea of launching our Program (Ibdaa) which is IBC’s Cultural Project that embodies and protects Iraq’s enlightened cultures and promotes them in all arts, preserve the legacy of the elite and the coming generations of young intellectuals, artists, litterateurs and poets who strive to hold high and maintain the torch of hope to sparkle and light up the paths for the coming generations.

(Ibdaa) Project resulted in the emergence of a large number of cultural projects that were found to be significant to fulfill and realize this dream and we decided to  launch them through IBC individually or jointly with other interested parties, I would mention here a number of experiences we engaged in such as;

Supporting (Tamayouz Award) which is an annual award founded by Iraqi architect Ahmed Al-Mallak in collaboration with Coventry University of Britain that includes a contest for architecture graduation projects of Iraqi universities’ students where three winning projects are selected by a panel of international architects and granted three awards.  Through my meeting with Engineer Al-Mallak I found it appropriate that IBC sponsors this award and awards the first winner a scholarship to acquire a Masters Degree at an international university.  Now IBC prides itself that one of the students who won this scholarship is on the way to graduation.  We believe that supporting Tamayouz award represents the true partnership between IBC and the academic enterprises to develop the abilities of talented fresh graduates.

Among our initiatives there was (I Have a Dream) Project which is a permanent Project between Iraqi and Arab artists and children suffering of incurable diseases who receive treatment in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  This Project is a workshop where artists take part in teaching children the art of painting creating joint works of art to shed light on the suffering of children and their parents throughout the hard journey of treatment.

(Art for Societal Change) Project is a permanent Project between IBC and Dar Al-Kalima University, a national University located at Bethlehem.  The idea was generated through my meeting with the University Dean in Amman when we realized that there is an urgent need for the transfer of expertise and experiences between students and professors in Iraq, Jordan and Palestine through joint workshops that aim at exchanging expertise in fine arts, photography, cinematography, and other crafts that qualify the students and professors to acquire more experiences that enable them professionally.

I would also mention (Memory of a Place) Project that was launched in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in which Iraqi, Arab and foreign artists contributed.  The Project aimed at highlighting the plight of displaced Iraqis inside Iraq, and is part of the permanent cooperation between IBC and IOM to help highlighting the plight of the displaced.

I would also like to mention a number of initiatives that we have had in supporting civil societies where IBC embarked on launching the (UN Global Compact Program for Corporate Social Responsibility in Iraq) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), This Compact provides for agreement for companies to abide by the overall sublime humane principles such as equality in wages, rights and work opportunities of men and women.  The Agreement also prohibits child labor, calls for maintaining a clean environment, fights corruption, in addition to other sublime values.

I also took part in registering IBC in the (Iraqis in Diaspora) Project which was implemented with the aid of the UNDP.  This Project aims at exchanging expertise in all economic, scientific and academic fields between Iraqis in Iraq and those living abroad.

I also sought to meet with experts of the United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to involve IBC in the (Private Sector Participation in the Democratic Governance) Program in collaboration with the United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).  The Program started with a workshop for the Iraqi civil society organizations that was held under IBC auspices to learn about participatory forms under democratic rule.   Consequently, the Participatory National Campaign emerged from IBC initiative which aimed at acquainting the individual with his rights under the democratic governance.

Our faith in the humane, cultural and economic message that should be observed by all business communities towards the civil societies is deep and firm in order to achieve prosperity and bright future.

With respect,

SAAD NAJI

Vice Chairman

IBC Secretary General