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First Person: Discovering the reality of life in Iraq |


“At the United Nations, there are two worlds: Headquarters and the field. The United Nations Headquarters in New York is our mothering agency. In iconic rooms like the General Hall and Security Council Our Chamber, Member States make decisions that affect people globally. Meanwhile, this is where those decisions are most acutely felt. That’s where you find our peacekeeping missions, our vital humanitarian operations, our mediators engaged in shuttle diplomacy.

In the summer of 2021, I absolutely hate the world of Headquarters. As Director of Communications and Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, it is my duty to keep the press and the public informed of what is going on in the Foundation’s most democratic body. I focus on resolutions, statements and high-level meetings. I was surrounded by words — but didn’t get to see with my own eyes whether they really improved people’s lives.


United Nations staffer Brenden Varma in Kirkuk after a meeting with electoral authorities and civil society, August 25, 2021

Abu Khair M Jamil Alam

United Nations staffer Brenden Varma in Kirkuk after a meeting with electoral authorities and civil society, August 25, 2021

Deployed to a divided country

Around that time, I came across a film about Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a United Nations hero who lost his life after a horrific attack in Iraq in 2003. I joined the Organization of the Air Force. long before that attack and never forget its impact. already on my colleagues and me. The United Nations suddenly became a target. The field seemed like a much scarier place at the time.

But nearly two decades later, I feel no fear when I watch the film; I was inspired. Sérgio would have spent his entire United Nations career in glass skyscrapers and air-conditioned meeting rooms. But he chose to take the field – to be closer to the people the United Nations is supposed to serve. It’s been many years since my last post, and I want to go back.

What I didn’t know at the time (as I was focused on the General Assembly) was that the Security Council had just passed a new resolution regarding Iraq. Resolution 2576 (2021) of May 27, 2021 welcomes the Government of Iraq’s request for support for the October 10, 2021 elections — and calls for a United Nations strategic messaging campaign to educate and inform Iraqi voters about election preparations, as well as relevant United Nations organizations. Activities of States.

With less than five months between the adoption of that resolution and the election, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) needed to get an instant contact group. That’s when I was asked to deploy to Baghdad.

Of course, it’s one thing and another to feel inspired after watching a movie, and it’s another to actually move to a place the United Nations classifies as a dangerous arduous mission station. But it didn’t take me long to decide. After discussing it with my family, I said yes to UNAMI.

From a professional point of view, I felt ready, but I soon realized how difficult it is to do a country profile without really in-depth. For example, while still in New York, one of my first assignments was to come up with a hashtag for our new election media campaign. I chose #Vote4Iraq to encourage Iraqi voters to put their country above any other link. But the Kurdish-speaking national staff at UNAMI also advised me to consider other options.

They told me that calling out the country would alienate the Kurds. It wasn’t until I visited the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRI) three months later that I really understood what they meant. In and around Erbil, the regional capital, I regularly see the Kurdish flag flying – but not always the Iraqi flag. I realize that not all Iraqi citizens consider themselves Iraqi, and our communications will need to take that into account.


United Nations staffer Brenden Varma looks at Iraqis voting in Baghdad on Election Day, October 10, 2021.

Shpend Berbatovci

United Nations staffer Brenden Varma looks at Iraqis voting in Baghdad on Election Day, October 10, 2021.

Adapting to ‘mission life’

At the United Nations, people often refer to “mission life,” as if all missions were the same. But that’s not it. When I worked in Jerusalem and Pristina, I had my own apartment in town. I get to meet my new local friends in restaurants and parks. On the other hand, in Mogadishu in 2013, I was imprisoned in the United Nations.

I slept in a small, thin-walled crate with no private bathroom. Food is only available in the bare hallways. Inadequate Wi-Fi service makes it difficult to stay in touch with family back home. It is normal to hear gunfire at night. And while we had access to a beach, swimming was discouraged due to sharks, kraits and pirates.

My Baghdad experience is somewhere between Jerusalem/Pristina and Mogadishu. All UN employees — whether they work for UNAMI or agencies — must live in the complex. It is not possible to leave the safe Green Zone without security escort. While dormitories are great for camaraderie within the United Nations, the atmosphere often feels claustrophobic. Time outdoors must be limited due to the hot daily temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius. I understand why employees are entitled to one week of rest and recreation (R&R) every four weeks at work.

But I cannot complain about my living conditions in Baghdad. My apartment has a modern bathroom, kitchen and television, and the compound has a gym, pizzeria, and barbershop. There are even facilities where employees can play tennis, football and table tennis.


United Nations staffer Brenden Varma in Baghdad

Shpend Berbatovci

United Nations staffer Brenden Varma in Baghdad

Focus on people

Before arriving in Baghdad, I drafted a communication strategy focusing on one of the priority areas of the Global Communications Department (DGC): “People-centered storytelling”. The UNAMI leadership wanted our campaign to focus in part on persuading Iraqis to vote.

So, with a team of videographers, I planned to amplify the voices of Iraqi citizens planning to vote. I think Iraqis may or may not follow the UN, but they will certainly be inspired by each other. I imagine a video in which a woman walks past a rundown hospital in her neighborhood and says, ‘I’m going to vote because I want better health care.’

But again, my Headquarters assumptions were confronted with reality on the ground. First, it’s fear. With security constraints, it was hard to find ordinary Iraqis to talk to and when we did, many were reluctant to let their faces appear on camera.

They fear being affected if the wrong people see them speaking on what could be seen as a political topic. There is also a general lack of trust in the authorities. Many Iraqis feel that there is no point in voting because fraud and a flawed system will only bring old politicians back to power.

Our message is that, although these elections are Iraqi-owned and Iraqi-led, the United Nations stands with Iraq every step of the way.


UN vehicles gathered at the Arc de Triomphe in Baghdad before transporting UN displays to polling stations on Election Day, 10 October 2021

Shpend Berbatovci

UN vehicles gathered at the Arc de Triomphe in Baghdad before transporting UN displays to polling stations on Election Day, 10 October 2021

Fighting misinformation

In the end, we tried to tell some Iraqi stories, but the skepticism I felt among the people led me to also focus on another area of ​​UN media priority: sharing. accurate information to combat fake news. We started producing videos and holding dialogues taking the rumors we heard and countering them with facts. We’ve explained how upcoming elections will differ from past ones — and how technical support from the United Nations will help ensure a reliable process.

For the first time, UNAMI has begun live-streaming the press conferences of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in Iraq. We invited local artists to paint pro-voting murals around the country. We have also worked with Iraqi social media influencers to reach the country’s youth, as 60% of the population is 25 years old or younger.

As the elections approached, additional UN staff started arriving to monitor the polls and our main goal was to increase their visibility. All UN monitors, many UNAMI staff members, and even the SRSG began to regularly wear UN caps and vests as we moved around the country so the Iraqi people could see see us and feel reassured that the United Nations is standing by and supporting us. Our message is that, although these elections are Iraqi-owned and Iraqi-led, the United Nations stands with Iraq every step of the way.

Finally, election day has come and gone. Voter turnout was not particularly high or low. But in a country where a significant number of voters I spoke to have told me they would rather have a monarch, it’s important to remember that, as the United Nations, our role is support.

Ultimately, the Iraqi people must decide what kind of system they prefer and if they want to participate in it. On the bright side, we are pleased to see that the elections have gone smoothly, there have been significant procedural and technical improvements, and can serve as an important stepping stone to the future. .

While in Iraq, in addition to my work, I started a completely personal project. I decided to use my own Instagram account to show my followers what this country really is like. Because most people can’t go as tourists to many of the places I’ve visited, their knowledge of Iraq is probably based on what they see on the news, largely destruction. and despair.

The Iraq I went through doesn’t fit that perception. I’ve seen bohemian cafes in Baghdad, trendy rooftop restaurants in Duhok and Erbil, and beautiful river views in Basra. I met young Iraqi artists, filmmakers, musicians and entrepreneurs. I buy streetwear from local designers and smile when I see Iraqi hipsters who look as if they’ve been harvested on the streets of Brooklyn.

The United Nations sent me to Baghdad to advise on election communications, but it also gave me the opportunity to get acquainted with a country that remains a mystery to much of the world. I know that I was lucky. Lucky to grow and learn. Lucky to be a part of something bigger than myself. And what a blessing to be served in the field. ”

This article first appeared in Chronicles of the United Nations



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