KHRW’s MISSION

The mission of Kurdish Human Rights Watch, Inc. (KHRW) is to enable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees, asylee newcomers and homeless individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence through direct assistance and capacity-building.
 
KHRW began in 1989 with a mandate to advocate for the human rights of the Kurdish people in response to atrocities committed against Kurdish minorities in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey and the former Soviet Union. A major advocacy campaign was initiated due to the crimes against humanity committed by Saddam Hussein, including chemical weapon use and genocide of the 1980s. KHRW has grown into an international, humanitarian service organization with six community service sites in the United States and four community service sites in Iraq. KHRW’s mandate has grown over the past 20 years to enable IDPs in northern Iraq and refugees in the United States to achieve self-sufficiency and preserve their fundamental rights. KHRW is the primary Kurdish, community-based organization in America that helps newcomers, who view the U.S. as their beacon of light, achieve successful integration.

KHRW’s VISION

• Develop our capacity to carry out our mission and serve each community
• Advocate for economic & democratic rights and opportunities for all ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq
• Encourage Iraqi women to be equal participants in Iraq’s new democracy
• Assist refugee individuals and families with achieving economic self-sufficiency
• Increase humanitarian services to those in need, particularly refugee families and IDPs
• Provide community and microenterprise economic development opportunities
• Promote human rights and provide humanitarian aid to refugees and IDPS
• Build understanding among the diverse ethnic groups that KHRW serves
• Empower immigrant youth and women
• Provide community health services for families, women and children to help foster healthy and fulfilling lives
• Promote the education and health of all members of KHRW’s target communities
• Provide capacity-building and human rights training for Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi ministries, police and security personnel
• Provide economic development advisory services as well as create public-private partnerships and corporate social responsibility initiatives for international corporations