EDUU – Education and Cultural Heritage Enhancement for Social Cohesion in Iraq

EDUU is a 30 months (2017-2019) international project funded by the Europen Union in the frame of the EuropeAid - Civil Society Organisations - Local Authorities Programme in Iraq. 

Eduu is the verb "to know" in the Akkadian language that was spoken by the inhabitants of ancient Mesopotamia from the 3rd through the 1st millennia BC – seeks to create an EU-Iraq partnership in the area of education and cultural heritage enhancement, connecting Universities, secondary schools, and museums. This partnership will work together with the aim of enhancing the pluralism of Iraqi civil society, raising awareness on the diverse and multicultural past of Iraq.

EDUU has five specific objectives:

1. To increase the knowledge of pre-Islamic societies in Iraq through archaeological and environmental research in the governorates of Al-Qadisiyah and Wasit, and raise awareness on Iraqi cultural heritage.
2. To better protect cultural heritage and to promote its use as a tool for dialogue between different sectors of society by improving the skills of SBAH personnel and community leaders.
3. To promote interest in the common cultural heritage and identity of Iraqi society among younger generations through courses in secondary schools and rural communities.
4. To improve the local museum assets and engage civil society in cultural heritage initiatives promoted by museums.
5. To promote and disseminate in Iraq and also internationally the value of cultural heritage as a tool for community building.

These objectives will be achieved by sharing knowledge and expertise, and by improving the technical and management capacity of target groups, final beneficiaries and of course the partners themselves.