International news media will descend on Baghdad in March to cover the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war and will raise important questions to do with the justification of the invasion by allied forces.

A key part of any comprehensive assessment of the war must note the impact that the war and the forces unleashed have had on the people of Iraq, and the development challenges – social, economic and environmental – that Iraq now has to deal with.

APJC’s Baghdad eTour aims to provide a videoconference window on these development challenges, including how the ordinary people of Iraq are trying to pick up the pieces amidst the on-going conflict and instability in Iraq and the region more broadly.

The one-day program, to be held at the APJC in Melbourne on Saturday 2 March, will provide a special opportunity to do live interviews by videoconference with speakers in Iraq representing the
development sector, local NGOs and the community.

The eTour program will start with an orientation session that includes in-field video from an APJC representative in Iraq and briefings from Middle-East specialists and members of the Melbourne Iraqi community.

The program is aimed primarily at early to mid-career journalists who have an interest in the Iraq story, have an interest in international development issues, and are keen to gain experience in writing on international development. Some places are available for journalism and development studies students with an interest in these areas.

The focus of the program will be on Iraq’s development needs. Speakers in Iraq are likely to cover topics such as health care, human rights, security, infrastructure, justice and peacebuilding, the psychological impacts of war, environmental repair, displaced persons, refugees and humanitarian issues.

For more information about the program or to register please click here.