People to People Programs
People to People facilitates artistic, cultural, personal, professional, and educational exchanges.
Sister City Citizens Committee for Minneapolis and Najaf
IARP is proud to be the citizens’ committee of the Minneapolis-Najaf Sister City relationship since its inception in 2009 by the City of Minneapolis and Provincial Council of Najaf. Sister City relationships are a commitment from two cities to promote friendship and peaceful relationships between their citizens and communities. President Eisenhower launched the Sister Cities concept in 1956 in calling for increased citizen exchanges between Americans and people of other nations to promote peace and understanding.
Thanks to our community of active volunteers, we have hosted eleven delegations from Najaf and four delegations have traveled from Minneapolis to Najaf.
““We found Americans to be a friendly, lovely people. They hope that the Iraqi people have peace and love rather than war and violence. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality during our trip to Minneapolis” ”
““We were honored and humbled by the hospitality that we received from hundreds of Iraqi citizens. Iraqis want to work for reconciliation - whether through business partnerships, cultural and academic exchanges, or symbolic gestures.””
Preserving and Celebrating Iraqi Culture in Minnesota
How does the Iraqi community in Minnesota maintain their identity in the face of displacement, resettlement, and the trauma of war and sectarian violence? How do we preserve cultural heritage for the next generation? Deep seated community bonds are forged and renewed through music, dance, food, and other cultural expressions. Bringing these to life is renewing those bonds for many in the community and forging new bonds for the second and third generation of Minnesotan immigrants. IARP presents cultural programming, investing in the capacities of local Iraqi artists and presenting local, national, and international Iraqi artists who showcase Iraqi culture. Through this programming we also engage the general public in Iraqi's rich culture to combat dangerous and flattened narratives of Iraq.
Personal Exchanges
In 2017, IARP launched “women’s friendship groups” to offer local Iraqi and non-Iraqi Minnesotan women the opportunity to build rich intercultural friendships. The women’s friendship groups are made up of Minnesotans who commit to meet on a monthly basis for nine months. Participants celebrate holidays together, visit local museums and sites, and cook meals together, as they get to know one another’s cultures and perspectives.
““Each time we sit together and talk about our ideas, current events, and religions, we enlarge our own perceptions of ourselves, Iraqi people, and the world.””
““It is a good opportunity to listen to other parties beliefs, thoughts, cultures, and suggestions to create very wonderful environments to cooperation. We need American women to play a role in introducing Iraqi women to Minnesotan historical and famous places to be aware of, as Minnesota will be their new home.””
Speaker Programs
To raise the voices of the local Iraqi immigrant and refugee community and help spread awareness of the humanitarian situation in Iraq, IARP staff and volunteers regularly speak at schools, universities, churches, community centers, conferences, conventions, and other local venues. To host a local IARP speaker, please contact the our team.
