“Help us leave a better, safer, and just world to future generations”
~ Nadia Murad
Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Nadia’s peaceful life was brutally disrupted in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland in Sinjar to ethnically cleanse Iraq of all Yazidis. Since Nadia's escape from ISIS captivity, she has shared her story to raise awareness of ISIS and its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi people. She has become a powerful advocate for women in conflict settings and survivors of sexual violence worldwide.
Much of Nadia’s advocacy work is focused on meeting with global leaders to shed light on the continued plight of the Yazidi people and the need for justice for survivors of sexual violence. Nadia is the President and Chairwoman of Nadia’s Initiative, which actively works to persuade governments and international organizations to support the sustainable re-development of the Yazidi homeland. Nadia is the author of her memoir, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State.
Nadia’s Initiative is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence. Nadia’s Initiative’s current work is focused on the sustainable re-development of the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar, Iraq, where Nadia grew up. When ISIS launched their genocidal campaign, they not only killed and kidnapped Yazidis, but also destroyed the Yazidi homeland to ensure the community could never return.
Nadia’s Initiative works with the local community and a variety of implementing partners on the ground in Sinjar to design and support projects that promote the restoration of education, healthcare, livelihoods, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), culture, and women’s empowerment in the region. All Nadia’s Initiative programs are community-driven, survivor centric, and work to promote long term peace-building. Nadia’s Initiative advocates governments and international organizations to support efforts to rebuild Sinjar, seek justice for Yazidis, improve security in the region, and support survivors of sexual violence worldwide.
From destruction to function. Yazidi parents want a safe and bright future for their children. They should not have to choose between returning home and their children’s education. That’s why NI rehabilitated and reopened Balstan Primary School for Girls.
Nadia Murad’s CNN Op-Ed: Thoughts and prayers. Promises of "never again." They are not enough. Seven years after ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidi community, my ethno-religious minority, in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of people remain internally displaced and more than 2,800 women and children remain missing.
When Fahima and her family returned home to Dugure village, children were falling ill from drinking polluted well water. With funding from UAE Aid, NI restored WASH services in Dugure so residents can access potable water and keep their community healthy.