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Oxfam is an international confederation counting 17 organizations working together with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries.

Oxfam has been working in Iraq since the 1990s with both an expanding and contracting presence. In 2014, Oxfam established its first office in Mosul when the conflict with ISIS began and the country was thrown into a new humanitarian crisis, in an already fragile context. In 2021, Oxfam is amongst the largest NGOs operating in the country. With nine offices and almost 200 employees.

Oxfam in Iraq's strategy is shaped around 3 key pillars 1) Humanitarian response 2) Governance and 3) Equality. Within each of these pillars, intervention covers the following sectors: Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods, Water and Sanitation and Hygiene, Gender and Protection, Emergency lifesaving support, and Local Humanitarian Leadership.

In this framework, Oxfam in Iraq has recently launched a new project, Masarouna, aiming at supporting young peoples advocacy to achieve their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). The program is implemented in six countries/territories of the MENA region. Masarouna identifies two main interlinked pathways to achieve the desired change. Pathway 1 is focused on the direct influencing of decision-makers and society to address inadequate legislation and harmful traditional social and cultural norms through strengthened youth engagement. Pathway 2 is focused on strengthening civil society, reclaiming civic space, and formation of new partnerships and alliances.

In the specific context of Iraq, young people face a series of challenges that limit their full enjoyment of SRHR: lack of evidence-based information about SRHR, limited access to information, lack of YP-friendly SRHR services, discrimination etc...

In this context, the Masarouna project in Iraq supports YP in accessing comprehensive information about SRHR, with a specific geographical focus on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Through increased knowledge and the building of alliances and solidarity, Masarouna in Iraq will equip YP individuals to demand their SRHR and create a supportive environment to enjoy them.

Under the Masarouna project, Oxfam in Iraq and the project partners will be working with Young People (YP) to influence decision-makers and different actors of society to address legislation and transform social norms. In addition to creating a lasting systemic and behavioral change while addressing root causes and barriers preventing YP from claiming their SRHR. Furthermore, it will work toward mobilizing, engaging, and building relationships with the communities we work with, starting from the designing process and up to the implementation of the project influencing Strategy. The project influencing work will also include knowledge sharing, creating spaces for engagement and dialogue, and building networks and alliances.

Overall, the influencing work with partners and allies under the project will aim to:

Cultivate active citizenship by working with young people, underrepresented groups, and social movements to increase their participation in decision-making spaces and secure their rights.

Provide young people with knowledge and skills to participate in decision-making spaces and work with citizens, partners, civil society, and duty bearers to better engage with young people.

Shift narratives on SRHR issues that concern young people in MENA to open space for policy change through communications, media networking, and the use of influence.

Transform public and official attitudes, social norms, and behaviors of the public and officials that deny SRHR and prevent policy implementation.

Link national-level youth-led activities to relevant regional and global influencing activities within the domain of Gender Justice and SRHR.

The Consultancy's overall objective is to develop an Iraq contextualized SRHR influencing strategy for the Masarouna project to support the design and implementation of the influencing interventions under the project. This will include the activities implemented by the Oxfam team and the project partners.

The Consultant is expected to develop the Strategy through the following methodology:

- Study the already available documentation on SRHR within the context of Iraq and KRI. Documentation consists of Masarouna baseline documents, Masarouna global influencing strategy.

- Conduct an additional comprehensive and extensive desk review on SRHR within the context of Iraq and KRI. This should include specifications of the context, gaps, and opportunities. The context analysis should provide strong insights into the social, cultural, religious, and legal environment in which SRHR exists in Iraq and KRI. It will also provide a comprehensive analysis of stakeholders and YPs perception, understanding, and ability to advocate for their SRHR rights.

- Conduct consultation meetings, which will guide the development of the Strategy, with different stakeholders, including:

members of national civil society,

members of the international community,

different and diverse groups of the community, including YP,

Oxfam team includes the project team in Iraq, regional teams, and relevant members of Oxfam affiliates,

relevant authorities' representatives,

- Conduct 2-3 workshops with identified stakeholders, mainly Oxfam team, Oxfam partners, and YP, and relevant members of the national civil society, and international community if relevant to develop the Strategy's objective and framework. The number of workshops can be adjusted according to the consultant's workplan.

- Develop a comprehensive influencing strategy with, but not limited to, clear objectives, stakeholder analysis, messages and indicators, and risk analysis.

- The Consultant will present the draft strategy through a validation work plan with the representatives of the groups who were part of the consultation meetings.

Oxfam will provide all relevant documents under the Masarouna project, including the project proposal, baseline assessment, and an in-depth analysis carried out by the implementing partners.

The Consultant is expected to commit to the following deliverables:

Inception report outlining the methodological approach and detailed understanding of the assignment (max. 10 pages).

Comprehensive and complete influencing strategy. The structure and content of the Strategy will need to be agreed on beforehand with Oxfam team.

At least 3 consultation sessions/meetings with stakeholders, partners and YP's representatives

At least 1 validation workshop.

Debriefing session with Oxfam team.

A final report indicating the summary of the activities, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

The Masarouna Project Manager in coordination with the Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Manager, who will provide technical and practical supervision of the assignment.

Oxfam will be responsible for covering the following costs:

The venue, meals, and other needs for implementing the consultation meetings and workshops..

Media & photos etc.

Follow-up on action plans developed and status of scaling.

The Consultant will be responsible for covering the following costs:

All transportation and logistics-related costs for the Consultant and the team if valid.

Accommodation throughout the duration.

Stationary and other material support that are required during the training.

In case of an international consultant, visa and tickets.

The Consultant will be paid the agreed rate upon satisfactory completion of the assignment, including submission of deliverables and reports as per the below schedule:

40% will be paid upon signing the contract.

40% will be paid upon delivering the training.

20% will be paid after the submission and approval of the final reports.

The consultancy is expected to be carried out in a period of 30 days. The timeline can be extended and the number of working days can be refined based on the Consultant's work plan, nevertheless, early delivery is considered a plus.

The Consultant should submit a full financial plan, considering the financial elements mentioned in point 7.

The following key technical requirements will be taken into consideration when assessing consultants' technical competencies:

University degree in journalism, community development and communication studies, sociology, or other relevant fields.

The Consultant should have proven previous experience in conducting similar training and working with similar groups.

Proven skills and experience in developing influencing strategies.

High proficiency in understanding Iraq's context, SRHR, and influencing for it.

Familiarity with constraints and challenges encountered while working on similar topics.

Strong English skills, Kurdish and Arabic are recommended as policy documents and other governmental documents might be available in Kurdish or Arabic language.

11. Scoring criteria for selection of the service provider/consultant

SN Criteria Weight % Evaluation method

1 Technical proposal 70 % Review of the technical proposal

2 Financial proposal 30 % Review of the financial proposal

Total 100 %

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested individuals or consultancy firms with relevant experience and skills based on the ToR can submit their Expression of Interest (EOI), including the following:

Cover letter of no more than 1 page introducing the consultant/company and intention to deliver the assignment. The cover letter should also indicate the consultants' availability for the proposed period.

Technical proposal should provide details on the proposed methodology responding to the ToR and the deliverables in line with the competencies required for the assignment, including references to experience with similar assignments; a work plan detailing the anticipated timeline to undertake the assignment and finalize the deliverables, clearly indicating the dates of delivery; CVs of the consultant/consulting team directly involved in the assignment, including their specific roles; and three professional referees. A technical proposal should not be longer than 10 pages, excluding annexes.

Financial proposal includes a full budget of the offer, covering all major anticipated costs.

Statement on the willingness to follow Oxfam's Code of Conduct and guidance regarding safe programming.

Please submit the EOI and other documents by midnight Iraq time on the 16th of August toprocurementiraq@OXFAM.org.uk with Development of Iraq contextualized SRHR Influencing Strategy in the subject line. No EOIs will be accepted after the deadline.

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Consultant - Development of an Iraq contextualized Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Influencing Strategy - Iraq - ReliefWeb

Theres just no upside to communism. Even when they can force an entire country to bend to their will and mass any and all resources at their disposal, they all still come up short. Not just a little short, either. Way short.

From the end of World War II through the end of the Cold War, communism was always trying to keep up with the capitalist western countries. In order to stay even slightly competitive, the Soviet Union had to steal the best technology, it couldnt develop any of it on their own.

The Soviets stole nuclear weapons and advanced jet engines from the West, giving the communists a chance against the United States, NATO, and other western armies for centuries to come. With all that in mind, one might be tempted to think that the worst among the stolen technologies would be nuclear weapons. But that person would be wrong.

Arguably the biggest disaster for American and western military secrets didnt come in the form of information from a spy, electronic eavesdropping, or even the outright theft of the tech. In some ways, one could say the United States just gave it away.

Americas greatest Cold War intelligence loss was the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the communists got it because of one faulty missile.

On September 28, 1958, the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang was fighting for its life against a Chinese invasion. The communists in mainland China were enjoying supremacy in the air, as the advanced, Soviet-built MiG-17 made its first combat appearance.

The Chinese communist MiG-17 was so far advanced over the F-86 Sabres flown by the nationalist Taiwanese, the communists were able to essentially choose when and where they would engage and for how long. Taiwans air forces were taking a beating. Then, Taiwan invoked its defense treaty with the United States.

President Eisenhower not only ordered the U.S. Navy to protect the islands supply lines, he authorized Operation Black Magic, the strategic retrofitting of Taiwans fighter aircraft. They were going to be specially-modified to carry the United States small but mighty new weapon: the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.

The Sidewinder was (and is) one of the most stunningly capable missiles ever built by anyone anywhere. Since the Navy introduced the weapon in 1956, it has been adopted by the Air Force, then much of the rest of the modern world. Even today, variants of the AIM-9 are still in use all over the world.

So are rip-offs of the same future technology.

Sidewinders are cheap, effective, and are also the most successful missile ever developed with more than 270 air-to-air kills in its operational history. One of those kills should have been a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force MIG-17 in the skies over the Strait of Taiwan on September 28, 1958, but it wasnt to be.

One nationalist Sidewinder missile hit a Chinese communist MiG-17 over the strait, but the missile didnt explode on impact. Instead it embedded itself into the aircraft, which limped home with a missile in its belly.

Eventually, the communists reverse-engineered the brilliant, easily produced weapon, creating the Soviet K-13 weapon. Everything about the original K-13 missiles were stolen and within three years, the Soviets were using NATOs own new missile against them.

Original post:
The best Cold War communist military technology was all stolen from the West - We Are The Mighty

Political deadlock is not confined to the election of the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament and the formation of the government. It is also expressed in the manifestations of the deep crisis of the political process that is based on this system, which is breeding failure and corruption.

The statement added that "the ongoing struggle for power, among the ruling forces, does not represent a struggle over projects for state-building, but rather an extension of the fighting over sharing wealth and influence."

It continued: "In this sense, any new government formed according to the power-sharing quota approach will be doomed to failure, whoever is assigned to head it. Such a government will not differ, in essence, from any governments formed on the basis of ethno-sectarian power-sharing in the past years."

It warned that the insistence on continuing this approach will only deepen the crisis and open the way to dangerous paths that threaten the constitutional and democratic construction of the state and civil peace.

The partys statement also said: Based on our concern for consolidating peaceful, democratic political action, we call for the organisation of fair and honest early elections that express the true will of the Iraqis, to be organised by a truly independent interim government that enjoys national acceptance."

It added, "At this sensitive juncture, we reaffirm our democratic, patriotic, political project, which calls for Comprehensive Change to build a democratic civil state on the basis of citizenship and social justice.. a change to achieve the aspirations of our people for a free and dignified life."

"Therefore, all democratic civil forces and personalities, and the patriotic forces of change, who have not been involved in the crises, are called upon to unify efforts and organize their ranks to create a national balance of forces that provides a political alternative to the ethno-sectarian power-sharing system. This alternative has a real vision and opens up prospects towards building a state of citizenship and social justice.

View original post here:
Iraq Crisis: Communist Party calls for early elections organised by an independent interim government - In Defense of Communism

Two events separated by a mere six months in 1949 the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China by the Chinese Communist Party shaped the world as we know it today.

During the Cold War, NATO was a key stabilizing force in Europe and a bulwark against communism. And, as weve seen recently, the threat of land wars in Europe did not end with the fall of the Soviet Union. NATO remains a vital source of stability and security on the European continent.

The same cannot be said of the CCP, which is playing a zero-sum game that requires America and its allies to fade away. In recent decades, the CCP has taken steps to make that happen, methodically undermining our economic strength by stealing critical technology, manufacturing capacity, and jobs from America and our allies.

In Beijing, we face an adversary with not only a formidable military and growing nuclear arsenal but also control of critical supply chains and an influence over global markets the old Soviet Union never enjoyed. Great power competition between the U.S. and China is the single most consequential contest of the 21st century. If we lose, it will usher in a dark age of exploitation, conquest, and totalitarianism and Americans way of life will be much worse than it is today.

Those are the stakes, and they must form the lens through which we view every policy decision we make, both domestic and foreign including whether to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Fortunately, Finland and Sweden are strong, stable countries with a long history of security cooperation with NATO allies. They are committed to national defense and would more than live up to their NATO obligations. Finland already spends more than the required 2% of gross domestic product on its military, and Sweden is on a fast track to do the same. Both nations require military service of their citizens.

Simply put, NATO would be stronger with Finland and Sweden. And while President Joe Bidens record is proof that weakness invites aggression and breeds chaos, the converse is also true. As Ronald Reagan would say, peace comes through strength.

Some in Washington believe the only way to show strength in the face of Putins aggression is to double down on Americas security commitments in Europe. More troops. More equipment. More time. In fact, that seems to be Bidens approach as he continues to deploy military personnel to the region.

That is a mistake. Not only does it keep much-needed resources from the Indo-Pacific, it also ignores the military capability and economic resources of our European allies, both of which increase significantly if Finland and Sweden join NATO.

Americas resources are not endless, and our leaders need to be realistic and prioritize the greatest global threat facing our nation. Beijings days of quietly amassing economic power and biding its time are over. Under General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CCP is increasingly assertive and militarily aggressive, bullying U.S. allies and openly provoking its neighbors.

Thats why we need more troops, more ships and aircraft, and more funding for our presence in the Indo-Pacific. Thats why we need to encourage and enhance our relationships with our allies and partners in Beijings crosshairs, including those in the Western Hemisphere, such as Brazil and Panama. The CCP has been preparing to overturn American dominance for decades. We must give China our full attention if were going to defeat Xis bid for dominance.

Its been 73 years since NATO and Communist China came into existence. During that time, one has been a source of security and stability, bringing relative peace and prosperity to the world. The other has become Americas greatest foreign adversary.

A strong and unified NATO is a powerful asset in the contest with Beijing. When Finland and Sweden join the alliances ranks and the free peoples of Europe become stronger than ever, more U.S. resources will be available to focus on countering Communist China. If we do not rise to the challenge, it will be too late, and Americans will be held hostage by a totalitarian regime half a world away.

Marco Rubio is a U.S. senator for Florida and the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as a ranking member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Read more:
A stronger NATO allows America to focus on the threat of Communist China - Washington Examiner

In case you hadn't noticed, communism, is knocking on our door. And if we carry on at this rate, it will break it down. Whilst the pandemic, disgracefully saw the West, sacrificing it's liberal principles, by introducing Chinese-style lockdowns, to stop Covid, a policy, which in my view spectacularly failed, it added, insult to injury, by using establishment media outlets and high profile scientists and medics, to crush debate around Covid measures.

And anyone, that didn't follow the narrative, whether it was on masks, lockdowns or vaccines was demonised as a bad person. There are all techniques, adopted by totalitarian regimes. Control the narrative, control the media message and get ordinary citizens, to police each other's thinking.

Remember during the pandemic, when neighbours were grassing each other up, for going out more, than once a day? The old curtain twitchers. Thats something the Stasi, or chairman Mao, would have looked upon proudly.

The principle that a state directive is for the common good, was established during the pandemic, and is the ultimate weapon of tyranny, which will continue to be used, in relation to other so-called emergencies, including heatwaves, energy crises and climate change.

What is shocking, is not that the outdated and perpetually discredited ideology of communism, is still knocking about. It's the way that the so-called democratic West, has allowed it to encroach upon our lives, as hard left woke ideology infects our institutions, corporations and the media. The behavioural scientist Susan Michie,

Nicknamed Stalins nanny, an adviser to Sage, has helped deploy the dark arts of public manipulation, has shaped and, in my view, ultimately damaged our society, with the peddling of masking, lockdowns AND self isolation.

These are all deeply illiberal policies, not remotely in the spirit of free, democratic societies, which were championed by the likes of Michie, but which have left us, with a poorer, sicker, angrier and diminished society.

The push for communism is a global one. If you think I'm exaggerating, the aforementioned Michie has been promoted to a new position, of chair of the behavioural advisory group, at the world health organisation, which I like to call the world hell organisation.

Meanwhile the WHO are seeking to create an international treaty, in which this unelected cabal, which admires China, turned a blind eye to President Xis covid cover up and praised Chinas pandemic policies, will seek the powers, to lock us down and mask us whenever they fancy, irrespective of the views of national governments.

So much for sovereignty eh? And in fact mild communism, has been government policy since March 2020. Paying healthy people to stay at home and do nothing, and smashing our economy against a brick wall and closing once viable businesses, isnt very Western is it? And capitalism, it aint. The state being responsible not just for your health, but even your income, set a dangerous new precedent, with siren voices from the hard left, now calling for inflation busting pay rises, across the whole of the public sector, which risks Venezuelan, levels of inflation and Greek levels of debt.

And as with all Communist regimes the truth is the first casualty we are seeing it in Britain. Communist style woke ideology, ignores the basic facts of human biology, by declaring that men are women and women are men. Thank god the wretched tavistock centre which has been chopping organs off youngsters and blocking

their puberty with medication, is to be closed down. Heres what my new political hero Kemi Badenoch had to say about the decision.I cant state enough how profound this decision is. Theres lots I can say now Im no longer equalities minister -personal testimonies heard of destroyed childhoods, protecting whistleblowing clinicians from endless harassment by twitter activists

The basic laws of economics have been assaulted, with the idea that printing trillions of pounds worth of empty money, won't be inflationary and will do no harm. And whilst the vaccine is great for the vulnerable, its only this bizarre collectivist mindset that requires kids and healthy youngsters to have the jab.

With a degree of risk from the jab, but scarce threat from the virus to youngsters, whatever happened to first do no harm. It went out, after the hellish marriage, of big state and big pharma. Communism is a hateful regime which seeks division at every turn.

Divide and conquer and all that. Well we're seeing it with ideas like critical race theory, which is a contested view that the colour of your skin marks you out as inherently prejudicial. Its a controversial idea currently being peddled in our civil service. Take a look at this

Civil servants told about white privilege and that Britain is racist in woke training video. White officials should never contradict people from ethnic minorities.

Pretty patronising to people of colour that isnt it, and arguably racist, in so many different ways, towards everyone. Racism is the most evil stain on humanity, but the only answer is for us to come together; to reaffirm that we are all Brits, we are all human beings, we are all precious and we are all brothers and sisters, in the eyes of God. Whoever your god may be. But when it comes to the church of woke, dont let the facts, get in the way of a good story.

New data. Doesn't fit the narrative ... Progression rate into British unis by ethnic group Chinese 81% Asian 65.7% Black 62.1% Mixed 48.1% White 39.7% White kids on free school meals the least likely of all, to go to uni. Just 13.6% do

We must tackle poverty and inequality, and lift everyone up, as one community. But this new wave of communism hates all that it hates the flag, it hates nationhood, it hates family, it hates history, it hates unity. Its only currency, is division.

Its a very communist idea to rewrite history, which we are now doing with Britain, a country which exported liberal ideas, democracy, free speech and free enterprise.

Oh and after century after century of slavery, we were the first global power, to bring it to an end. But this new variant of communism, is infiltrating our institutions, including schools and universities, who would have you believe Britain's a dreadful country, with a shameful history. Well shame on them.

The RMT union are said to be seeking a general strike, in which all of our industries down tools ,supposedly to improve the lot of workers. But what will it really do? It will bring down the government, perhaps something they want. But it will be something more than that. It will be step one, in dismantling our capitalist system, one which has seen unprecedented prosperity, and has lifted billions out of poverty globally.

Since the economic horror show of the 1970s, Britain has become the fifth biggest economy in the world; that wasn't achieved by communism. It was achieved by capitalism, which is now a four letter word. What our country stands for is under attack. It's the collective over the individual, it's the state over families, it's the ideology over science, wisdom, experience and common sense. So-called wokeism is a cult they are a bunch of utter cults.

Woke ideology sees five-year-olds coming home from primary school, asking their parents if they're racist, and which thinks its ok for grown men, packing a full meat and two veg, to race past women in the swimming pool or break their neck in a rugby field. Are we going to wait, for the first life changing injury or death of a biological female, at the hands of a trans woman in sport? This new wave of communism, communism 2.0, is the virus we can stop and must stop. And we do it by falling back on the values, that make this country great. Reason, argument, free speech, fairness, tolerance, freedom, democracy, individualism and basic human decency and dignity.

The extreme woke left, that millions of labour supporters hate too, loathe this country, and are seeking to destroy everything it stands for.

If we yield to wokeism, which is communism in all but name, if we yield to the hard left, we will be left, with nothing at all. Marx my words, communism is back, and we have to defeat it all over again.

Excerpt from:
If we yield to wokeism, we will be left with nothing at all, Marx my words, communism is back, we have to defeat it again, says Mark Dolan - GB News