In 2023, the Sinjar Academy (SA), supported by our team at the Antiquities Coalition (AC), launched educational initiatives designed to teach the Yazidi community about its history and heritage. This effort stemmed from earlier work the AC had done on cultural heritage preservation with Yazidi partners, in our case, the video documentation of Yazidi cultural practice, including music, cooking, and religious celebrations that are critical to community memory. As Yazidis know, there is a dearth of written material about their heritage, so in order to document culture, you have to record people singing, talking, telling stories, and worshiping.

This multi-year project, "Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Minority Communities in Iraq," is supported by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Our preservation work began with partners at the social services organization Yazda, with whom we made a database of 45 videos of various cultural practices chosen by Yazidi cultural leaders. The videos are available at the Yazidi Cultural Preservation website.

These videos reveal a vast amount of information about Yazidi culture and we recognized that an educational component to share the messages of culture and the importance of its preservation would be the next step. We turned to the highly-valued Sinjar Academy for this and after a year, have a remarkable list of accomplishments.

The Sinjar Academy and its President Murad Ismail have led the way, along with our Research Director, Professor Alda Benjamen of the University of Dayton. They have established an impressive advisory board on Yazidi culture and history, designed and authored a complete heritage curriculum for students and adults, and begun in-person heritage instruction with hundreds of Yazidi students and online instruction with a more diverse, international group, all interested in learning about the story and cultural expression of the Yazidi people, as told by Yazidis themselves.

This online exhibition is part of that work. Earlier this year at the University of Dayton, where she is a Professor in the History Department, Dr. Benjamen mentored a group of interns. They created cultural digital projects in cooperation with students in northern Iraq. Undergraduates Yasmin Nassar and Maria Gomez were paired with Sinjar Academy students, under the guidance of Mrs. Kim Polo. These volunteers included Ali Farman, Amina Jameel, Dalia Idress, Janan Khider, Manhal Ibrahem, Nawaf Khudeda, Ronny Saeed, Salam Qasim, Samia Alias, and Samira Shebo. Their project is called “Yazidi Cultural Heritage'' and its introduction, written by Yasmin and Maria and quoted in the next paragraph, does justice to its goals.

This immersive experience aims to Illuminate the profound values embedded within Yezidi's religious beliefs. Beyond storytelling, this project holds significant importance in its mission to relieve a common misconception surrounding the Yezidis. By offering an accurate portrayal and fostering empathy, we strive to empower external communities with a deeper understanding of the Yezidis. Through awareness and support, we attempt to mitigate the injustices faced by the Yezidi people and advocate for their rights, ultimately contributing to the end of persecution against this resilient community.

As we mark the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, we remember all that was lost with overwhelming sadness. And with this digital project, we hope that the message of who the Yazidis are, of what they believe, and of our shared humanity inspires understanding and justice. Congratulations to all.

Sincerely,

Peter Herdrich

Executive Project Director

Co-founder, The Antiquities Coalition