Folklore festival on peaceful coexistence held in Erbil; Beth Nahrain Organization for Women holds 10th Art Exhibition in Baghdede

ERBIL and BAGHDEDE, Iraq — The Women are the World Life Spring Forum held the Folklore Festival on Peaceful Coexistence at martyr Sami Abdul Rahman Park in Erbil on Friday.

At the invitation of the Forum, the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (HBA) participated. The festival aims to spread cultural understanding as well as support sustainable development by showcasing handicrafts and paintings of fine art of different cultures coexisting in Iraq.

In other news, the Beth Nahrain Organization for Women (BNOW) opened the 10th Art Exhibition in Baghdede in Nineveh Plains with the support of German non-profit Schmitz Stiftungen.

The opening of the exhibition comes after the end of the three-month painting course with the participation of 25 students.

The opening was attended by Qusay Slewa, head of the Relations Office of the HBA, representatives of government institutions, media, members of the BNOW, and parents of students.

The opening ceremony began with a minute of silence for martyrs, after which the organization’s president Hanan Matti Touma delivered a speech explaining the importance of painting and other forms of expression in dealing with psychological trauma.

Certificates of appreciation were then distributed with a copy of the Bible to all participants provided by the donor organization.

The exhibition included more than 30 paintings by the students participating in the course.