Conference "From Iraq to Italy: Youth visions for Peace and Security", Rome, 18 June 2026

On Thursday, 18 June 2026, the final conference of the “Youth Peace & Security in Italy and Iraq” project will be held in Rome at Palazzo Valentini – the Council Chamber of the Metropolitan City of Rome. The project is coordinated by the Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” of the University of Padova, in partnership with Un Ponte Per (Italy) and the Peace and Freedom Organization (Iraq), and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Directorate General for Political and Security Affairs.

The conference is hosted with the support of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital at Palazzo Valentini to foster dialogue among institutions, universities, civil society, and young people from Iraq and Italy on the “Youth, Peace, and Security” agenda.

An Iraqi delegation of institutional and civil society representatives, involved in drafting the Iraqi National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security, will participate.

The event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation in IT/EN/AR (headphones).

A light lunch will be provided for all participants at the end of the morning session.

The conference is open to the public, but registration is required at the following link: https://forms.microsoft.com/e/AR3PXDPHWq 

Programme

10:00 - Institutional greetings
Host welcome – Tiziana Biolghini (Metropolitan City of Rome)
Iraqi Min. Youth & Sports - Ameer Al Shibli
Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, Min. Culture & Youth - Jamal Hussein Rahim
UNFPA Iraq – Suha Nimr

10:15 - Opening remarks 
Human Rights Centre, University of Padova (lead entity) – Prof. Paolo De Stefani (online)
UPP (Italian partner) – Fabio Alberti
PFO (Iraqi partner) – Abdulrahman Karim (online)

10:30 - Panel 1: Young Voices from the project “Youth, Peace and Security in Iraq and Italy”
Brief introduction to the project
Testimony from a young Iraqi scholarship recipient
Testimony from students who attended the study trip in Iraq (University of Padova)
Screening of the video storytelling (trailer)
Moderator: Anna Cicala (University of Padova – Human Rights Centre)

11:00 - Panel 2: Advocating for the YPS Agenda in Iraq and Italy
Network 2250 Iraq - Ayat Abulateef and Ahmed Azawi
Network YPS Italy - Laura Pistarini and Giulia Ferraro
Moderator: Shwan Aziz (UPP)

11:45 - Coffee break

12:00 - Panel 3: YPS National Action Plans: Where Do We Stand?
MAECI – WPS Coordinator Luca Fratini
Iraqi Min. Youth & Sports - Ameer Al Shibli
UNFPA Iraq – Suha Nimr
Kurdistan Regional Government - Azmar Mohammad Khalil
Civil Service Office, Dep. Youth Policies – Laura Massoli (tbc)
Moderator: Silvia Abbà (Former UPP PM)

12:45 - Q&A

13:10 - Concluding remarks
Human Rights Centre, University of Padova – Luisa Del Turco

13:15 - Light lunch