Despite almost 30 years of despotic rule by Saddam Hussein there remains significant remnants of democracy which can facilitate the reconstruction effort.

The Institute for the Art of Governance’s primary objective is to provide Iraq’s future political, business and social leaders with the knowledge to institute and maintain democratic modes of governance in the context of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural structures. The specific purpose of the democracy training program is two-fold: 1) to educate and provide the present and future Iraqi leadership with basic democratic principles necessary to carry out their duties as public elected officials, and 2) to use this knowledge to lay the intellectual and institutional foundations for managing the transition of Iraq from a dictator state to a democracy.

Participants will be selected by an in-country team in consultation with international agencies, and leaders of the Shi’ah, Arab Sunni and Kurdish communities. The training include 144 hours of intensive classroom instruction in the process of democracy, over 200 hours of internships in congressional offices, plus field trips and participation in group projects.

The Art of Governance Project is designed to both assist the Iraqi people with the ongoing historical changes that affect the entire Middle East region and to facilitate the full transition to democracy.    The purpose of this project is to establish methods and policies to enable the Iraqi people to manage the process of democratization. Therefore its success is dependent on two major prerequisites: Firstly, there must be a favorable policy environment in Iraq that will help translate theoretical insights into practice and will allow implementation of the reforms.  Secondly, the project requires the direct participation and assistance from a country, namely the United States that can share its experience and history in the democratic governance of a multi-ethnic society.  Therefore the US involvement is essential to establish this form of global cooperation that can further the growth of democratization across international boundaries.

To date, the Institute for Art of Governance is the only organization endeavoring to teach democratic principles to Iraqi nationals.  There is a strong commitment within the Institute to integrate democratization in the threads of Iraqi society in a manner compatible to Iraqi culture. The education of the Iraqi citizens is an exercise which will pass from generation to generation.  This is the ultimate result of the Institute’s program, instilling democratic values today and in the far future for the betterment of the Iraqi people.

Advisory Committee:

The Program will be managed by a group of people who will be the members of an advisory committee. These members are selected based on their experience in public policy matters, academics, participation in similar training programs, people with extensive knowledge on the political realities of Iraq, influential members of the different communities from Iraq, and individuals with expertise in Human rights & religious freedom laws.

Prof. Akbar Ahmad, Prof.of Islamic Studies, American University.
Ms. Ann Buwaldo, Just Law, LLC (Refugee and Human Rights Law)
Ms. Elizabeth Charbaji, Social Worker, Hungary

Congressman Benjamin Gilman, Former Member of Congress and

                                                 The Chair of House International Relations Committee
Dr. Jonathan Glenn Granoff, President Global Security Institute.
Dr. Paul Guchteneire, UNESCO, Director of Kyrgyz Program, France.
Mr. Joseph T. Kassab, President, Chaldean National Congress.
Mr. Tom Mathews, Former Member Wildlife Fund.
Ambassador Robert Seiple, President Institute for Global Engagement.

Dr. Bruce Robertson, Johns Hopkins University.

Rabbi. David Rossen, World Conference on Religions for Peace.
Honorable Nina Shea, Commissioner, USCIRF

Congressman Ronnie Shows, Former member US Congress. 

Mr. George Zoma, ChaldeanAsyrian National Council, Iraq.

Representative from Catholic University of America

Representative from George Washington University

Representative from Christian community (Iraq)
Representative from Sunni Community (Iraq)
Representative from Shi’ah community (Iraq)

Representative from the Kurdish Region (Iraq)

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