The first of three planned, interactive workshops brought together 60 participants from 45 Iraqi nongovernmental groups with 16 technologists from Iraq, the United States and other countries. It drew representatives from Baghdad regional organizations, though the September 30-October 1 event was held in Erbil in northern Iraq for security reasons. The focus was transparency and accountability, a theme that relates to much of the work these groups undertake.

The basic idea is to provide civil society groups trying to build a more peaceful, democratic and open Iraq with a practical, firsthand opportunity to learn about low-cost technologies they can use to advance their missions. The groups are working on numerous transparency-related issues inside of Iraq: improving education; defending human rights; promoting active public roles for women; protecting independent media and journalists; fostering pan-sectarian Iraqi unity; educating on public health; and conducting humanitarian and relief work, among other goals.

“We are helping the NGOs do what they believe needs doing. We don’t try to define the problems or come up with the answers,” said Noel Dickover, the Institute’s senior program officer who is directing the PeaceTech Camp effort. “We are improving the capacity of Iraq’s civil society organizations so that they can contribute more to peace and stability.”