Jiyan Foundation Condemns Attacks on Civilian Areas in Aleppo and Calls for Immediate Dialogue, De-escalation, and the Deployment of UN Peacekeeping Troops
Jiyan Foundation reiterates its call for the establishment and deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Syria as a necessary foundation for transitional justice. Such a mission would help protect endangered minorities, strengthen the rule of law, promote human rights, and support a credible and inclusive political process. All international engagements with Syria must prioritise this mission.
Jiyan Foundation and C4JR Welcome Barham Salih’s Appointment as UN High Commissioner for Refugees
The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights and the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) warmly congratulate Dr. Barham Salih on his appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We take this opportunity to recall his pivotal role in advancing justice for survivors of ISIL crimes in Iraq, particularly through his leadership in the enactment of the Yazidi Female Survivors Law (YSL).
Flood Devastates Jiyan Foundation’s Healing Garden in Chamchamal – Urgent Support Needed
The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights is deeply saddened to announce that unprecedented rainfall-induced severe flooding has devastated the Healing Garden in Chamchamal.
Learning from Iraq: Ten Transitional Justice Lessons for Syria
Learning from Iraq: Ten Transitional Justice Lessons for Syria Lessons from Iraq show that justice and peace must go hand in hand. All survivors should be able to see their tormenters called to account before a court of law and realize their right to reparations without being excluded or stigmatized. Political power-sharing and inclusive solutions for […]
Jiyan Foundation Hosts Panel Exchange on Rehabilitation and Rights of Male Survivors of ISIL Crimes
On 15 September 2025, Jiyan Foundation, in partnership with the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights, held a panel in Baghdad addressing education, psychosocial support, and economic empowerment for male survivors of ISIL, promoting justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration under the Yazidi Survivors Law.
World Humanitarian Day 2025: Protect the Protectors, Fund the Response
On World Humanitarian Day, Jiyan Foundation honors aid workers who risk their lives to serve others. With record numbers of humanitarian workers killed in 2024 and global funding at historic lows in 2025, urgent action is needed. We call on governments, donors, and the public to protect humanitarian workers, increase funding, and uphold intern
ational humanitarian law.
More Than “Ink on Paper”: Four Years Since the Adoption of the Yazidi Survivors Law
The Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) and the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights are publishing the third More than “Ink on Paper” annual report evaluating the current stage of YSL implementation. We do this in good faith and with a view to ensuring that the YSL realizes its full potential and doesn’t remain, as some survivors had put it, merely ink on paper.
A New Beginning for Syria: Towards a Future Free of Violence and Injustice
Jiyan Foundation reaffirms its commitment to expanding its work and services beyond Qamishlo to reach more Syrian people. Our focus will remain on providing essential psychological support, humanitarian aid, and fostering values of coexistence and justice.
Advancing Mental Health Support in Kurdistan Region: A Successful Conference on Providers’ Perspectives
The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights recently hosted a pivotal conference, “Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq—The Providers’ Perspective,”. This event had a big impact because it talked about important problems that mental health support in the KRI faces, such as limited access to good therapy services, strict laws for psychologists, and ongoing social stigma around mental health.
Jiyan and Human Rights
Every person has a right to enjoy “the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”*. This means that the base of our work, mental health, is a human right!
Not every state has the opportunity to help its citizens achieve this maximum level of health. Especially in countries where past conflicts and terror have traumatized many people, there is a lack of care options in the psychotherapeutic field.
The Jiyan Foundation was established in 2005 to fill this gap and to provide care for psychologically distressed survivors and bereaved families of victims of human rights violations in Iraq.