Iraqi Voices hosts Ali Al-Saffar, the MENA Programme Manager at the International Energy Agency, to discuss the recent electricity shutdown, the obstacles to reforming the sector, and the energy dependency handcuffing Iraq to unreliable energy supplies.

Since taking office two years ago, KRG prime minister Masrour Barzani has taken an increasingly authoritarian stance on political dissent in Iraqi Kurdistan. Public freedoms have been curtailed, including the unlawful detention of activists and journalists. Kamal Chomani describes this worrying trend and also speaks about the plight of Yazidis and the ongoing Turkish military incursions.

Iraqi youth took to the streets this week and demanded answers from the government on numerous assassinations and disappearances of activists. Despite the formation of multiple investigative committees, no one has been held accountable for these crimes. We speak with Sajad Jiyad from The Century Foundation on the protest movement's current trajectory and its potential impact on the upcoming elections.

The new round of violence in Palestine has captured the world's attention. Iraqis have demonstrated in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli aggression. We hear from LA Times correspondent Nabih Bulos on how media portrayals have shifted and what Iraqis can do to support the Palestinian cause.

What are best practices for dealing with conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV)? Why is Iraq's Yazidi Survivors Law a landmark legislation and what does it offer to the victims of Daesh? Hajar Baker, a human rights legal researcher, offers some important insights.

Iraqi Voices hosts Akel Al-Ansari, a commercial banking specialist, to discuss the current state of the banking sector in Iraq and what is needed to fulfill its true potential.

Iraq's parliament approved the contentious 2021 federal budget on March 31. Hassan Hadad and Ali Al-Mawlawi discuss whether the budget reflects aspirations for reform, and unpack issues around the dinar devaluation, the KRG's share, and why it took so long to pass the budget. To read more on dinar devaluation, click here.

What does Pope Francis’ meeting with Grand Ayatollah Sistani say about Najaf’s role in Iraq's political and social milieu? Iraqi Voices hosts Dr. Marsin Alshamary to shed light on the intricacies of this role. For background reading on this episode, click here.

A year into the global pandemic, several countries in the Middle East are on track to scale up vaccine rollout, but not Iraq. We examine why this is the case, with policy analyst Ali Al-Mawlawi.

For background reading on today’s episode, click here.