Impact stories, field insights, research findings, and program updates from Aligning Cultures' work serving conflict-affected communities across Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Mauritania, and the broader MENA region.
PeacebuildingFebruary 2026 · 7 min read
Military victory ends battles. It does not end extremism. On International PVE Day, Aligning Cultures reflects on what it truly takes to prevent violent extremism in Iraq, Syria, and across the MENA region.
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LeadershipJanuary 2026 · 6 min read
When a security situation collapses — as it did in Northeast Syria in late 2024 — the organizations that hold communities together are rarely the ones with the most resources. They are the ones with the clearest heads.
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PeacebuildingNovember 2025 · 5 min read
"There are no wounded — all killed." These words from El Fasher, Darfur capture something that statistics cannot: the totality of destruction that modern conflict inflicts on civilian populations.
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Local LeadershipSeptember 2025 · 6 min read
A local CSO director in Darfur handed over a complete proposal — no credit, no consortium, no positions — because El Fasher needed help and he refused to let process stand in the way.
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Gender EqualityMarch 2025 · 4 min read
Sustainable peace and community resilience are only possible when every voice is heard. This International Women's Day, Aligning Cultures celebrates the women across MENA at the front lines of transforming conflict into collaboration.
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Impact StoryFebruary 2025 · 5 min read
Behind every statistic on displacement is a person with a mission. For Mrs. Oras Aabd, educational supervisor in Iraq, that mission became a calling — helping over 200 displaced families find their way home.
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ResearchDecember 2024 · 5 min read
What communities in Anbar, Ninewa, and Diyala told us about media, misinformation, and trust. Field research findings from three Iraqi provinces on how conflict-affected communities navigate the information landscape.
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MethodologyOctober 2024 · 6 min read
What do people in a conflict-affected community believe? Who do they trust? What do they fear? These questions are the foundation of any peacebuilding intervention that hopes to last.
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InclusionAugust 2024 · 5 min read
At three years old, Najla Imad Lafta lost three limbs to a bomb attack in Baqouba, Iraq. Years later, she stood on a podium with a gold medal. Her triumph is extraordinary — and so is the system she had to fight against.
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Civic EngagementJune 2024 · 4 min read
Raising your voice is a start. But turning that voice into lasting change requires something more deliberate: a strategy. Aligning Cultures supports civic actors in conflict-affected communities across MENA to build that strategy.
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Impact StoryMarch 2025 · 4 min read
How a Telegram channel built by an AC partner in Diyala Governorate connected 39 unemployed youth with private sector employers — a grassroots solution to a region-wide challenge.
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Program UpdateFebruary 2025 · 3 min read
Aligning Cultures is expanding to Somalia. We have identified local partners for a GCERF opportunity to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism in Bay and Bakool, Southwest State.
Read MoreAligning Cultures delivers nine specialized services across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa — from conflict prevention and CVE rehabilitation to fiscal sponsorship for local organizations.
Locally led crisis committees, IDP reintegration, and social cohesion programming that interrupt cycles of violence in Iraq, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
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Counter-narrative content, counter-disinformation programs, and community messaging champion training that interrupt extremist narratives and build resilience to false information across Iraq, Yemen, and MENA.
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Gender-transformative programs advancing women's political participation, economic independence, and GBV prevention — engaging men as accountable partners for change across Iraq, Yemen, and the MENA region.
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Market-driven youth livelihoods programs combining labor market research, digital skills training, employer engagement, and MSME support — reaching 8,000+ youth across Iraq with explicit inclusion targets.
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Tailored organizational development for civil society organizations — proposal writing, MEL frameworks, fundraising strategy, and donor compliance — supporting 25 local organizations across Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia.
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A US 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship umbrella enabling civil society organizations in Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, and Syria to access international donor funding, manage grants compliantly, and build donor credibility.
Learn MoreAlso offering: CVE & Rehabilitation, MEL, and Technology & GenAI for Development
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