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Magreb Alternative Youth Art Center
One of the places we visited that we saw glimpses of hope and peace in the eyes of children was the Magreb Youth Art Center. This center seeks to offer alternatives to the violence of war. It is a remarkable school where children learn theater, how to make pottery, to use computers, to play instruments, and to sew, among other things. This is a model center which should be replicated throughout Iraq. Unfortunately, due to the lack of security there are few NGO's still working in Iraq and little money available for such projects. This center is currently being funded by a Norweigan NGO and by the Norweigan government. But we were also told that future funding for the center had not yet been secured.
Many people with whom we met complained that throughout Iraq schools were getting their walls painted to make them appear new and functional; but most still did not have adequate supplies nor were they able to meet the basic needs of the teachers or the children.
