On team during this period were Rosemarie Milazzo and Chihchun Yuan.

IDP Camp (Internally Displaced Persons)
The team visited the IDP camp regularly, but was not able to talk to any IDP representatives.  The IDP camp in Bastesan was in crisis.  The number of remaining IDP families dropped from ten families in the beginning of September to two families at the end of the month.  The families in the camp complained they could not get any help, because other IDPs were living outside the camp.  

On 17 September, Mr. Mohamed told the team, “We are not united.  People only take care of themselves now…They leave us here and only come back to get materials…We are only few families here and we are blamed by the other people not taking care of the other tents…We want people make a decision to keep this camp or close this camp.  If they decide to close the camp, we will go to the other place.  If they want to keep the camp, they need to come back here…Sometimes when the NGOS came, they saw we were only six families, four families.  Maybe that is the reason we cannot get help….  The families here have different needs than the other families that still have a little bit money to rent the house in the town.  The families staying the camp really need help.”

From different NGO resources, the team got the information that the local mayor prevented NGOs from giving to the Bastesan IDP camp because they are long-term IDPs.  In addition, Dr. Braham Salah (KRG Prime Minister) gave permission to build houses to other IDPs in preparation for winter, but not for the long-term IDPs.   

The team prepared another picnic activity in the IDP camp, hoping to bring the IDPs back to talk among themselves.  The team thought both the local people and NGOs would participate, but the local NGO network dropped out for many different reasons.
 
Peace-Building Activity
The team met a small group of people from Kirkuk and discussed what the human rights of Kirkukians were and how the government has responded to those needs.  The team thought they would say they wanted water and electricity.  However, they responded by saying they wanted freedom of speech, education, and fair judicial processes.  Someone from the group said the government wants to “trap” people in the water and electricity shortage and ignore about the other rights. 

The team had its first story- sharing activity in the public library on 24 September.  While few people attended, due to misunderstandings, the library staff came and had a great conversation with the team.  One woman shared a story of her brother, who was on the Turkish Ship bringing help to Gaza that the Israeli military ambushed.  Several people on the boat died in the attack.  

Eid Celebration
 The team baked and took cakes to a neighbor's house and wished them Blessings of Eid.  In the evening, the team also received some pastry and fried bread from the neighbors.  The team went to a lake to celebrate the Eid.  At the lake site, one of the fishermen invited the team into his boat while he went fishing.  Later the team was invited to meet the fishermen’s families and had lunch.  One man told the story of how he was jailed for a couple months in UK because he refused to return Iraq voluntarily.  He was in the UK for seven years before the government forced to him to leave.