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Ambassador Nadia Murad unveils memorial in Germany

 - Lotterynews

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide, Postcode Lotteries' international ambassador and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad recently unveiled a special memorial, 'Mother & Justice', in Stuttgart, Germany.

Picture: Nadia Murad (L) and Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg Mr. Winfried Kretschmann (R) unveiling the sculpture

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide that took place in northern Iraq. On August 3, 2014, ISIS invaded the Sinjar region and began their genocidal campaign against the Yazidi community. Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis were displaced, and thousands more were murdered or taken into captivity.

Hope and strength
To commemorate the anniversary, Postcode Lotteries international ambassador and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, founder of Nadia’s Initiative, unveiled a special sculpture, 'Mother & Justice', in Stuttgart, Germany. This life-sized memorial, depicting a mother and her children bound with the scales of justice, stands as a symbol of hope and strength for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence worldwide.

The memorial was inspired by the first Yazidi survivor to win a judgment in Germany against an ISIS member. To date, there have been eight convictions globally, all of which have taken place in Germany.

Nadia Murad continues her tireless efforts to rebuild communities in crisis, particularly her devastated homeland in northern Iraq, and advocating for survivors of sexual violence.

Her foundation is a long-term partner of the Nationale Postcode Loterij and receives also major funding from the Deutsche Postcode Lotterie.

A beacon of hope
Nadia Murad was joined at this event by survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, Ms. Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg Mr. Winfried Kretschmann, and many other esteemed guests.

Nadia Murad with survivors at the event in Germany

Nadia Murad with survivors at the event in Germany

The event underlined the importance of holding perpetrators accountable, especially as conflict and conflict-related sexual violence continue to rise globally. The memorial not only highlights the harrowing stories of Yazidi survivors but also serves as a beacon of hope that justice is achievable.

To learn more about the mobile memorial, visit Mother & Justice.

'Our Work is Not Done'
On August 3, people all over the world will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. This year's theme is 'Our Work is Not Done'. Over the past 10 years, progress has been made: several ISIS members have been held accountable, mass graves exhumed, livelihoods restored, and schools and healthcare centers rehabilitated, allowing Yazidis to return home.

Watch video
In 2022, Nadia Murad visited the Postcode Lottery Group in the Netherlands. She was interviewed about her fight for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. The Postcode Lotteries support Nadia’s Initiative.