How a Crumbly Cookie is Promoting Stability and Resilience in Iraq with the help of Some Furry Friends
USAID and Sesame Workshop are celebrating Iraq’s diversity with Ahlan Simsim Iraq
There is a famous saying in the Middle East, “…and so the tribes agreed to disagree,” describing the many moments where people are unable to see eye to eye.
For Iraq, a country historically known for boasting rich ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity, the saying could not ring more true.
Ask an Iraqi what the national dish should be, and be prepared for an intense argument between the advocates of dolma (stuffed vegetables), qouzi (lamb on top of rice), masgouf (grilled fish), and possibly even kebab (Iraqis insist that their way of kebab surpasses all other ways).
However, if there is one thing that Iraqis can agree on, it is kleicha, a stuffed, crumbly cookie.
For Iraqis, the importance of kleicha is undisputed: Muslims, Christians, Kurds, Yazidis, Turkmens, and all the other communities that call Iraq home know the cookie, love the cookie, and see it as an important part of any religious holiday or special occasion.
Through kleicha, and other shared customs, USAID and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind Sesame Street, are creating multimedia content for young Iraqis that helps them celebrate their different backgrounds while also highlighting what brings them together — like kleicha — to promote a more peaceful, inclusive, and stable country.
Once known as ancient Mesopotamia, Iraq has always been brimming with diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities that often coexisted peacefully. However, decades of war, conflict, and economic strife have left the country and its people in a state of fragility, pitting groups against each other and fracturing this mosaic of identities.
This situation particularly affects children and youth, whose exposure to violence and conflict at a young age have a direct impact on their cognitive and social development.
Providing young children with educational tools that teach mutual respect and understanding, helps promote resilience and positively shapes their world views, which they will carry into adulthood.
Together with Sesame Workshop, USAID is helping the next generation of Iraqis recover from conflict and foster a future that is more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous. USAID has partnered with Sesame Workshop to expand Ahlan Simsim, a transformational program that combines on-the-ground services for Iraqi families in crisis with engaging educational media. The program focuses on marginalized groups, creating a safe space for them to participate openly and honestly in their communities.
“As an educator in Iraq, I have seen firsthand the challenges of meeting the needs of diverse groups of students in the classroom…. By including content from different regions, ethnic groups, and religions within Iraq, students can gain a better understanding and appreciation of the country’s diversity, and can also feel more represented and valued in the classroom,” said Delveen, a senior education manager with Sesame Workshop Iraq.
But what does this look like in practice? The Sesame Workshop team in Iraq develops a learning curriculum and multimedia educational content that incorporates the diverse experiences and traditions of different backgrounds while also sharing what they have in common, like playing mhabbis, a popular game, and baking kleicha, the beloved Iraqi cookie, a buttery yeast confection stuffed with dates, walnuts, or even coconut.
In one participating school, the Sesame Workshop team invited parents from different cultural backgrounds — including Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Kurds, and Shabak — to celebrate the new year with their children. Families wore their traditional clothes and brought traditional dishes to share.
“Through Ahlan Simsim, we have created a sense of unity and understanding between people of different backgrounds that learn from each other’s unique cultures and traditions. The parents and children loved the experience and we will continue to host such events to foster respect and understanding between the different cultures in our society,” said Maha, headmaster of Toyor Alsalam Kindergarten in Tel Kayf.
By showcasing Iraq’s everyday practices and special customs, the program is helping children better understand and appreciate each other’s differences, which in turn contributes to creating a more tolerant and inclusive future generation of adults.
“As someone who has been involved in video production in Iraq, I can attest to the importance of promoting diversity through our work,” said Ihsan, a producer with Sesame Workshop in Iraq. “From the initial idea stage to the selection of children, locations, the cultural activities, or celebrations that will be highlighted in these videos, we make sure to prioritize diversity in many aspects of our video production.
“Through our commitment to diversity, we can ensure that all children in Iraq have an opportunity to learn and develop in a welcoming and inclusive environment which we believe can play a significant role in creating a more peaceful and harmonious future for Iraq.”
About the Authors
Clara McLinden is the Senior Development Outreach and Communications Specialist for the USAID Mission in Iraq. Aisha Jassim is the Communications Manager for Sesame Workshop Iraq.
About the Activity
Ahlan Simsim Iraq is a three-year activity promoting inclusion, mutual respect, and understanding among communities affected by conflict and violence. Leveraging the trust and popularity of Sesame Workshop’s Arabic language show, Ahlan Simsim Iraq is developing and delivering culturally-tailored and age-appropriate educational content for young children, services, and tools for caregivers and teachers to promote equitable learning. Ahlan Simsim Iraq is also providing training opportunities to Iraqi youth in audiovisual production and storytelling to increase meaningful participation in their communities and encourage greater tolerance across ethnic, religious, and sectarian groups.
