LocationsOne Encounter, One Conversation, One Step Closer to Home
July 29, 2026
In western Anbar, a journey that began with hesitation ended with hope. Through dialogue, trust and locally led solutions, communities are finding a path towards reconciliation and the safe return of displaced families.
For years, Saada Village in Al-Qa'im District has carried the heavy legacy of conflict. Families were displaced, communities fractured, and trust became one of the hardest things to rebuild. While homes can be repaired and infrastructure restored, reconciliation takes something more difficult: listening, courage, and the willingness to see one another beyond the past.
Over recent weeks, that journey took several important steps forward.
Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and led by the Iraqi Office of National Security Advisory (ONSA), local authorities, tribal leaders and community representatives came together through a series of reconciliation meetings, field visits and community dialogues aimed at supporting the safe, voluntary and dignified return of families displaced by conflict. These efforts built on an earlier reconciliation workshop that brought together government institutions, security actors, tribal leaders, women returnees and community representatives to identify practical solutions for strengthening social cohesion and sustainable reintegration.
What unfolded over those days demonstrated that rebuilding trust is not achieved in a single meeting. It is built conversation by conversation, family by family.
Listening before deciding
One of the most significant moments in this process stemmed from a decision reached during the Dialogue Conference held in Erbil in early May, where participants agreed that tribal leaders and village Mukhtars should visit Al-Amal Centre to meet women and children from Saada Village who had yet to return home. The visit served as a confidence-building measure, giving community leaders the opportunity to engage directly with the families, listen to their stories, understand the challenges they continue to face, and help bridge the trust needed to advance reconciliation.
Rather than discussing families from a distance, the delegation sat with them individually, listening to their experiences, concerns and hopes for the future. Families spoke openly about security fears, unresolved property disputes, missing civil documentation, livelihoods and the uncertainty surrounding their return. They also expressed a genuine desire to return safely and contribute once again to the communities they had left behind. UNDP monitored the process to help ensure that assessments were conducted transparently and in a manner that respected the dignity of each family.
For many participants, it was the first opportunity to hear directly from those whose lives had been shaped by years of displacement.
When one encounter changed everything
Among the delegation was a village Mukhtar who had arrived firmly opposed to the return of the remaining families.
Like many others, his views had been shaped by painful memories of the violence that devastated his community during the ISIL occupation. The suffering was real, and so were the fears.
Then something unexpected happened.
During one of the individual family interviews, a woman's name was called.
The Mukhtar froze.
"Please let her come in," he said quietly. "I know her very well."
Moments later, the woman entered the room.
She was his sister.
For more than seven years, they had been separated. After her husband was killed during the conflict, she had disappeared into displacement. Neither knew if the other was alive.
When they met, they embraced through tears.
In that moment, the conversation was no longer about lists, approvals or objections. It became about a sister who had lost her husband, children who had grown up in displacement, and a family finally reunited after years of uncertainty.
Everyone in the room witnessed something extraordinary.
Not a political agreement.
Not a legal decision.
A human connection.
The journey home was different.
The Mukhtar no longer saw only the conflict that had divided his community. He began to distinguish between those responsible for crimes and the many women and children who had themselves become victims of violence, loss and displacement.
Back in Saada Village, he shared that experience with fellow tribal leaders and community members, encouraging them to approach the remaining return cases with justice, compassion and humanity.
Sometimes, reconciliation begins with nothing more than meeting someone face to face.
Communities leading the way
Just days later, tribal leaders, village representatives, government officials and community members gathered once again, this time in the Mudhif of Sheikh Iyad Sattam, Paramount Sheikh of the Albu Mahal Tribe, to continue the dialogue.
Discussions were frank.
Participants acknowledged that unresolved property disputes remain one of the biggest obstacles preventing families from returning. Rather than allowing these challenges to stall progress, they agreed on practical, locally owned solutions.
A community committee was established to identify occupied properties, verify ownership and submit recommendations to support legal procedures for restoring property rights. A second technical committee was created to assess the value of land and properties for families choosing voluntary relocation, ensuring decisions are informed and fair. Participants also agreed that a limited number of complex cases would require further dialogue, while the majority of eligible families could proceed with return under government procedures.
These were not decisions imposed from outside.
They were solutions developed by the community itself.
Building peace that lasts
The reconciliation process also highlighted that successful return extends beyond security.
Families emphasised the need for livelihoods, psychosocial support, legal assistance and access to basic services. They called for continued support to help rebuild not only homes, but confidence, dignity and hope. Field observations also reinforced the importance of addressing mental health needs, property disputes and legal documentation as essential elements of sustainable reintegration.
For UNDP, supporting these conversations is about much more than facilitating meetings.
It is about creating safe spaces where difficult conversations can happen, helping communities find common ground, and supporting Iraqi institutions and local leaders as they develop lasting solutions rooted in dialogue and the rule of law.
Peace is not built through agreements alone.
It grows when communities begin listening to one another again.
In Saada Village, one unexpected reunion reminded everyone present that behind every case file is a family, behind every disagreement is a story, and behind every successful return is the possibility of rebuilding trust.
Sometimes, all it takes is one encounter to change a perspective, and one changed perspective to help an entire community move forward.
The UNDP Reintegration and Social Cohesion Programme is supported by the Governments of Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Denmark and the European Union -FPI