ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Foundation, a nonprofit non-governmental organization seeking to provide greater services and opportunities for the Kurdistan Region’s youth and preserving and promoting Kurdish culture, was launched in the Region’s capital Erbil on Monday.

The platform brings several entities under one umbrella and aims to contribute to the empowerment and advancement of the Kurdistan Region through equipping the youth with essential skills and capacities and facilitating job opportunities.

The Kurdistan Foundation has stated its commitment to honoring Kurdish culture, traditions, and values, and to promoting collaboration and national pride among the members of the community.

The project also aims to raise awareness for global issues like climate change and encourage citizens to be more proactive and work toward creating a sustainable and resilient Kurdistan Region.

VolunteerKRD, JobsKRD, EmpowerKRD, ClimateKRD, Youth Hub, and other special projects are included under the Kurdistan Foundation umbrella. The platforms have already created tens of thousands of opportunities for the Kurdistan Region’s youth.

Areen Masrour Barzani, founder of Kurdistan Foundation, has described the project as “deeply personal,” as he hopes to carry on his family’s legacy and honor their vision for the Kurdistan Region through “adapting to an ever-evolving Kurdistan in a globalized world.”

“One example of this collective success is JobsKRD, which created 2,000 jobs last year. VolunteerKRD engaged over 9,000 volunteers, 500 initiatives, and trained 1,200 youth,” said Barzani at the launch ceremony, noting “this is just the beginning.”

Barzani stated that they aim to expand the volunteering network to 25,000 members, create 20,000 job opportunities, and support hundreds of projects by next year, while stressing that the foundation’s immediate priority is addressing the “existential threat” of climate change through the ClimateKRD platform.

"Our agenda is ambitious yet achievable; to address the challenges of today, honor the resilience of our past, and seize the opportunities of tomorrow," said the founder.