Young Iraqi volunteers from Ninawa province are preparing to launch a campaign that supports stability and co-existence in their province, which had suffered until recently from the control of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

Twenty-four young men and women of all sects on Saturday (December 23rd) completed a four-day intensive training in the city of Sulaimaniya that prepared them to lead the advocacy campaign, "Mudafaa", sponsored by Mercy Corps.

The campaign aims to consolidate stability in Ninawa province and erase the negative outcomes of ISIS’s period of control, media professional and campaign spokeswoman Nour al-Naimi told Diyaruna on Wednesday.

"As part of the year-long campaign, [participating] young people adopt various issues to defend within their local communities," she said.

Each participant has selected a certain issue as the cause they will be defending for a whole year, she added.

The issues include "social reconciliation", "resolution of conflicts between people of different sects and tribes", and "the rights of Yazidi women".

"Supporting the voluntary return of displaced persons" to their areas of origin and meeting their needs, as well as "combating extremist rhetoric", also were chosen as causes by the campaign participants.

"The young people will go to the targeted areas and address people face to face in mosques, temples and public centres, so that they can communicate their messages in support of peace and stability," said al-Naimi.

The campaign is scheduled to be launched on January 7th during a conference in Mosul under the auspices of the local Ninawa government.

"Official permits have been obtained from the Ninawa government to start work and facilitate the [participants'] tasks," she said.

The youth will co-operate with security forces, mosque imams and local leaders, including tribal chiefs and dignitaries, in order to ensure communication with the local residents, she said.