(Photo: Karen Elliott Greisdorf)“Real security requires trust.” That is the conviction of Dr. Mishkat Al-Moumin who was Minister for the Environment in the Iraqi transitional government and is now an adjunct professor at George Mason University. At the Trust Factor Forum in Richmond, VA in 2009 she described how in November of 2004, the tribal leaders of the Iraqi Marshlands came to her office at the Ministry of Environment.

“They came without an appointment or even a warning of their visit, since the communications in Iraq are not reliable. When they arrived, I learned that the tribal leaders wanted to see me because they had heard about my campaigns of distributing safe drinking water, and they wanted me to lead such a campaign in the Marshlands. Even with a busy day ahead of me, I felt I could not let down people who had traveled more than 339 miles to see me.

“So I interrupted my meetings and other scheduled appointments and greeted the tribal leaders. Though I already knew part of their story, I wanted to listen to them. The lifestyle of the Marsh goes back to 5000 BC. Inhabitants build their houses from reeds, and these houses float on the water. They make their livelihood from fishing and are famous for their warm hospitality, kindness and generosity. In 1993, Saddam Hussein's regime destroyed this area by building a large-scale hydro-engineering project there. The destruction created 500,000 refugees or eternally displaced people. And the beautiful Marshlands that once resembled Venice, Italy became like a dry desert!

“After the fall of Saddam's regime in 2003, the Marsh Arabs broke down the small dams that were used to block water from reaching their homeland. However, it had become salty, so no one could drink it. These people had to walk miles and miles to collect fresh water.

“At the end of my meeting with the tribal leaders in November 2004, they said I was the only policy maker who had agreed to talk with them. My response was to undertake a new project to assess heath and environmental concerns in the Marshlands. It entailed cooperating with the United Nations Environment Program to rehabilitate this area, for which I successfully raised funds. Then, I invited the Marsh Arabs to attend any meeting related to the rehabilitation process. In time, I came to trust them and I felt that they also trusted me. I had promised them a water assessment campaign and a rehabilitation process, and I delivered. We had built a trust-trust relationship.

“I must say I learned a lot from the Marsh Arabs, both men and women. I learned what effective listening is; I learned to listen to someone’s problem and be able to reflect with some suggestions. I learned that policy makers must build trust to create real security, and they can build trust by delivering on their promise no matter what.”

Dr. Mishkat Al-Moumin has just opened a new office of WATEO (Women and the Environment Organization) in Washington, DC. To learn more about her efforts in creating security, rebuilding communities, restoring the environment and empowering women, visit her blog.