C2i is a small group of activist-performers - fools,
clowns, jugglers, unicyclists, stilt walkers and
magicians who will be in Iraq through January 2004 to
give performances and circus skills workshops to
children traumatized by sanctions, war and its
aftermath. They will give circus toys and humanitarian
goods to the children and their families and, on their
return, will carry out advocacy work for the rights of
the Iraqi people based on their new understanding of
the situation.

Performances and workshops will take place primarily
in camps of Internally Displaced Persons (refugees
within the country, made homeless by bombing or
post-war evictions) and children's shelters. Many of
the children in the shelters are not strictly orphans
but their families are simply too poor to keep them at
home. Others have been living on the streets for some
time, working as shoe shiners, selling or begging.
Tragically there are also girls who were violated during
the post-war chaos and, as a result, thrown out by
their families in a society which regards them as
useless if they are no longer marriageable.

C2i is working in co-operation with groups such as the
Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, HELP (German
NGO) and the Mine Education Group to identify groups
of children and families who will benefit. It is hoped
that, in certain areas, C2i will also help with
cluster bomb awareness through performances.

Donations can be sent to Circus2Iraq, c/o. Reading
International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Stret,
Reading, Berkshire, UK