United States Agency for Global Media

‘Light Among Us’ tells stories of hope on Alhurra-Iraq

November 18, 2015

Springfield, Va. — Alhurra-Iraq takes its viewers on a journey of hope through its new series, Light Among Us. The series presents engaging human interest stories from the heart of Iraq. It reflects a message of optimism by highlighting the work of Iraqis who are trying to make a difference in their society and in the lives of their fellow citizens despite all challenges. The Alhurra-Iraq produced show aired today at 19:30 Baghdad time, and is the latest program from the Raise Your Voice campaign.

Shot in the streets of Baghdad, the first episode of this 30-minute show delves into the story of the Dari organization, a melting pot from all Iraqi religions and ethnicities, working together and offering free medical care for the poor and displaced. Light Among Us accompanies the organizations’ doctors and pharmacists as they share their passion and expertise  to help and heal the needy.

“Light Among Us focuses on stories from Iraqi society full of hope and optimism. It looks at the positive work going on in Iraq, at a time when there is a lot of suffering in the country,” stated Brian Conniff, President of Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). MBN manages and oversees Alhurra-Iraq. “The content, along with the excellent production values make this program unique and distinguished.”

The series also examines the work of organizations such as Iraq Builders, which helps build homes for struggling families who lost their homes to terrorism and war. In another episode, it explores the issue of hygiene in Baghdad through the work of I’m Clean, I’m Iraqi campaign. The campaign aims at beautifying the face of Baghdad by collecting trash from the streets and educating people on the importance of living in clean cities.

MBN’s Raise Your Voice campaign is designed as a platform that encourages Iraqi citizens to speak out and be a part of the discussion about the fight against extremism and the underlying causes of terrorism. The goal is to encourage Iraqis to seek constructive solutions to the problems that afflict this troubled country.

According to Gallup, Alhurra-Iraq has a weekly reach of more than 7 million viewers. It is operated by the non-profit corporation MBN and is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency.  The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.