Iraqi achievements celebrated at Labour Party conference

For the first time ever, the Iraqi flag will be displayed and Iraqi achievements will be celebrated at the Labour Party conference with a prominent exhibition stand run by the Labour Friends of Iraq and the Islamic Dawa Party whose General Secretary and Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Al Malaki has written a special message to conference delegates

The Iraqi Prime Minister tells delegates that "Iraq's story – of the struggle against a brutal despot, of the fight for democracy against Al-Qaeda's terror, of the pursuit to rebuild a broken country – is tinged with torment, tragedy and tremendous sacrifices but is a story of success."

The PM adds: "Against all odds, Iraqis stood together to fight terror, and begin the arduous process of rebuilding their shattered country. Iraq's story, Iraqis have insisted, can only end with Iraq's triumph, with freedom and democracy won and consolidated, terrorists defeated, and prosperity achieved. These are the goals that I set for my government to achieve when I emerged in May 2006 as the first elected Iraqi Prime Minister of a full-term government after some 12 million Iraqi voters took to the ballot boxes. And it is in fulfilling these goals that Iraqis are scripting a new chapter in Iraq's history today – the years of hope. I invite you to partner us in this most remarkable of journeys."

Dave Anderson MP and Gary Kent of Labour Friends of Iraq said; "Iraq is on the mend. Its security forces are steadily reducing terrorism and creating space for a federal and democratic settlement. We are very proud to co-host this exhibition and hope that delegates will come to hear about the realities of the new Iraq. Iraq is not a lost cause. It may often be out of the news these days, and the progress is fragile, but its civil society and reformers deserve widespread understanding and support. Iraq is no longer a four letter word and we hope that this exhibition will correct the doom and gloom about Iraq."

"We need to move on from the paralysing argument about the intervention/invasion and recognise our responsibilities in helping the Iraqi people to move forward. They have chosen the democratic route and they need the help of progressive minded people in putting all of the horrors of the last four decades behind them."

The stand will run continuous footage of people returning home to Iraq and the increasing number of weddings which are large popular events. The theme of the exhibition is "Building Iraq's Tomorrow, Today."

The Iraqi Prime Minister's Senior Political Adviser and leading member of the Islamic Dawa Party, Sadiq al-Rikabi is also attending the conference.

The LFIQ group has established a dialogue with the Islamic Dawa Party – a conversation between social democracy and moderate Islam – and a delegation visited Baghdad in May to meet the PM and his senior advisers, as well as union and women’s rights activists. The LFIQ has relations with other groups and the exhibition also includes material from the Kurdistan Regional Government, which the group visited in 2006.

Letter from Erbil, Baghdad and Blaydon

At Democratiya Gary Kent brings together two trips to Iraq and one to the North East, concluding that increasingly Iraqi forces are in the driving seat and are fighting to build a federal and democratic country. Iraq is not a lost cause. It may often be out of the news these days, and the progress is fragile, but its civil society and reformers deserve widespread understanding and support.