Volunteers reclaim forgotten corners of Nasiriyah in grassroots revival

DHI QAR — A grassroots volunteer campaign has resumed efforts to restore cultural landmarks in Nasiriyah following what organizers described as interference and harassment by local authorities.

The campaign, titled This Is Not My Trash, But It’s My Country, has returned with a focus on rehabilitating one of the city’s oldest cultural parks. Established in 1976, the park was recently renamed “Lugal-zage-si” in honor of the last Sumerian king before the rise of Sargon of Akkad.

“This Is Not My Trash, But It’s My Country is a volunteer-driven, environmental and cultural heritage campaign that began in Nasiriyah in 2019,” said Lari, the campaign’s founder. “I started alone, then three other volunteers joined, and gradually our team grew thanks to public support on social media.”

“We’re not affiliated with any organization or individual. All our work is self-funded, along with financial, moral, and media support from the city’s residents,” he told 964media.

The group has carried out a series of public cleanups and restoration efforts, including street and river rehabilitation and preservation of neglected public spaces.

“Nasiriyah is an ancient city, but it suffers from deep neglect, especially in its cultural and historical areas,” Lari said. “We’ve lost many of our architectural landmarks and statues that once symbolized our identity. That’s why we’re particularly focused on reviving this aspect.”

The group suspended activity for several months after running into difficulties during a restoration campaign on Al-Orzdi Street — one of the city’s oldest commercial areas — which members said was obstructed by local authorities.

“We’re young people from Nasiriyah, brought together by love for our country and a desire to serve our city,” said Mohammed Mubarak, one of the campaign’s volunteers. “Most of us are students who participated in earlier campaigns like ‘Culture Street’ and ‘Al-Orzdi Street.’ Now we’re working on restoring ‘June 1 Park,’ which we renamed ‘Lugal-zage-si’ to honor the last Sumerian king before Sargon.”

“Our goal isn’t just environmental,” he added. “It’s also cultural. We want to revive the identity of our city.”

“Nasiriyah is not just any city. It’s the cradle of the first written script. It’s where the world learned writing and where the first laws were codified,” Mubarak said. “We refuse to let that legacy be buried in the dust of neglect. We’re trying to return it to the Iraqi street.”