A resilient and equitable society where all people, especially vulnerable and marginalized groups, actively shape their futures, participate in decision-making, and have fair access to sustainable community resources to thrive in a changing world.

IRO empowers communities, particularly youth and marginalized groups, to lead their own sustainable development. Through participatory approaches, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and locally driven solutions to contemporary social, economic, and environmental challenges, we strengthen community resilience, advance basic human rights, and improve living standards.

The founders of the IRO Organization have been active in community activism since 2004 and officially registered as an organization in 2019, emerging from the Youth Forum in the Garmyan district (2005 to 2016), which was a local organization youth program funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).  Since 2019, IRO has undertaken many activities like advocacy for specific cases and issues such as freedom of expression; training youth to champion their rights; educating children about climate change; training on environmental issues, environmental rights, and climate justice; producing environmental publications and social media content; networking and capacity-building of volunteers; and commemorating environmental observances such as Earth Day, International Environment Day, and Kurdistan Environment Day.

IRO works closely with communities and believes that lasting change starts with local people. Our team includes staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds, including refugees, internally displaced people, and members of host communities. This diversity helps us better understand local realities and build trust where we work.

In each target community, we form local teams made up of volunteers, community leaders, and people with experience in government, education, and civil society. We support these teams with practical training on relevant topics, so they are well prepared to design and lead community-based initiatives. By combining local knowledge with shared learning and collaboration, IRO helps communities take ownership of solutions that are relevant, inclusive, and sustainable.