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On April 1, the German Marshall Fund hosted a delegation of civil society leaders from Iraq for a discussion on the role of civic organizations in the January 30 Iraqi elections and beyond.  Sponsored by the International Republican Institute (IRI), the delegation included leaders of the Civil Coalition for Free Elections who represent agriculture, women’s rights, and health constituencies.  Haifa Ali, Muhaned M. Hameed, Dr. Imam Maslet, and Mukhtar al Saadi shared with an audience of American and European think tank and embassy representatives what it meant for nearly 72 percent of Iraqis to go out and vote at great personal risk. Following a brief presentation by IRI on the coalition’s get-out-the-vote activities, the group spoke about the challenges they faced in preparing for the elections and the importance of a high turnout in affirming the democratic path chosen by the Iraqi people.  They stressed the crucial role of an informed citizenry, including women and professionals, in bringing about democratic change, and also underscored the importance of reaching out to disillusioned groups in order to bring them into the political process. The discussion that followed focused on the role Europe and the United States should play in supporting democracy in Iraq.  The Iraqi guests appealed for ongoing financial and moral support from the Euro-Atlantic community to build the foundation for a lasting democratic state.  In particular, they emphasized the importance of support from their European neighbors — as Europe shares a common experience of war and reconstruction — in helping to rebuild the Iraqi national psyche and look to a promising future.