Rizgar Ismail of Duhok has become the first Deaf Kurd to attend Frontrunners, an international leadership program in Denmark dedicated to developing Deaf leaders and advocates from around the world.
Over the course of the nine-month program, Rizgar will work alongside Deaf leaders from diverse backgrounds, exchanging ideas and best practices on issues including Deaf education, interpreter training, sign language recognition, accessibility, and community advocacy. Frontrunners aims to equip participants with the skills and networks needed to become effective leaders and agents of change within their communities.
Rizgar’s participation marks an important milestone for the Kurdish Deaf community and provides an opportunity to bring Kurdish perspectives into an international network focused on advancing the rights, visibility, and inclusion of Deaf people.
His tuition and program expenses were made possible through a U.S.-based crowdfunding campaign organized in partnership with the Global Deaf Research Institute, reflecting strong community support for his participation and leadership development.
The KRG Representation in the United States had the honor of meeting Rizgar and his colleagues Ahmed Ali and Hawal Abdullah last summer and learning more about their work to strengthen opportunities for Deaf people in the Kurdistan Region.
As International Week of Deaf People and the International Day of Sign Languages are recognized in September, KRG-US joins the Kurdish Deaf community in celebrating Rizgar’s achievement and the broader efforts of Deaf advocates working to expand access, recognition, and opportunity in Kurdistan and beyond.
