KVRA is a well established local organisation in Suleimaniya founded in 1994, which works to fostering the rise of Iraqi civil society, along with the formation of democratic values and structures.

As part of a holistic approach to these aims, KVRA has been engaged in projects covering a variety of areas including water and sanitation, schooling, health, elections, and peacebuilding.

In connection with widespread violence and fraud during the 2005 elections, KVRA identified the political sphere in general, and activities surrounding elections in specific as conflict-prone areas. Accordingly, KVRA organised a series of workshops, inviting political parties, as well as members of the electoral commission (IECI), and university staff. These workshops took place in the two areas that were most affected by violence, and served as a platform for discussions and conflict resolution programmes, targeting the major problems underlying the electoral tensions.