The first Garden of the Righteous in Iraq is born in Halabja on October 18, 2022. It is the result of the collaboration of Gariwo Foundation, the local ngo NWE and the Italian association Dare.ngo.

The opening ceremony started at 10 am and was held in a disused area of about 7000 square meters adjacent to the headquarters of the Governorate of Halabja. The ceremony was attended by local institutions, the University, and a network of Kurdish-Iraqi associations. 

The next day the Central Library of the University of Halabja hosted a conference about the relationship between the environment and the prevention of future genocides. On March 16 1988, during the war between Iran and Iraq, the Iraqi army killed about 5000 Kurds in Halabja using chemical weapons. It was a retaliation against the Kurdish population. Gabriele Nissim, president of Gariwo Foundation and Joshua Evangelista, Gariwo's head of press office, presented the project of the Garden of the Righteous.

The first Righteous honoured in the Garden are Gino Bartali, Irena Sendler, Denis Mukwege, Raphael Lemkin, Moshe Bejski, Hammo Shero, Wangari Muta Maathai and Alganesh Fessaha. The Garden is part of "Green Halabja", an international project whose aim is to fight against the effects of climate change in the region. 

The Righteous were chosen by Gariwo Foundation, the University of Halabja and NWE, a local organisation that fights for women’s rights, assists refugees and promotes environmental awareness campaigns. The choice fell on important figures worldwide who fought for the prevention of genocide, the rescue of migrants and the defense of the environment.