Bringing Preemptive Love to Mosul

Families fleeing Mosul

Fighting between the Iraqi army and ISIS in Mosul is reportedly winding down. But according to a UNICEF official, the fight for the city is by no means over.

Unfortunately, the combat is being waged in neighborhoods, mostly in the Old City section of Mosul, where there are 50,000 civilians left trapped. This is near the al-Nuri mosque that ISIS blew up last week in retaliation for the advancement of Iraqi forces.

The al-Nuri mosque was an important historical and religious symbol, having been used for 800 years. Now it's gone, the ground that it sat upon still controlled by ISIS which knows it's time in Mosul is coming to an end.

Hundreds of families have already fled Mosul. They were the lucky ones. Those remaining in the Old City section are trapped and desperate for help.

That's where Preemptive Love Coalition has come in.

For almost 10 years, Preemptive Love Coalition, founded by Jeremy and Jessica Courtney, has been offering an alternative to hate that leads to violence. The organization is mostly based in Iraq and Syria where it has been a dependable front-line presence.

According to Preemptive Love, these civilians in the Old City "are the only thing standing between ISIS and total defeat in Mosul."

And during this time the organization has been delivering life-saving food and water in neighborhoods torn apart by war.

But that's not all that Preemptive Love Coalition does.

"At the core of violence and conflict is fear," states the organization's website. "We fear loss. We fear shame. We fear ideologies and religious. We fear vulnerability. So we fight with attitudes and words, then with fists and bombs."

The solution as Preemptive Love Coalition sees it, is stated in their core values, which are: "Love anyway. Show up. Get out of the way."

The getting out of the way after providing initial support is essential because "peace, healing and sustainable change only come when we allow others [natives] to own their future."

The solution, in the eyes of Preemptive Love Coalition, looks like this:

1. Life saving heart surgeries for children.
2. Emergency relief for families victimized by ISIS.
3. Empowering grants for small businesses owners.
4. Education for at-risk children.
5. Peacemaking in conflict zones.
6. Counsel to policymakers in Washington, D.C., London, Baghdad and beyond.

The organization's foundation is in the power of love, used fearlessly, to remake the world.

It sounds like a dream, but Preemptive Love Coalition, working on the front-lines, is helping to bring that dream to reality.

Jeremy Courtney gave a powerful TED talk a few years back. His message stands true today.

I encourage you to find out more about Preemptive Love Coalition and support their mission.

Sometimes the challenge is difficult, but the solution is ultimately very simple.

Photo Credits:
Top photo: New York Times
Bottom photo courtesy of Preemptive Love Coalition