RAJAA HAMID RASHID

Iraq — With a colorful brush and a big dream, the young women of the "Butterfly Effect" team have turned the walls of schools, streets, and public squares in Baghdad into open-air art galleries, carrying within their colors awareness messages and preserving the features of Iraqi heritage and identity. Through volunteer initiatives, they decided that the city's beauty would be their starting point, and that murals would become a visual memory narrating the history of place and strengthening values of belonging, believing that change begins with a small project but leaves a significant mark on society.

An Effect Begins with an Idea

Fatima Youssef, who holds a bachelor's degree in computer science, affirmed that the team's name "Butterfly Effect" was inspired by the butterfly effect theory, which suggests that the flapping of a butterfly's wing, however simple, can create a significant impact in the distant future.

She said that choosing this name reflects the team's message, based on the belief that small and simple actions can create great change in society. "We want to convey a message that our impact, no matter how simple it seems, can spread beauty and leave a positive mark in the future. We dream of our country becoming more beautiful and colorful, and that streets, public squares, and schools become more beautiful places, with their beauty reflected on people's souls, especially children."

She explained that the team members carry great passion for this work and believe that art is a humanitarian and national message, noting that they seek to leave an impact similar to that left by creative Iraqi women, among them the late world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, who immortalized Iraq's name through her designs spread across various countries around the world.

She explained that the team is keen in all its artistic works to embody Baghdadi culture and its popular heritage, revive old alleys and heritage landmarks, alongside immortalizing Iraqi personalities who left an impact on society, as well as a large number of scientists, thinkers, writers, and creatives in various scientific, literary, and intellectual fields, for the great contributions they made to building Iraqi society.

She noted that the team's activity is not limited to painting murals in streets and public squares but extends to schools as well, working to decorate walls and courtyards with awareness and educational drawings that contribute to encouraging students and enhancing love for school, knowledge, and success, as well as improving their psychological state through the cheerful colors and drawings that bring positive energy to the school environment.

She added that the majority of the team members are women and children, explaining that the team includes approximately fifty young women and has continued its volunteer activity for about nine years. She noted that the team members met through social media, and her passion for painting was the primary motivation for joining the team, explaining that one of her friends, who is a team member, knew how much she loved painting, and initially invited her to observe the team's work up close before she officially joined them.

She said: "I found myself among the team members because I believe in the message they carry, and I strive to leave a beautiful mark in society. I am happy to continue working with them to convey a message that the responsibility of preserving society and the homeland is everyone's responsibility, and that caring for cleanliness and beauty begins within the family, as the fundamental pillar for building a righteous person. If the family is sound, the whole society becomes sound."

She affirmed that all the work carried out by the team is completely voluntary, without any financial compensation, and sometimes for symbolic fees, despite the difficult conditions they work in, especially during summer when temperatures rise to extreme levels. However, that has not prevented them from continuing their work.

She added: "We learned from childhood from our mothers that women are essential partners in serving society, and that they are capable of sacrificing for its advancement. Therefore, we believe that women have a pivotal role in construction, development, and serving the homeland."

Art in Service of Society

For her part, Maha Muayyad Jamil, who holds a bachelor's degree from the College of Fine Arts, said she joined the "Butterfly Effect" team after following the team's platform on Facebook, noting that the team's idea and humanitarian messages attracted her from the start.

She added: "After joining the team and working with its members, I felt that I was contributing something useful to society, because the work carries a noble message. It is also enjoyable and gives the artist a sense of satisfaction when they see the impact of their art in public places." She affirmed that the team's drawings are inspired by Baghdadi heritage and ancient Iraqi civilization.

She explained that each mural represents an artistic imprint reflecting national identity. "We leave an impact on every wall we paint, because it represents an extension of our rich heritage and Mesopotamian civilization that we are proud of. Therefore, we are keen to employ various artistic schools, such as abstract, cubist, classical, and realist, according to the idea and the location."

Regarding the most prominent challenges facing the team, she noted that the existence of a women's team painting murals in streets and public squares is in itself a challenge in a society still governed by some customs and traditions, where women's work in public spaces still sometimes faces discouraging views.

The Mural is Memory and Identity

Visual artist Haneen Abdulbari spoke about her experience with the team, explaining that she came across it through Facebook, after she happened to see a girl painting a mural, which impressed her and prompted her to reach out to the team, joining at the end of 2023.

She said: "From the first moment, I felt that this place was like me, because I love painting and believe that art can change reality." She added that her first participation was in executing a mural in one of the old areas of Baghdad, on the wall of an old and dilapidated house that bore traces of bullet holes due to the conditions Iraq went through in recent years. They painted a rose where each bullet hole was, and the mural also included drawings inspired by Baghdadi women and popular heritage.

She noted that the area's residents expressed great admiration for the work, after the damaged wall transformed into an artwork that brought beauty and new spirit to the place. She affirmed ongoing cooperation between the team, school administrations, and municipalities to maintain and preserve the murals, noting that the team periodically works on restoring damaged drawings or executing new murals carrying ideas and awareness messages appropriate to the community's needs.

A Lasting Impact... and a Dream Coloring Iraq

The members of the "Butterfly Effect" team expressed their hope that the project would extend to include all Iraqi cities, from Zakho in the north to Basra in the south, and not be limited to the capital Baghdad, aiming to spread a culture of beauty and environmental preservation, and to highlight Iraq's civilized face to enhance its position as a country with a great civilizational and cultural heritage, deserving to be a distinguished tourist and cultural destination.

The team members concluded by affirming that every woman is capable of being a "butterfly" that leaves a positive impact wherever she is—whether within her family, her surroundings, or her field of work. They noted that Iraq's history is rich with women who left immortal marks in society and contributed to shaping Iraqi, Arab, and world history, which serves as motivation for them to continue working and giving, and to prove that art is a message capable of making change and building a more beautiful and aware society.