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CIPE’s goal in Iraq is to help the private sector and civil society build an institutional foundation for economic growth and democratic stability. CIPE’s on-the-ground approach empowers Iraqi reformers and strengthens local capacity to rebuild the country. CIPE puts an emphasis on economic development in addition to political reconstruction, because strong democracies require functioning markets. Engaging the private sector in reconstruction has proven to be a successful strategy for CIPE in other post-conflict countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Serbia; since October 2003, CIPE has reached out to more than 65,000 Iraqi businesspeople through its network of nearly 50 business associations and chambers of commerce. Working with the private sector, economic journalists, think tanks, academics, students, policymakers, and political party representatives, CIPE is building a political framework that emphasizes free market principles as a foundation for success.
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