During the past few months, young Iraqis met each evening in a sparsely furnished building in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood to ... rebrand their city from one of war to one of peace. Baghdad [is] the heart and soul of Iraq's culture; cosmopolitan, diverse, and dynamic. The annual Baghdad City of Peace Carnival ... attended this year by more than 15,000 people, provided opportunities for some 500 young people to volunteer, collaborating across political, ethnic, and religious lines in an effort to show the positive side of Baghdad that they see. This year's carnival included displays of paintings and handicrafts from local artists, readings of traditional poetry, performances by Iraqi and Western-style musicians, a book fair, free health checkups from medical students, and fundraising by local organizations. For Caesar Alwardii, the carnival is a second job. I work from 8 to 4 every day, and then I come here," he explains. "I spend more time on this than my actual job because this ... reminds people that there are things to be proud of and happy about in Baghdad." Now the idea of the carnival may be spreading. "Our goal is that next year every province in Iraq, on one day, will have a Day of Peace," he says. This year, the carnival took place on the heels of protests in Baghdad's Tahrir Square. Noof Assi, one of the organizers of the carnival and a leader in the demonstrations ... sees [these events] as a sign of hope for a better future, especially as struggling Iraqis continue to flee to Europe.