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My publications focus on religious minorities, memory, and socio-political dynamics in Iraq, the broader Middle East and Latin America.

The Kakais of Iraq - Cover

Books

 

​The Kakais of Iraq: History, Beliefs and Culture, Bloomsbury, 2025.

 

 

 

 

 

Religious Minorities in Iraq: Coexistence, Faith and Recovery after ISIS, Bloomsbury,

2022.

 

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Religious Minority in Iraq - Cover

 

​Selected Articles

 

Siman, Y., Corticelli, M.R. The Future of Holocaust Memory in M. R. Boaz Cohen, Wolf Gruner, Miriam Offer, and Thomas Pegelow Kaplan, eds., Holocaust Testimonies: Reassessing Survivors’ Voices and their Future in Challenging Times, 2025.

 

Survival: The Case of Yezidi Women, in Routledge Handbook of Religions and Genocide,

Stephen Smith, Susan Brown, eds., 2021.

 

Hashd al-Shaabi Is Killing the Kakais, Heirs of One of the Most Ancient Religions in Iraq, EU

Gulf Information Center, 13 July 2020.

 

How the Lack of Transitional Justice Jeopardises the Recognition of Kakais in Iraq, EU-Gulf

Information Center, 30 August 2020.

Holocaust Testimonies - Cover
The Routledge Handbook of Religion, Mass Atrocities and Genocide - Cover

Independent Research and Consultancy on Minority Rights and Post-Conflict Societies

 

Field-informed research, policy analysis and specialist writing for NGOs, international organisations, research institutes and organisations working in complex environments.

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Plurality Insights is led by Maria Rita Corticelli, an independent researcher, author and consultant specialising in religious minorities, interfaith relations, identity and post-conflict recovery.
Drawing on extensive field research in Iraq and wider comparative work encompassing the Middle East and Latin America, Maria Rita helps organisations understand the local histories, relationships and social dynamics that shape communities affected by conflict, displacement and political change.
Her work combines qualitative interviews, archival research and contextual analysis to produce rigorous, accessible insights for policy, programming and publication.
​20 years’ experience · Field research in Iraq · Author of two Bloomsbury monographs · English, Italian and Spanish.
 
Research grounded in local context

 

Organisations working with minority communities need more than broad regional analysis. They need a nuanced understanding of how identity, religion, territory, memory and informal relationships influence people’s experiences and decisions.
Maria Rita supports NGOs, research centres, international organisations and consulting teams through:
  • commissioned qualitative and desk research;
  • policy reports, briefings and analytical writing;
  • stakeholder and community analysis;
  • research on minority rights, religious communities and social cohesion;
  • specialist insight into Iraq and the wider Middle East;
  • editorial and research support for institutional publications.
Her approach challenges static or purely sectarian interpretations of society, highlighting instead the evolving relationships and local networks through which communities negotiate belonging, coexistence and recovery.
Planning a research project or publication involving minority communities, conflict or social change?
Get in touch to discuss the organisation’s objectives, research questions and required outputs.
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Selected Clients & Collaborations
 
King Faisal Center for Islamic Research and Studies
Euro-Gulf Information Center (EGIC)
Sociology Department, Catholic University Milan
Centre for Interdisciplinary Holocaust and Genocide Studies Exeter University
Gariwo Foundation
Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Center
Shoah Foundation University of Southern California
​International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP)
 
 
​Testimonials / What Clients and Collaborators Say
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Maria Rita Corticelli continues to tell important stories that are expressed through various mediums to include comprehensive academic works and investigative journalism. Her research and fieldwork in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America has provided unique perspectives on numerous historic and ongoing humanitarian crises related to the study of genocide and mass violence. She is a prolific writer and experienced editor in multiple languages and brings decades of professional experience to her craft. 
Dr Matthew Hone, independent researcher and writer. Professor of Genocide Studies, Stockton University.
 
I am pleased to endorse Dr. Maria Rita Corticelli for her excellent work as a professional editor and proofreader with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS).
She consistently demonstrated professionalism, meticulous attention to detail, and strong editorial judgment. Her expertise contributed greatly to the clarity, accuracy, and overall quality of our publications. I highly recommend Dr. Corticelli as a reliable, skilled, and dedicated editorial professional.
 Muhannad A. Al-Saho | مهند السهو
Editorial Manager – Alfaisal Cultural House - Saudi Arabia
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