HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORBY: Shahbanou Farah, Mikhail Gorbachev and Mahnaz Afkhami

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORBY: Shahbanou Farah, Mikhail Gorbachev and Mahnaz Afkhami
by Darius Kadivar
30-Mar-2011
 

Mikhail Gorbachev who recently celebrated his 80th Birthday will be honoured at a spectacular concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In June 30, 2007, the Soviet Reformer met Iran's former Empress Shahbanou Farah and Imperial Iran's last female Minister of Women affairs, Mahnaz Afkhami at the Challenge Future Conference in Bochum, Germany.

The end of the Cold War, there unification of Germany, liberalism and Perestroyka. The USSR's first and last president, Mikhail Gorbachev celebrated his 80th birthday recently, and his legacy includes being hailed as the father of Russia's democracy. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will be honoured at a spectacular concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London to celebrate his 80th birthday earlier this month. A glittering array of guests from world leaders to showbusiness celebrities are expected to attend. (See Related BBC News On Concert in London will honour Mikhail Gorbachev)

Medvedev congratulates Gorbachev on 80th birthday - RIA Novosti :


'I fought for USSR, but failed': RT interviews last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev :

CrossTalk on 'Gorbyology' :

On this edition of Peter Lavelle's CrossTalk: As Gorbachev celebrates his 80th birthday, what does his name mean to the world today? How will history judge him? Why is he loved in the West and criticized in his native country? Is it too early to draw conclusions? And what makes him a peacemaker in the eyes of many nations? CrossTalking with Stephen Cohen,Geoffrey Hosking and Vlad Sobell.

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GLASNOST: Reagan Gorbatchev 

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Reagan at Brandenburg Gate - "tear down this wall":

Gorbachev meets Reagan:

A dramatic moment for the world as Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev meets president Ronald Reagan for the first time in 1986. From the PBS biography of Reagan, explained by biographer Edmund Morris.


The end ofthe Cold War, the reunification of Germany, liberalism and Perestroyka. TheUSSR's first and last president, Mikhail Gorbachev celebrates his 80th birthday today, and his legacy includes being hailed as the father of Russia's democracy. Mikhail Gorbachev was born in a small village in the south of the country, and became leader of the USSR in 1985. With his economic and political reforms, he paved the way for democracy in Russia. His best known reform is dubbed "Perestroyka", which aimed to revamp the country without destroying the basis of socialism. His initiatives also led to the abolishment of state censorship and the creation of free speech in the country. Gorbachev received the Nobel peace prize in 1990. A year later, however, he was removed from power in a coup which saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and Boris Yeltsin become president. But Mikhail Gorbachev still says his reforms were timely and necessary. "We realized from experience that it was dangerous to wait much longer, that we had to take a risk," he told RT in an interview. "But we couldn't postpone it, we needed changes."Gorbachev does not agree when people say that Perestroyka failed: "Itdidn't fail. It was disrupted, derailed, stopped. But still, Perestroyka achieved a lot. Inside Russia, we had democracy, free elections, freedom of consciousness, private property, freedom to travel abroad --everything. Also,glasnost. There was so much openness -- the entire country was affected. People realized they had finally got some freedom, an opportunity to act." Thefirst USSR president points out that the end of the Cold War was among key goals of his administration: "In foreign affairs, we put an end to the Cold War. We normalized our relationship with the US, we reunited Germany -- we didn't send our tanks or troops there. All our units in Eastern Europe stayed where they were. It wasn't always easy." However, many things did not work as planned, Gorbachev confessed. "At the beginning, when we made our firstmistakes, we didn't really explain to people what was going on and didn't getthem involved in all those processes -- we were self-confident," he said."But in public politics, I don't think we ever lost a major battle,"Mikhail Gorbachev concluded.

 


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Iran's Shah was seen as a Reformer in his time


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Recommended Watching:

pictory: Political Pluralism and Freedom of Press in Pahlavi Iran (1961)

 

Shah interviewed on Iran's relations with the USSR and White Revolution:

(October 1961) The Shah of Iran is interviewed by Bernard Béguin from Swiss TV on his position vis-a-vis the USSR and the way in which His Imperial Majesty sees the future of His country. It evokes in particular the ongoing land reform ("White Revolution") and the path towards economic prosperity.

 

 

Shah of IRan's White Revolution:

Revolution From the Top


The Shah's White Revolution and the Nixon Doctrine:

 

Dr. Art Pitz discusses Shah Reza Pahlavi's White Revolution, which modernized and secularized Iran, the development of Iran's role in the Middle East under the Nixon Doctrine, and the collapse of the regime.

 

 

Ronald Reagan's Support for the Shah:

Presidential Candidate Ronald Reagan talks about why he objected to Jimmy Carter abandoning the Shah of Iran during the Electoral debate.

 

 

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IRI’s Khatami was often compared to Gorbatchev


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Khatami on Democracy andIslam as being inseparable:

Khatami responds to Farhang Mehr (Former Minister of Education Under Imperial Iran):

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatamianswers a question by prominent Zoroastrian Farhang Mehr in regards to Islamic Republic of Iran's treatment of religious Minorities. This gathering was heldat the onset of his presidency back in 1996 at the University of Boston, USA.

Khatami defends Mousavi & reforms :


Related Blog:
Daryush Shayegan Global Dialogue Prize Winner
Recommended Readings:
Mahnaz Afkhami The First Female Minister during the Shah's Era (bbc)
Mahnaz Afkhami on Women and the Future of the Middle East
Recommended Watching:
Mahnaz Afkhami: A Women For All Seasons (VOA/BBC Interviews)
Related Pictory:
Women's Day: Mahnaz Afkhami Pioneer Feminist (1975)
Women's Day: Farah, Jihan, Mahnaz Tehran (1970's)
pictory: Mahnaz Afkhami and Shahbanou Farah in Lorestan (1976)
Eminent Persians: Mahnaz Afkhami International Women's Conference in Mexico City (1975)

Other Related Blogs:

pictory: Soviet Propaganda Film - Iran, Tabriz 1945-46
AXIS OF COOPERATION: Egypt, Jordan and Iran working with US in 1950s
Shah to Nixon on "Revolutions" vs "Evolutions" in Middle East (1969)



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Stars turn out for Gorbachev's 80th birthday concert (VIDEO)

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Stars turn out for Gorbachev's 80th birthday concert



Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is being honoured at a spectacular concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London to celebrate his 80th birthday.

A glittering array of guests from world leaders to show business celebrities are attending.

The BBC's Bridget Kendall reports.