Toward a Culture of Civil Liberties, Human Rights and Democracy in Iran

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Toward a Culture of Civil Liberties, Human Rights and Democracy in Iran
by Nazy Kaviani
30-Oct-2010
 

I am at a conference in Maryland, entitled “Toward a Culture of Civil Liberties, Human Rights and Democracy in Iran,” sponsored by Roshan Center for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland. Iranian experts, analysts, artists, activists, and luminaries have gathered from all over the world to talk about, what else, Iran!

The different sessions have so far covered "The Emergence of Human Rights Discourses in Iran," "The Origins and Evolution of Women’s Movement in Iran," "Religious Pluralism and Its Cultural Context in Contemporary Iran," and "Current Democracy Discourses in Iran."

The discussions are rich and significant not only in a political context, but also in a cultural and social context. For example, a question was discussed extensively in the area of not just Islam, but all religions vis a vis human rights. Is it possible to be religious and believe in human rights, too? Is it possible for a government to be religious and practice human rights, too? What are our tools going into the human rights debate? Is Persian literature and poetry a good tool for showing Iranians the way? The answers have been interesting coming from Iran experts who have studied Sa’adi’s poetry for example. One viable answer is to be selective in taking what works for today’s experience and thought, leaving behind what is passé and not so helpful.

An interesting suggestion which emerged in an earlier session today, is what would it take for the different Iranian experts, thinkers, and activists who are currently outside Iran to come together and to exchange thoughts and ideas about Iran’s future, leaving their at times bitter differences behind? Something to think about. As Iranians in diaspora, we have been joined by philosophers, former government officials, journalists who have fled persecution, civil society activists, and even clerics. These individuals hold a wealth of information about today's Iran and its nation, information without which no concrete ideas for a way forward can be achieved. Could we all just get along now?

Professor Ahmad Karimi Hakkak is in charge of organizing this conference and judging by all those who have participated and the huge turnout, the event has so far been a great success. Tonight we will listen to Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi’s keynote address, "The Necessity and Meaning of Solidarity." I will write again and share my photographs, too.

Balatarin
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Monda

Yes WE are!

by Monda on Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:50 PM PDT

Moghaddassi aali goft... the whole concept of "us" and "them" (or "man" ya "to") travels through My core too, in so many directions, So Deeply... loved his talk! And Omid Memaarian's was spot on the Duties/ Role of journalism. 


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Nazy Kaviani

I hope you guys are watching this...

by Nazy Kaviani on Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:07 PM PDT

His name is Ehsan Moghaddasi and he is talking about what people were really saying during the street protests last year....very amazing speaker.

About Ehsan Moghaddasi from the published program:

Who is responsible for the unemployment, poverty, corruption, and other societal vices and hardships that Iran faces? Anyone may provide an answer to this question, but if close attention is paid to the answer given by the Iranian people, one word seems to be recurrent: “They,” “themselves,” which in an inherently abstract way refers to “The Rulers.” In essence, people have surmised that “they” are entirely the cause of all the societal woes in Iran. The converse of “they” is the word “we” - “we” who are innumerable, “we” who are the seekers of freedom, justice, and equality - which, in essence, stems from “we the people”. In fact, the entities of “government and people” have been replaced by the “they-we,” dichotomy, where the two sides of the binary are moving in inherently opposite directions. The emerging perception of the general public with regard to the government and its supporters, along with the question of who “they” are and how they came to be, is the first concern of this article. The second issue taken up in this article is to recognize the points of difference among “us” and “them” in political, social, and cultural spheres. To address this question, I am going to use new cultural theories, such as theories related to “outsiders that have become insiders - outsiders inside a culture” and apply them to the study of people’s slogans in order to uncover what has been censored either by the government or by the people themselves in last year’s Tir and Mordad (June and July 2009) protests. Due to the lack of resources on the subject, I will use my personal experience and observations during the protests. This research is still in its initial phases and I hope that as more resources on this topic become available, there will be an opportunity to paint a more comprehensive portrait of the topic.


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vildemose

Great reporting Nazy jan.

by vildemose on Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:26 AM PDT

Great reporting Nazy jan. You're the best.


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Monda

چشم، مرسی‌ عزیزم!

Monda
Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:25 AM PDT

خوندم.

 

 


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Nazy Kaviani

If you are watching the live stream right now...

by Nazy Kaviani on Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:23 AM PDT

This is what you are watching:

-Panel Four: Current Democracy Discourses in Iran
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Chair and Discussant: Ali Banuazizi
Speakers: Mehrdad Mashayekhi, Omid Memarian, Ali Mirsepassi
Ehsan Moghaddasi, Peyman Vahabzadeh

Again, Jahanshah will be in the next panel which starts at 4:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. PST)


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Nazy Kaviani

Live Stream of the Conference

by Nazy Kaviani on Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:20 AM PDT

Monda Jan,

Try this:

//www.languages.umd.edu/persian/events/roshan...

Click on "Click here to view live stream."

Jahanshah will be on at 4:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. PST)

Panel Five: Human Rights Situation in Iran and the News Media
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Chair and Discussant: Mansour Farhang
Speakers: Davar Iran Ardalan, Faraz Sanei, Iraj Gorgin, Jahanshah Javid begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting,
Roxana Saberi


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Monda

Nazy!

by Monda on Sat Oct 30, 2010 10:54 AM PDT

(ignore my cell message :)

So good to read this! Don't forget to Get Some rest too, and calcium - so this conference gets etched on your neuropathways, deeper. i wish i could see panels on youtube, especially Jahanshah's. Enjoy!


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