We also learned that every once in awhile what we do, no matter how small, makes a difference. We are just one of many forces influencing civil society. We are not the only one or the most important one. We are not alone. There are others fighting for human rights, advocating for the marginalized, addressing issues of poverty, volunteering to clean parks and beaches, rebuilding homes destroyed by earthquakes, and participating in the life of society.
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The International Electoral Education Council (IEEC) is currently focusing on upcoming elections in several countries, including the June 14 elections in Iran. One of the programs being undertaken by the IEEC is the study of Iran’s Out of Country Voting (OCV) process. They have created documents to assist individuals and organizations interested in informal electoral observation at polling stations outside of Iran. The Handbook for Iran and a Methodology and Checklist for observation prepared by the IEEC in both English and Persian.
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Arseh Sevom – Over the years, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij have become increasingly active in the political sphere, interfering with the operation of free and fair elections with increasing prevalence. Under the guise of protecting the revolution, they have subverted electoral law with impunity. With each election, their meddling has become more brazen [...]
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Arseh Sevom — With election season on the horizon, speculation begins about likely candidates while officials create an atmosphere of insecurity with rumors and fear mongering. Civil society actors in Khuzestan are rounded up. The family of a former framer of Iran’s constitution is told that there can be no public gathering for his funeral. [...]
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Whether it is preventing filmmakers from making films or protesting the decisions of international festivals and awards committees, film has been in the news lately when it comes to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Envelope Please… “In the end, life is but memories. Bitter memories. Sweet Memories. There’s more to life than work…” a character [...]
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In the wake of a crackdown on journalists in Iran combined with the harassment of their family and friends, no news is bad news. The Ministry of Intelligence promises there won’t be an end to the arrests until the entire network is revealed, claiming that those arrested are being arrested for collaborating with foreign forces rather than working as journalists. Exiled journalist Masih Alinejad bitterly jokes of babies begging their mothers not to give birth so that they can avoid detention. Saghi Laghaie warns people to not share any details about those arrested that could be used against them. “Avoid writing about your shared memories or dialogues as they might be used against them…”
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Declaring free elections without saying “free elections” The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, shot himself in the foot last week when he called for an end to public demands for free elections, reported Radiofarda [en]. In response to comments made in recent weeks by figures such as former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad [...]
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Arseh Sevom — Tehran celebrated “clean air week” last week, while the blue sky and the beautiful city were hidden by a blanket of smog. “Just leaving the house makes my chest hurt,” a Tehran resident told Arseh Sevom. Increasing pollution and smog is causing eyes to tear and dizziness. It has forced the closure [...]
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So Facebook is Halal all of a sudden?
Despite condemnation of social media, it appears that Ayatollah Khamenei now has his own Facebook page. Censorship is as active on Facebook as any other media in Iran — critical comments come down as fast as they go up. Read more to find out what kind of response there has been to the Supreme Leader’s new Facebook presence,
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Dr. Mohammad Maleki, former chancellor of the University of Tehran, is a long-time dissident. As the first post-revolution chancellor of the University of Tehran, he attempted to institute direct democratic management of the institution. Among other subjects, this letter refers to the destruction of that experiment, and his own imprisonment. While in prison during the 80s [...]
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The Evil from Within Arseh Sevom–There is no doubt about the immediate results of unprecedented sanctions on the lives of millions of patients in Iran. There is not a single day when we do not hear a new story about medicine shortages in Iran and how it adversely affects Iranians, especially those requiring uninterrupted medication. Over [...]
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Whose War is It? Supporting Palestinians is a foreign policy priority for Iran according to the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast. He added that it is the duty of Islamic countries to support Palestinians in Gaza and offer humanitarian aid. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrollah emphasized the point saying [fa], “Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah [...]
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