2005 IAAB Conference Recap

Iranian Alliances Across Borders would like to thank everyone who attended and participated in its Second International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora on April 23-24 at the University of Maryland, College Park. This year's conference was successful beyond our expectations, with candid discussions that honed in on issues that directly impact our lives and communities. (See the schedule of the 2005 Conference, or visit our Archives for media coverage from BBC Radio, Voice of America, and Radio Farda.)

Over 250 diverse and engaging presenters and participants from across the United States, Canada, and Europe joined us for this year's conference. Conference participants commented that the dialogue brought to light "fresh" and "relevant" perspectives on a wide range of topics, including:
 

• The expression and reconciliation of our immigrant experiences in our new societies.

• the issues we face as hyphenated Iranians in a post-September 11th world and what we are doing about the infringements on our civil liberties.

• The ways in which the second-generation acts as a bridge between Iran and the Western societies they now live in.

• The issues faced by the second-generation in terms of sexuality, gender relations, dating/marriage, and ethno-religious identity.

• The importance of language to the second-generation; and

• How and where we place ourselves on America's political map.
   

As Haideh Moghissi, professor of sociology at York University, Toronto, noted: "You are reaching out to your communities and the response that you get shows that you are filling a gap... I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and would highly recommend it to others....very well-done!"

Through artwork, film, comedy, spoken word, panels, workshops, and formal and informal discussions, the conference provided an opportunity for expression, definition, interaction, and learning, and, for many, a renewed sense of community. Roxana Pope, an actor, director, writer, and singer from Scotland expressed her experience, so similar to that of many of us at the conference, as follows:

“Personally speaking the conference was such an incredible event. I never realized that I had a 'community' - having never quite felt at home in the UK, and feeling a bit like a 'farangi' when I am in Iran - I have always felt like the outsider in either culture. Attending the conference was incredibly emotional for me. I realized that there are so many of us so called 'outsiders' orbiting the earth, our feet never quite touching the ground on which we are standing - Iranians, Americans, American-Iranians, Anglo-Iranians, French- Iranians, Latin-American - Iranians etc...In fact what we call ourselves is secondary to the fact we are exploring this 'self' through many different mediums - and most importantly we are ready to support each other on these journeys. This is the true sense of a 'community' and now I am very excited to know I have discovered mine. I hope that these conferences keep happening and growing.”

IAAB would like to thank everyone who attended the conference--those who participated in this event really formed a sense of community during that weekend that has extended beyond the two days of the conference. The IAAB organizers hope that we will continue to provide this type of environment in our future projects as well as in our next and Third International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora to be held in spring 2007.

IAAB would also like to thank our sponsors who made this event possible! If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event or other IAAB projects, contact us at conference@iranianalliances.org. We welcome the opportunity to better acquaint you with our organization and all that we are working hard to accomplish in our community.
 

New Projects on IAAB's Horizon

Entering our third year, IAAB is expanding in order to respond to the needs of our communities. This upcoming year, IAAB will be working on four new projects which will take place in Europe, the United States, and Iran. Two branches of the organization, IAAB*Art and IAAB Kids!, have been established. In addition, we are excited to announce that we will be working in partnership with Iran Studies Group (ISG) on a resource guide to be published at the end of the summer, and in Spring 2006 we will be hosting a symposium which seeks to build alliances between the Iranian-American community and leaders from established minority communities in the United States. Furthermore, IAAB’s website will be re-designed in order to make it more interactive and user friendly, and options to view the site in Persian and German will be available.

The upcoming projects include:

• Resource Guide: “Project Connection: Building Bridges Between Second-Generation Iranians and Iranian Institutions”

Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB), in partnership with Iran Studies Group (ISG), is creating a Resource Guide to be published on the Internet which will provide information for second-generation Iranians for collaboration opportunities in Iran. This resource guide aims at bringing together second-generation Iranians who have grown up in the diaspora and Iranian institutions, such as companies, schools, and NGOs, to join in collaborative work during the visits of young second-generation Iranians to Iran. This project benefits both sides by enriching the experience of second-generation Iranians during their temporary stays in Iran and providing institutions with the fresh perspective and distinct skills of these Iranians with very little costs. If you know of any organizations or businesses in Iran that would be interested in hosting an intern/volunteer, please email us at info@iranianalliances.org.

• IAAB*Art

We are excited to announce the launch of IAAB*Art, a branch of the organization which is committed to opening and stimulating discussion related to Iran and Iranians through art. IAAB*Art’s events aim to create a platform for dialogue between the public and Iranian artists who are geographically separated but culturally related. IAAB*Art’s main project for the upcoming year is a multi-media international traveling art exhibition which seeks to challenge the perceptions many have about Iran and Iranians. IAAB*Art’s design for this exhibit will bring together the largest works from Iranian and Iranian diaspora artists. It will take place in London in Spring 2006 before moving to New York. Information regarding this event, including a Call for Artists, is forthcoming. Please stay posted and email us at art@iranianalliances.org if you have any questions/comments.

•  IAAB Kids!

This new branch of IAAB focuses exclusively on the younger generation of hyphenated Iranians. A pen-pal program is being developed which will allow hyphenated Iranians who are learning Persian to have a pen pal in schools in Bam. In addition, IAAB Kids! will be working closely with directors of Persian language schools in the United States to create mentor programs. A new website will be launched for this branch during the summer.
 

•  Symposium

In response to the concerns raised by many speakers and audience members at this year’s conference, IAAB will be hosting a symposium with leaders from various minority groups in the United States in order to begin a discussion and build strong alliances with these groups. Please stay posted for more information on this important project.

IAAB Server Crash Causes Unexpected Delays

Late in April, IAAB experienced a server crash that affected our website, email, and newsletter mailing list. We wish to apologize for any inconvenience this crash may have caused. All services have been restored, however, if you emailed us during this period and have not heard back from us, please contact us again. As always, if you are having any trouble with our newsletter, email, or website, please contact webmaster@iranianalliances.org and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Our sincerest thanks for your patience and understanding.
 

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