Iran Delegation Update: Indefinite Hold
Global Voices for Justice (GVFJ) worked with the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) for about a year in an effort to travel to Iran with journalist visas.
Our requests were never approved, so after repeated attempts we have put that effort aside to put our full focus on what we can do here at home.
Dialogue between Americans and Iranians is still critical and we will continue to look for ways to participate and improve diplomacy between our two countries …
SATURDAY AUGUST 25TH IN LONG BEACH
“Combatants for Peace” was conceived through a process of clandestine meetings in 2005 between a number of Israeli military refusers and Palestinian former fighters. Initial meetings took place after 13 elite commandos and 27 pilots in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) sent letters directly to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, asserting their refusal to “give [their] hands to the oppressive reign in the territories and the denial of human rights to millions of Palestinians.” The group went public in April 2006 and their membership now includes nearly 200 Israeli military refusers and former Palestinian fighters, including women, who have come together to find a non-violent path to peace.
One of our guests is Shimon Katz who served four years in an elite counter-terror unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. The other is Raed Hadar, a Palestinian from the West Bank who had been involved in Fatah activities resisting the occupation. Now Shimon and Raed are fighting on the same side, using their compelling stories as their new weapons of choice to raise human rights awareness and bring peace to Palestine. Information, news and videos about Combatants for Peace can be found on their Web site at www.combatantsforpeace.org.
Saturday's event is co-sponsored by Global Voices for Justice, the Long Beach Area Peace Network, and the Board of Outreach & Social Justice—First Congregational Church of Long Beach. Global Voices for Justice is a non-profit, independent media organization committed to making the voices of today's most progressive thinkers widely accessible. They are based in Long Beach, California and will be filming Saturday's event.
The evening will open with an upbeat Middle Eastern style musical performance by Leanna & Karma 101 with Dave Williams. Rev. Jerry Stinson will share a few words about his recent trip to Palestine, and then Shimon and Raed will speak about their experiences and struggles, followed by a Q&A discussion.
For more information or questions, contact Jeanne Kyle of Global Voices for Justice at 714-357-5424.
90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles is the media sponsor.
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Get the facts and analysis you need to defend what you already believe! Programs from Global Voices for Justice feature talks by today's most progressive thinkers. Support independent media - visit globalvoicesforjustice.org
SCREENING SATURDAY APRIL 21st 7pm
See "The Road to Guantanamo," in Long Beach on Saturday April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach, 5450 East Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.
This 90-minute documentary gives the first-hand account of three British citizens who were held for two years without charges in the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach. A donation will be requested.
RSVP on-line at www.amnestyusa.org/america Click on “Attend a Party” then on “Long Beach” and register.You can also view the trailer at www.roadtoguantanamomovie.com
Still have questions? Email jeanne@burntmail.com, or call 714.357.5424.
GLOBAL VOICES FOR JUSTICE & AWARE IN LONG BEACH PRESENT
Two films by
Nezam ManouchehriFriday January 26th
7:00pm at the
Zephyr Vegetarian Cafe340 East 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90802For more information:call 714.357.5424 or email jeanne@burntmail.com
Nezam Manouchehri is a filmmaker, writer and actor. His film, Letters from Iran (2004) is a 30-minute documentary which he wrote, produced, and directed. It had its official world premier at the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival and was an official selection of the Asiatica Mediale Film Festival in Rome with an extensive review in the Italian daily, “Il Manifesto.”
Nezam’s latest film, A World Between, is a 60-minute documentary on Iran as seen through the eyes of a young Iranian American visiting his family’s home for the first time.
Filmmaker Nezam Manouchehri will be at the screening in Long Beach to answer questions about both films. Also, Dr. Sarah Forth, Jeanne Kyle, and Mansoor Sabbagh will talk about the critical need for improving relations with Iran and helping Americans and Iranians get to know each other as they really are. They will discuss their work to establish an ongoing cross-cultural dialogue to help dispel the stereotypes often seen in mainstream media.
DECEMBER 2ND FUNDRAISER
Report-back from AMARC9 . . .
and Fundraiser for Iran Dialogue Project
Join us on December 2nd, 6:00 p.m.
at the Los Angeles Peace Center
Mansoor Sabbagh of Global Voices for Justice and Elizabeth Robinson of 91.9 FM KCSB in Santa Barbara will share audio clips, images and their experiences from the international community radio conference in Amman, Jordan which took place November 11-17, 2006.
ALSO, SPECIAL GUESTS: Dr. Sarah Forth with photos and experiences from her recent trip to Iran, and Nezam Manouchehri, Iranian cultural filmmaker (“Letters from Iran” and “A World Between”).
That's Saturday, December 2nd
from 6-9pm at the Peace Center
8124 West Third Street, Los Angeles, California 90048
Refreshments provided.
For more information call 714.357.5424
The U.S./Iran Peace-building Dialogue Project is a multi-media, joint venture with independent filmmakers, academics, and journalists to travel to Iran and interview a cross-section of people from across their beautiful country. We will bring back images and voices in documentary form as well as a series of radio programs and multi-media presentations to give Americans a virtual cultural experience and, for many, an introduction to Iran, its people and culture.
Pending Visa approval, our plans are to travel to Iran in January 2007, allowing us time to more fully develop our project and locate additional funding.PROJECT SUMMARYIn contrast to the images presented by governments and media, and despite our cultural differences, Iranian and American people share very similar core values. The Project Team will interview people from all sectors of Iranian and American society and initiate an ongoing dialogue project. Bringing the images and voices of real people to one another reduces gaps in knowledge and perception and dispels misconceptions and stereotypes. Through sharing these interviews and establishing an ongoing dialogue, we hope to nurture a deeper understanding between the people of the U.S. and Iran, and encourage diplomatic conflict resolution to lessen the chances of military intervention.
We plan to share our presentation and findings with a large segment of society through a three-tiered process:
1) nationwide radio and television broadcasts;
2) on-site presentations at school campuses, religious, community and cultural centers across the country; and
3) donation of materials and findings to libraries, schools, and members of Congress.
A UNIQUE PROJECTThe Project Team will produce a documentary as well as a series of radio programs. Presentations will include a combination of film, audio-visuals, and local items to create a virtual cultural experience for audience participants. A key feature of the project is the long-term commitment to ongoing programs via the internet, establishing pen-pal and sister-city programs based on the participation of volunteers. By beginning at a grass-roots level, we hope the promotion of knowledge will build a foundation of understanding across the population that will “trickle up” to those who implement our foreign policies, fostering more respect and diplomacy in the approach taken to conflict resolution.
GLOBAL VOICES FOR JUSTICE (GVFJ)AWARE in Long Beach is a partner with GVFJ, based in Long Beach, California. Our mission is to make the voices of today’s progressive thinkers widely accessible—both locally and globally. GVFJ is an independent media collective that has been working closely with Pacifica Radio (90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles) for four years and has accumulated a significant archive of audio recordings, including talks by Chalmers Johnson, Howard Zinn, Norman Finkelstein, Ilan Pappe, Dahr Jamail, and many more (visit www.gvfj.org).
The goal of GVFJ in taking on this project is to create a sense of community and understanding between Americans and Iranians with limited access to information about each others’ lives or the foreign policies affecting our two countries. It is critical to bridge this information gap in order to promote peace and dispel stereotypes and propaganda that contribute to breakdowns in conflict resolution capabilities.
NON-PROFITGVFJ projects are in affiliation with the International Humanities Center, a nonprofit public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501[c](3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations to GVFJ are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law (for more information, visit www.ihcenter.org). Checks can be made payable to GVFJ/IHC, and credit card charges will reflect payment to IHCenter.SPONSORSHIPThink about bringing conversations from Iran to people across America . . . .
Think of the opportunity for promoting peace! Does this sound like a project you’d like to be a part of? Would you be willing to become a Sponsor of the U.S./Iran Peace-building Dialogue Project? All donations are tax-deductible, and GVFJ will be happy to provide you with project income/expense statement copies at your request.
There are several ways you can participate in this project:
1) Make a one-time tax-deductible donation
2) Be a continuing sponsor to support long-term project goals
3) Become a pen-pal to participate in cross-cultural dialogue
4) Work with your City Council to initiate a sister-city program with your home town and a city in Iran
5) Sponsor a presentation at a school, church, library or community center in your area
BUDGETThe cost to launch this project is estimated at $10,000, and support to finance completion and ongoing long-term goals is $4,000 per month. Only with the generous support and donations of visionaries can we make this happen.
Sponsors at these levels will be provided with a copy of the integrated audio-visual presentation with special thanks credited at the end, and your choice of two printed photographs from our trip to Iran:
• $5000 one-time donation
• $500 per month for 10 months of sponsorship
• $250 per month for 20 months of sponsorship
Sponsors at these levels will be provided with a copy of the integrated audio-visual presentation
• $1000 one-time donation
• $100 per month for 10 months of sponsorship
• $50 per month for 20 months of sponsorship
Other premiums including copies of the radio programs and documentary will be made available as produced for other various levels of support.
For a more detailed description of the U.S./Iran Peace-building Dialogue Project, email info@awarelbc.com and request a PDF copy of the proposal (14 pages).
For questions regarding sponsorship, please call 714.357.5424.
