Civil Society

May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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A ‘Halal’ Internet

The Wall Street Journal and other sources are reporting on the government of Iran's plans to create its own internet. The regime already controls the speed of its internet, keeping it artificially low. Since 2005, they have also been planning to create a closed internet, a la China and other repressive governments, with content controlled by various ministries and with separate e-commerce access.Current head of economic affairs in Iran, Ali Aghamohammadi says:“We can describe it as a genuinely ‘halal’ network aimed at Muslims on a ethical and moral level.”Read the full post.
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May 28, 2011
May 28, 2011
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Iranian Women’s Conference to be Held in the Netherlands

by Halleh GhorashiFor years, the Iranian women’s movement has been the subject of my research. During the 1979 revolution, Iranian women flocked to the streets to make their voices heard. It wasn’t too long after the success of the demonstrations that women were asked to go back to the house and play the role of the “good wife.” In spite of this, women in Iran used every possibility to make their demands heard and to create a place for themselves in society. In the 1980s, the ubiquitous oppression meant that their efforts were largely invisible. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the significance of their efforts became clear: the tireless dedication of women had cleared a path for civil society and dissent.
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May 24, 2011
May 24, 2011
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Baha’i Targeted

Baha'i educational programme targeted in raids 22 May 2011GENEVA — A coordinated series of raids have been carried out on the homes of several Iranian Baha'is, active in a community initiative to provide a higher education programme for young members who are barred from university.Reports indicate that raids took place on Saturday 21 May on as many as 30 homes in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz. It is now understood that some 14 Baha’is have been arrested."All of the targets were homes of individuals closely involved with the operations of the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education," said Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.
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May 16, 2011
May 16, 2011
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As Strong as Our Signal

This week's featured post from the Civil Society Zine is Mana Mostatabi's As Strong as Our Signal, which looks at the clicktivism phenomenon. Online petitions and letter writing campaigns make it easier for more people to take action in support of a cause, but what's next? The author asks us all to think of ways of transforming clicktivists to sticktivists. Social movements can last lifetimes no matter how clear the justice of a particular cause may be. How do we do what it takes to sustain movements?
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May 4, 2011
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May 4, 2011
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Islamic Republic of Iran Forcefully Targets Civic and Democratic Organizations

Arseh Sevom, 3 May 2011- In a deliberate move to attack democratic organizations, the Iranian Parliament’s joint commission has simultaneously approved a bill requiring supervision over Members of Parliament, and is considering a restrictive bill to reform the Political Parties Law. This is happening despite the fact that, due to pressures resulting from the opposition of Iranian civic organizations, the Iranian Parliament has suspended its review of the proposed bill on the Establishment and Supervision of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for a period of three months.These efforts collectively show that the Islamic Republic has made an organized attempt to eliminate all civic and democratic organizations in Iranian society. Arseh Sevom warns that these policies will lead to the destruction of the remnants of civic and semi-democratic organizations through the creation of supervisory committees. Arseh Sevom urges Representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly to remove from its agenda the bill for reforming the Political Parties Law and the bill for supervision over Members of Parliament. They should do so to defend of the right to freedom of association and assembly, the right of representation, and to protect the legal immunity of Members of the Iranian Parliament in fulfilling their role as representatives.
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April 26, 2011
April 26, 2011
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Reform, Revolution, and Change

What does it take to make change? On Monday, April 18th, The University of Amsterdam, IKV Pax Christi, and Hivos sponsored a day-long seminar, Middle Eastern Perspectives on the Revolutions, on the recent events in the Arab world. In a series of short posts, Arseh Sevom will summarize some of the discussion that occurred that day. We will look at specific themes such as women’s involvement and the struggle for women’s rights, involvement of trade unions, and the struggles of ethnic and religious minorities.
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