On February 12, a couple graduate students in New York organized “Iran: Politics of Resistance”. The conference was made up of a 3-part panel to “explore the strategies and tactics of everyday resistance, in particular that of women and youth, under the rule of a non-democratic constitution, a ruler with virtually unrestricted power, a constant crack-down against civil society, and when faced with the inefficacy of elections due to systematic electoral fraud.” The conference was dedicated to currently imprisoned academic, Kian Tajbakhsh, who was supposed to teach at Columbia University during the 2010 school year. The conference speakers included OCharles Kurzman, Ramin Jahanbegloo, Hadi Ghaemi, Bitta Mostofi, Ali Rezai, Nader Hashemi, Danny Postel, and Sheida Jafari. Where is My Vote NY also premiered a music video dedicated to the Iranian students and youth (watch it here).
See a selection of clips below.
Click below to see all the videos of the conference, and learn more about it at PoliticsofResistance.com PANEL I Ali Rezai (University of Calgary): Legitimation Crisis in Iran: a State Without a Solid Social Base Charles Kurzman (University of North Carolina): Cultural Jiu-Jitsu and the Iranian Greens Danny Postel (Journalist and Activist): Revolutionary Prefigurations: The Green “Moment,” Critical Solidarity, and Building the Road Ahead Questions and Answers Panel I PANEL II Sheida Jafari Nader Hashemi (University of Denver): The Clerics’ Divide and the Role of Religion in the Contemporary Struggle for Democracy in Iran Bitta Mostofi (Lawyer and Activist): The Rhythm of Marching Feet: How Solidarity Can Work Questions and Answers Panel II PANEL III Ramin Jahanbegloo (University of Toronto): The Gandhian moment in Iran Hadi Ghaemi (International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran): The Human Rights Movement in Iran: Strong, Yet Vulnerable Questions and Answers Panel III