Learn more at 12June.org. June 12, 2011: A Day to Reconnect, Recommit, & Remember Today, nearly two years since Iran’s disputed election, many of Iran’s best and brightest face extremely unjust imprisonment and sentences for daring to voice dissent. Hundreds continue to endure systematic persecution, detentions, torture – and worse – simply for their faith, ethnicity or beliefs. And though the protests in Iran have lessened under the heavy hand of Iran’s authorities, the gross human and civil rights violations have only intensified. With much of the world’s attention now focused on the Arab Spring movements across the Middle East and North Africa, the focus on struggles for human rights has turned away from Iran. However, Iran’s movement IS continuing. Nobel Laureate, Dr. Shirin Ebadi, has compared the movement in Iran to a “fire under the ashes” with glowing embers that can re-ignite at any time. In a 24/7 news cycle world, we often expect quick resolutions and immediate conclusions. However, as history has shown, movements take time. Momentum in movements is challenging to realize and sustain and takes patience, trust and determination. To ensure human rights are adhered to and sustained, grassroots activism and engagement is a necessity in every society. >>Read More Goals & Demands The day’s goals involve encouraging activists worldwide to continue highlighting Iran’s human rights violations; to sustain international support for the Iranian people and their aspirations; and to urge the United Nations and governments worldwide to support human rights in Iran and to hold accountable those responsible for rights abuses. The day’s demands directly call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect the universal rights of Iran’s citizens (including the freedom of expression, association, and assembly and the right to hold free and fair elections); to stop discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, or ethnicity; to release all prisoners of conscience; and to institute a moratorium on all execution sentences and move towards the total abolishment of the death penalty. >>Read More Sponsors The day’s sponsors include –Amnesty International –Baha’i International Community –Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies –Democracy Coalition Project –International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran –International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) –Ligue pour la Défense des droits de l’homme en Iran (LDDHI) –Noble Women’s Initiative Get Involved! Organize an Event Various events have already been confirmed across the world, ranging from an art and music event in Amsterdam, to a Race 4 Rights event in Washington DC, to recreating Azadi Square in Chicago and New York, to a panel on religious freedom and women’s rights in London, to a Bike 4 Iran marathon in Madrid. There are numerous ways you and your organization can get involved, either by organizing an event for the day or by participating in various online actions. Organizing an event can be as complicated as a public art installation to simply meeting friends at a café to write letters or sigh postcards. The full list of events can be found on the12June.org event map. If you are hosting a human rights focused event you would like to see included on the event map, please e-mail the event details and relevant links to share@united4iran.org. There are also various toolkits, resources, and materials available for download to help you and your organization. >>Read More Take Action Online! U4I welcomes everyone to take part in the day by participating in various online actions, including a pledge drive, downloading and mailing postcards, and sending e-letters to various UN officials and Foreign Ministers.
To download, print, and mail postcards, click here. Participate in the Pledge Drive The online pledge drive is one of the online components of the day. You or your group can commit to completing one or more Iran-focused actions over the coming year. You can pledge to recommit to anything from ongoing advocacy for a specific prisoner of conscience, to writing and mailing postcards to your government representatives, to passing a Resolution of Support, to organizing events, to building relationships with your local media, and more! The pledge can be found here. >>Read More What’s Next? If you or your organization is interested in coordinating an event, please send an e-mail to info@united4iran.org so we can share your plans with the world via the U4I calendar and Google map. Please share footage of your actions by e-mailing pictures or links to uploaded videos to share@united4iran.org. Please also include a short summary of your event, where it took place, who it was hosted by, and what was done. Make sure to also take part in the online actions and encourage your friends and networks to do the same! Know the U4I team is here to support you and help you meet your commitments and pledges, whatever they may be! If you have any questions, please e-mail us at info@united4iran.org.