Marching towards a people-based media; Statement of Establishment of the IraNeda Foundation

On the anniversary of the Iranian Constitutional Movement

Marching towards a people-based media

Dear Fellow Iranians,

During the past year, the movement of the people of Iran has been associated with massive media developments. The key message of this movement is to be inclusive of all the different voices. This has led to the creation of dozens of websites, news portals and participatory and people-based media. Small ideas have brought about huge impacts. Daily and weekly videos of prominent people, interviews and video messages of leaders and numerous video clips by leading or unknown artists are increasingly in wide circulation, conveying the message of democracy and dismissing tyranny and despotism.

The movement of the people of Iran has needed far-reaching and widely available media. Even so, the massive growth of small media have been instrumental in spreading the Green message in a way that no mainstream medium outside Iran has been able to do without them. A visual medium created and supported by Iranians all over the world is of urgent necessity. Over the past year, we have been moving toward achieving this goal. We have consulted and deliberated widely and we have taken the preparatory steps for the establishment of a people-based medium.

Various groups have independently endeavoured for the realization of the idea of a far-reaching and widely accessed medium. We have high respect for all of them; we have been in touch with a number of them and we are aware of their plans and proposals. We are also making our own contribution for our share in a project for an Iranian and people-based medium. In doing so, we rely on proposals, ideas and efforts of representatives from different political and human rights activists, citizen-journalists, prominent figures known to the wider Iranian public, artists, filmmakers and bloggers.

While remaining in touch and liaising with other media groups and embracing any joint effort, the signatories of this statement have a core idea of setting up a satellite channel to realize the model of a participatory medium which would help Iranians come together. We have no doubt that we will have to overcome many obstacles before implementing a new medium which aims to enable and empower people. We acknowledge these problems, but we also think that the atmosphere which has been born out of the encouraging movement of the people of Iran has made the establishment of such media more possible than any time before.

The media world has changed. This is no longer a univocal world and there is no monopoly and exclusivity for any single media in it. The medium we intend to establish takes this development into account; it does not claim to be comprehensive and all encompassing, nor does it assert to be a representative of the entire nation.

We are simply declaring that as a group of people who have deep interests in the movement of Iran’s people for freedom and justice and its efforts over the past year. This was just one example of a series of movements initiated by Iranians since the Iranian Constitutional Movement. We wish to establish a medium which can be an example of openness to the people of Iran and mutual understanding with the world and which can work for an Iran in the future where the cornerstone of its constitution shall be the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This medium shall not be the medium of a particular political party or establishment and it shall have no objective but to fight lying and dishonesty, opening the space for contributions and participation of Iranian citizens, fostering the Iranian culture. Our people-based medium is a modernist medium. It is open and anti-discriminatory and it seeks to reflect and display the ideals and opinions of those who have been suppressed in the past three decades and those who have been continuously and systematically discriminated against.

The medium we are endeavouring to establish is financially transparent and it shall rely on the funding of Iranians. The founders of this medium–who have gathered in the IraNeda Foundation–its planners, managers and policy-makers are Iranians. This group does not have any political ties with any financer, individual or foundation and shall remain so. It will always be dedicated to professional and progressive principles in media work. We welcome small and big donations of citizens and Iranian civil organizations. We shall have a separate statement regarding these contributions.

Signatories

The Founding Members of the IraNeda Group

Daryoush Ashouri, Mehran Barati, Shahrnush Parsipur, Mehdi Jami , Ramin Jahanbeglou, Reza Deghati, Arash Sobhani, Reza Allamehzadeh, Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, Kazem Alamdari, Masih Alinejad, Mehrangiz Kar, Nikahang Kowsar, Mohsen Namjoo, Mohammad Reza Nikfar

Poetry by Jacques Prévert - voice: Ahmad Shamlou - Music: Amir Sadeghi Konjani

“When truth is no longer free, freedom is no longer real: the truths of the police are the truths of today.”
Jacques Prévert

This is the last sound of well-known poet,Ahmad Shamlou along with Amir Sadeghi Konjani's Music which has been released in 2010 .

نوازنده‌گان:

عسل حناچى (فلوت)، شقايق شهرابى (ابوا)، بهار توسلى (كلارينت)، عليرضا متوسلى (باسون)، ميلاد عباسى (هورن)، بابك ميرداديان (توبا)، آوا شادمانى، ياسمن كشاورزى، طناز اوستاد اسداللهى و عسل حسينى (ويلن)، پگاه عبداللَّه‏زاده (آلتو)، آنكيدو دارش و پروشات زندآئين (ويلنسل)، مريم آزادى (كنترباس)، كسرا پاشايى (پركاشن)، رامين براتى (ترمبون)، احسان نادرى (ترمپت)

Iran's streets on London walls/خیابانهای ایران روی دیوارهای لندن

Campaign video projected on the walls of the Iranian Embassy in London, June 2010

کمپین ویدیوئی روی دیوارهای سفارت جمهوری اسلامی در لندن

Campaign video projected on the Ministry of Trade and Industry, London, June 2010

خیابانهای ایران روی دیوارهای وزارت صنایع و تجارت انگلستان

Campaign video projected on Carphone Warehouse, London, June 2010

خیابنهای ایران بر روی دیوارهای فروشگاههای فروش خدمات الکترونیکی لندن در اعتراض به فروش ابزار سرکوب رسانه ای توسط کمپانیهای نوکیا و زیمنس

Source: Reverse the Wave

Canadian Teachers’ Federation: We strongly condemn the execution of the Kurdish teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar!

این مطلب را در فارسی بخوانید

Photo:May 21, 2010 – Rally in front of the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa (Canada) , Mary-Lou Donnelly, CTF President.

Canadian Teachers’ Federation
Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et des enseignants
May 12, 2010

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran 13168-43311
Islamic Republic of Iran
E-mail: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

• Re: Execution of Iranian teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar

Excellency:
I am writing to you on behalf of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation who represents nearly 200,000 elementary and secondary school teachers across Canada to strongly condemn the execution of the Kurdish teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar on May 9, 2010.
Despite the evident lack of independent inquiry into the allegations, the absence of a fair judicial process, the fact that Mr. Kamangar’s appeal was still to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, though Mr. Kamangar’s lawyer had been told that the file had been lost, Mr. Kamangar has still been executed. I denounce this inhumane treatment of Farzad Kamangar, and the fact that neither his family, nor his lawyer, were informed about the execution.
This brutal execution raises anxiety about the fate of other detained teacher unionists,such as Rasoul Bodaghi, Hashem Khastar, Bahman Goudarzzade and Abdolresa Ghanbari. This execution will also intensify the already pervasive climate of fear and persecution surrounding trade union activities in Iran.
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation urges the Iranian authorities to: • Investigate the legal framework of the execution of Farzad Kamangar and clarify why his file was not reviewed by the Supreme Court in accordance with national law;

• Ensure, in law and practice, all guarantees of due process of law established in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the principle of presumption of innocence and elimination of torture and ill-treatment in prison;
• Respect the full exercise of the right to freedom of expression and rights to association and assembly, as recommended by the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organisation;
• Announce a moratorium on executions.

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
May 12, 2010

I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention on this very serious matter.
Yours sincerely,
CTF President

Cc : Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(info@leader.ir)

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ottawa (executive@salamiran.org)

Education International (headoffice@ei-ie.org)

Le 12 mai 2010
Son Excellence monsieur Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Président de la République islamique d'Iran
Avenue Palestine, intersection Azerbaijan
Téhéran 13168-43311
République islamique d'Iran
Courriel : dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

Objet : Exécution de Farzad Kamangar, enseignant iranien syndicaliste

Monsieur le Président,

Je vous écris au nom de la Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et des enseignants, qui représente près de 200 000 enseignantes et enseignants aux paliers élémentaire et secondaire au Canada, afin de condamner fermement l’exécution de Farzad Kamangar, enseignant kurde syndicaliste, le 9 mai 2010.

Malgré l’absence flagrante d’une enquête indépendante sur les allégations portées contre lui, l’absence d’une procédure judiciaire équitable, le fait que l’appel de M. Kamangar devait toujours faire l’objet d’un examen par la Cour suprême, bien que l’avocat de M. Kamangar ait été informé que son dossier avait été perdu, M. Kamangar a quand même été exécuté. Je condamne ce traitement inhumain et le fait que ni la famille ni l’avocat de Farzad Kamangar n’ont été informés de son exécution.

Cette exécution brutale soulève des inquiétudes par rapport au sort des autres enseignants syndicalistes toujours incarcérés, dont Rasoul Bodaghi, Hashem Khastar, Bahman Goudarzzade et Abdolresa Ghanbari. Elle intensifiera également le climat déjà généralisé de peur et de persécution qui entoure les activités syndicales en Iran.

La Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et des enseignants presse les autorités iraniennes de prendre les mesures suivantes :

• enquêter sur le cadre juridique de l’exécution de Farzad Kamangar et éclaircir la raison pour laquelle son dossier n’a pas été examiné par la Cour suprême conformément à la législation nationale;

• assurer, en droit et en pratique, toutes les garanties d’une application régulière de la loi établie selon le Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, y compris le principe de la présomption d’innocence et l’élimination de la torture et des mauvais traitements en prison;

• respecter le plein exercice du droit à la liberté d’expression et des droits d’association et de réunion, tel que le recommande le Comité de la liberté syndicale de l’Organisation internationale du Travail;

• annoncer un moratoire sur les exécutions

Président de la République islamique d'Iran
Le 12 mai 2010


Dans l’attente d’une intervention positive de votre part à l’égard de cette question très
grave, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur le Président, l’expression de ma très haute
considération.

La présidente de la FCE,

c. c. : Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, chef suprême de la
République islamique d'Iran(info@leader.ir)
Ambassade de la République islamique d'Iran, Ottawa(executive@salamiran.org)
Internationale de l'Éducation (headoffice@ei-ie.org)

Photos: May 21, 2010 – Rally in front of the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa (Canada) to oppose execution of Kurdish teacher and human rights activist Farzad Kamangar

Le 21 mai 2010: ralliement en face de l’ambassade iranienne, à Ottawa (Canada), pour contester l’exécution de Farzad Kamangar, un défendeur des droits de la personne et enseignant kurde.

Mary-Lou Donnelly, President, speaking with Saeed Valadbaygi, Journalist & Political activist living in Canada.
Farid Partovi, International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

General Strike In Kurdistan

Bazaar in Sanandaj shut down

Despite all of the security measures in Kurdistan for today, reports indicate that the bazaar in Sanandaj is completely shut down and the students did not attend their classes. The streets of Sanandaj are full of special guards. The city seems to be shut down.

General Strike , Mahabad/Kurdistan

Bazaar shut down in Mahabad

City of Mahabad- In the province of Mahabad, military presence is high. The city’s bazaar has been closed and the people are on strike. The slogans ‘Death to the Regime’ and ‘Death to the Dictator’ have been written in various places (walls, etc) around the city.

Bukan- In response to the call for a general strike by the Kurdish people to protest the execution of five Kurdish political activists, citizens of Bukan went on a coordinated strike. All shops, bazaars, and public places have been shut down. Security forces are situated in various street corners.

Today the city of Bukan is on a general strike. In most places in Bukan, along with most of Kurdistan from Maku to Ilam, all stores are closed. People are not leaving their houses.