Engaging Iran: Challenges and Opportunities for Civil Society

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On, Wednesday, April 7, Meridian International Center in partnership with the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and the Public Diplomacy Council — convened key stakeholders at Meridian and through a video-link to Syracuse for a forum Engaging Iran: Challenges and Opportunities for Civil Society.

    Panelists and participants examined:
  • Past and current efforts for improved dialogue and exchange
  • Possible roles for civil society.
  • Opportunities and obstacles for strengthening a citizens’ dialogue and building exchanges and institutional linkages between Iran and America
  • What Americans need to understand better about Iran, and vice-versa.
  • Communication pathways and innovations in the digital era and how they could better convey ideas and values and support long term relations.
  • The ability of civil society here and abroad contribute to the protection of human rights in Iran without endangering Iranian citizens.
  • Multi-lateral, as well as bilateral, avenues for contact
  • Long-term collaboration and institution building?

Mehrzad Boroujerdi—Founding Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program and Co-Director of the Religion, Media and International Relations Program, the Maxwell School, Syracuse University set the scene, followed by two panels:

Panel One: The Current Climate of Opinion: How to Strengthen the Public Dialogue

Moderator: Barbara Slavin, author, Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation

    Panelists:
  • Hooman Majd – journalist, speaker, author, The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: the Paradox of Modern Iran (invited)
  • Trita Parsi - President, National Iranian American Council
  • Geneive Abdo – Director the Century Foundation Iran Program, founder and editor of website www.insideIRAN.org; co-author, Answering Only to God: Faith and Freedom in Twenty-First Century Iran

Panel Two: Prospects and Problems for Exchange and Institution Building

Moderator: Amy Hawthorne, founding executive director of the Hollings Center for International Dialogue

    Panelists:
  • Amb. William Miller, Senior Adviser, U.S. – Iran Program, Search for Common Ground
  • Glenn Schweitzer, Director, Program on Central Europe and Eurasia, National Research Council, National Academies of Science
  • Rasool Nafisi – author, professor, Strayer University
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