Cultural Exchanges Cannot be Ignored, Part 2

By normalizing relations, the US and Iran can help foster more official cultural exchanges. For now, however, it is difficult for outsiders to get into Iran and for Iranians to get out of Iran, but there have been a considerable number of success stories of unofficial exchanges – some of which I touched on in Part 1, and others which are detailed here, in Part 2.

Foreign Affairs Committee Approves 123 Agreement with Conditions

On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved HR 6574, a bill that grants Congressional approval for the proposed “123” US-Russia nuclear agreement if Russia certifiably halts nuclear cooperation with Iran.

The bill sets specific conditions on the 123 agreement’s implementation. According to section 201, the President must certify that Russia has sought to “prohibit, terminate and prevent the transfer of goods, services, and technology” to Iran for use in nuclear, biological or chemical weapons or ballistic missile programs. The bill provides an exception to this rule, permitting Russian support for the Bushehr nuclear reactor, which the Bush administration defends as a nonproliferation safeguard. It further stipulates that during the past year Russia must have had “no cooperation” with Iran.

Seven Senators Call for US Interests Section in Iran

Seven senators have taken a pro-active approach to recent talk about opening up an interest section in Iran. On Thursday, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) sent a letter to the President to offer congressional support for a limited diplomatic presence in the country.  The following is  the press release from Senator Murray’s  office.

Apparently it’s only a negotiation if you plan to listen when they talk

The recent news that the United States would be sending their number three official in the State Department, Undersecretary of State William J. Burns to take part in talks with Iran is a significant departure from previous policies. Last Saturday’s conference in Geneva with European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, and Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili was considered a golden opportunity for the two nations to directly discuss Iran’s nuclear program. The move, which has been applauded by many experts in the field (and attacked just as harshly by the likes of John Bolton) has also been described in the Washington Times as the “most significant American diplomatic contact with Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.”

Cultural Exchanges Cannot be Ignored, Part 1 of 2

The following is a two-part series on cultural exchanges. The first part discusses American journalists and tourists in Iran, and the second part will discuss Iranian musicians performing in the US.

Part One:

Patience is a virtue

This past Saturday, Ambassador William Burns traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to meet with one of Iran’s top nuclear negotiators, Saeed Jalili. This meeting was the first since 1979 between a top US diplomat and an Iranian representative. So evidently, this was a tremendous breakthrough in US-Iran relations – a relationship that has been almost non-existent under the current Bush Administration. However, even with this great first step, people still appear to be disappointed. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and many other news sources reported that the Americans were not completely pleased with their meeting.

Uninformed or Apathetic?

A few weeks ago I met with an elderly Iranian gentleman who had come from Tehran to visit his family in the US. Because of his affiliation with an Iranian non-governmental organization (NGO) he is involved in the political arena as well as current social and political reform movements. Because of the various risks, I choose not to mention the name of this gentleman. However, for me, his perception of the Iranian America community and the general American society was very interesting. Being born in Iran and raised in Sweden, it is relatively easy for me to act as an unbiased observer and objectively gauge the flaws of American society. Interestingly, even with our different life experiences and age difference, we seemed to be in agreement on our perspective of this country.

Ehteshami, Redaelli: “Now is the time to talk.”

At a Stanley Foundation briefing last Wednesday, a panel of European-based Iran experts weighed in on the current state of affairs, including the recent ‘surge’ in diplomacy. Stressing engagement, Anoush Ehteshami, Head of the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University in Britain, and Riccardo Redaelli, Director of the Middle East Program at the Landau Network-Centro Volta (LNCV), spoke on ‘US Strategy toward Iran.’

CNN Takes a Look Inside Camp Ayandeh

CNN.com is featuring an article about Camp Ayandeh, which we reported on earlier, titled Iranian-American youth struggle to define themselves.  Also available is this great video taking an inside look into the camp.  Check it out:

Iranian culture camp–Traveling from across the U.S., Iranian American youths attend camp in Georgia to ask questions about themselves.

A Good Week for Diplomacy

It’s been a pretty good week for us here at NIAC. 

The Bush Administration is planning to install the first US diplomats in Iran since the hostage crisis.  The third-highest ranking official in the State Department sat down with Iran to negotiate over the nuclear issue, reversing years of stubborn and counterproductive policy.  For the first time, a presidential candidate has a special advisor for Iranian American issues.  And members of Congress and others in Washington are starting to realize–albeit slowly–that the time for isolating Iran in the hopes that all of our problems with them will just disappear is coming to an end.

That being said, there is still a long way to go.  The Senate is working on a new sanctions package.  HConRes 362 is still picking up co-sponsors by the dozen (up to 247 now).  And most of the news now is talking about how the talks in Geneva on Saturday didn’t produce anything substantive. 

But I remain an optimist for a few reasons. 

Rep. Lewis’ letter to Bush, Rice on Diplomacy, Interests Section

Below is a letter sent by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) to President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the recent decision to send a US envoy to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program.

Dear Mr. President and Madam Secretary:

“I Can’t Wait ‘til Ayandeh”

The Future of the Iranian American community

Since the inception of the Iranian Alliances Across Borders’ Camp Ayandeh, a summer program for Iranian-American high-schoolers, campers have left eager for more. For the past three years, Camp Ayandeh’s warmth and excitement have won over a group that can be difficult to woo: teenagers. But what’s really special is that this process takes place during the course of only one week. For many it is not only the next year of camp that becomes a source of eager anticipation; campers leave truly reinvigorated about the future—and about their Iranian heritage and Iranian-American identity.