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Mr. Amir Taheri, recipient of the Pasargad Heritage Foundation’s 1401 (2022) Nowruz Award

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Mr. Amir Taheri

Mr. Amir Taheri, author, journalist, political analyst, cultural and literary critic, is the recipient of a Lifetime Nowruz Award in the field of journalism and communication sciences for:

    • Lifelong tireless efforts as a modern author and journalist in Iran and in exile
    • Commitment to journalism, and emphasis on concrete facts and reliable documents for writing, analysis, and critique
    • Authoring of ten successful books related to sensitive issues in the last few decades of Iran in Farsi and English
    • Writing hundreds of lasting articles and reviews of political, literary, and artistic books
    • Constant attention to human rights violations in Iran and writings on them in the popular European and American press
    • Utmost attention to the brilliant culture and history of Iran in his writings for various Iranian and non-Iranian publications
    • To say that Amir Taheri is the most important journalist in the history of Iran is not an exaggeration. It has been less than 200 years since we came across something called “modern journalism.” During this period, especially after the revolution, we have had a large number of good journalists who continued their work after they immigrated to other countries or have been forced to live in exile. We however have had only a few men and women who have written in languages other than Farsi and for magazines and papers or have been active as a journalist in radio and television of other countries. None of them have had the position that Amir Taheri has had as an Iranian journalist.
    • Amir Taheri started his career as a writer, translator and journalist well before the revolution in Iran, working in widely circulated newspapers for over 40 years. He has also worked as a successful journalist, widely published author, and a liberal political analyst outside Iran, working with international publications and in countries around the world. Taheri’s articles published in the international press have not only covered Iran’s issues and topics. Rather, he has been able to speak and write well and publish widely as a writer, a capable political analyst, and a good journalist on important European and American issues.
    • One of Taheri’s admirable values ​​is that in spite of all his great success outside Iran, he has never lost touch with his native country. He has been a vocal critic on every occasion to convey to the world the cries of Iranian people which are otherwise ignored, even in the presence of many journalists from abroad for various reasons.
    • Amir Taheri, like many social people, has his own political beliefs which he has never hidden in order to please others. However, he has not included them in his writings and analysis, as his writings and analysis have always been based on existing facts, clear and undeniable documents. In addition, he has never forgotten the humane and moral virtues that some journalists have forgotten in order to please readers or catch viewer’s attention.
    • Amir Taheri is an example of a brilliant and modern journalist who still embraces Iranian culture beautifully and lovingly.
    • The Pasargad Heritage Foundation is proud to present its “Nowruz Award” to Mr. Amir Taheri for his lifetime achievement.

 

Biography of Mr. Amir Taheri.

    • Amir Taheri was born in Ahvaz, southwest Iran and educated in Tehran, London and Paris. He started his journalistic life by editing his school magazine, Sepideh Sadaf in 1955-58 before becoming a contributor to a number of publications including the literary magazine Ashna, the “pocket-magazine” Bamshad, and the weeklies Roshanfekr and Omid Iran.
    • Between 1967 and 1968 he was Cultural Editor of the English-language daily Kayhan International before being named the paper’s Political Editor for almost four years.
    • From 1972 to 1979 he was the executive editor-in-chief of Kayhan, Iran’s main daily newspaper.
    • Between 1980 and 1984 he was Middle East editor for the London Sunday Times. He also wrote for the Daily Times and contributed to The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, and the Daily Mail among other leading British publications. From 1984 to 1987 he was editor-in-chief of Jeune Afrique, the French weekly specializing in Africa. He has been a columnist for the pan-Arab daily Asharq Alawsat and its sister daily Arab News since 1987. Taheri was a contributor to the International Herald Tribune between 1980 and 1992. Between 2003 and 2018 he was a columnist for The New York Post. He has also written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, and The Washington Post. Between 1989 and 1995. Taheri has also been an editorial writer for the German daily Die Welt.
    • Furthermore, as a syndicated columnist, he has written for other publications including Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung, La Repubblica, L’Express, Politique Internationale, Le Nouvel Observateur, and El Mundo in Spain.  He was also a contributor to the German weekly Focus for almost ten years. Taheri has published twelve books. In 1988 Publishers’ Weekly in New York chose his study of Islamist terrorism, Holy Terror, as one of the Best Books of The Year. Some of his books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Between 1974 and 1979 he served as a member of the Board of Trustees of The Institute for International Political and Economic Studies in Tehran and Chairman of the board of the Iran Computer magazine. Between 1982 and 2000 he served as a member of the Executive Board of the International Press Institute (IPI) and its liaison officer with UNESCO in Paris.
    • In 1984 he helped launch the weekly Kayhan in London and worked as its Editor-in-Chief for a year. In 1988-89 he was a political advisor on Afghanistan to the UN Secretary-General Xavier Perez de Cuellar and chaired a series of seminars on Afghan issues in Geneva, Paris, and New York. As a journalist, he has interviewed dozens of world leaders, among them the Shah of Iran, US presidents, British prime ministers, Arab monarchs, and presidents, as well as Chinese and Soviet leaders.
    • Taheri has been Chairman of Gatestone Institute Europe, a public policy group since 2008. He has won a number of prizes for his journalism and was named International Journalist of the Year in 2012 by The Society of British Newspaper Editors.
    • Since leaving for exile in 1979 he has lived and worked in Paris and London with frequent visits to the Middle East, The United States, Russia, China, and The European Union nations.

 

International Women’s Day March 8, 2022

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History of Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.

We invite you to learn about the history of women’s rights and the UN’s contribution to the cause.  https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day/background

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – February 11, 2022

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Full and equal access and participation for women and girls in science

Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science.

In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Background

A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.

Gender equality has always been a core issue for the United Nations. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution not only to economic development of the world, but to progress across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well.

On 14 March 2011, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted a report at its fifty-fifth session, with agreed conclusions on access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. On 20 December 2013, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on science, technology and innovation for development, in which it recognized that full and equal access to and participation in science, technology and innovation for women and girls of all ages is imperative for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

International Day of Education

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Changing Course, Transforming Education

As it was detailed in UNESCO’s global Futures of Education report, transforming the future requires an urgent rebalancing or our relationships with each other, with nature as well as with technology that permeates our lives, bearing breakthrough opportunities while raising serious concerns for equity, inclusion and democratic participation.

This year’s International Day of Education will be a platform to showcase the most important transformations that have to be nurtured to realize everyone’s fundamental right to education and build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful futures. It will generate debate around how to strengthen education as a public endeavour and common good, how to steer the digital transformation, support teachers, safeguard the planet and unlock the potential in every person to contribute to collective well-being and our shared home.

Education is a human right

The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all.

Education is key to sustainable development

When it adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the international community recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of its goals. Sustainable Development Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

Challenges to achieving universal education

Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 258 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. 

Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day

A message from Pasargad Heritage Foundation on the occasion of the annual celebration of Yalda

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The absence of the national celebration of Yalda on the World Heritage List

Once again we are on the eve of beautiful Yalda, another Iranian national holiday celebration. Thousands of years ago on such a night, the longest night of the year, the people of Persia celebrated and gathered around a cedar tree, which was adorned with colorful fabrics and shiny stones.

In those days, the values and secrets of nature were not yet known, and Persians like other peoples of the world saw nature as powerful elements or gods with a tremendous impact on their lives and existence. Some people in the world were terrified of these natural powers, however Persians loved all the elements of nature and worshiped the sun as the greatest and most “loving” God, because light and heat energy were considered to be the savior of their lives.

Our ancestors thought that the sun was born at the end of the longest night of the year, to announce the victory of light and heat over darkness and cold. With discovering the secrets of nature, the status of a god was taken from the elements of nature. But the Persians kept their celebrations as an earthly gift—a real, tangible, happy and universal gift. And so it is that most Iranian celebrations have remained thriving, happy and modern to this day.

For the past few decades, while the Islamic government has prevented national celebrations from being held in public places, it has tried its best to replace them with religious events. However, the people of Iran, all over the world and within Iran, despite all the challenges they are facing, celebrate these beloved Persian festivities to an even great extent.

At the Pasargad Heritage Foundation, we believe that even though it is still not recognized on the list of intangible world heritage, Yalda, as one of the most beautiful world celebrations, should be celebrated greatly and fully. That is why we in 2007 submitted a petition to UNESCO for its consideration.

Unfortunately, based on UNESCO’s rules, governments are legally responsible for submitting national celebrations for UNESCO’s consideration, and due to the religious bigotry of the Islamic government and its opposition to our Iranian culture, it has only submitted other religious events and concepts. These have included “Ta’zieh,” “Ashura,” “carpet weavers,””Arba’een” and “aqeeqah,” which the Iranian government has considered as ceremonies worthy of globalization. The Islamic government not only refuses to send Yalda, Mehregan, Sadeh and other Iranian humanistic celebrations and rituals for UNESCO’s consideration, but also suppresses them under various titles and measures.

We believe that the victory of the armies of love and enlightenment over armies of sorrow and cruelty is still unquestionable, as we know that Yalda and our other Iranian celebrations will be victorious through efforts of people who love our culture and the symbol of humanity and love they represent.

Let us celebrate the birth of the beautiful sun of our land next to the evergreen Yalda tree this year as well, while the sun that rises every day in our world exemplifies its victory over eternal darkness.

May your life be bright and your Yalda a happy one.

Shokooh Mirzadegi

Pasargad Heritage Foundation

Yalda 2021

 

Happy Human Rights Day

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Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.

International Day of Friendship 30 July

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Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples.

To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.

Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/friendship-day

 

Background

The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.

To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997.

 

American Independence Day Fourth of July

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The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Fourth of July 2021 is on Sunday, July 4, 2021; the federal holiday will be observed on Monday, July 5, 2021.

World Refugee Day

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What is World Refugee Day?

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Why is World Refugee Day important?

World Refugee Day shines a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees, helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. While it is important to protect and improve the lives of refugees every single day, international days like World Refugee Day help to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or persecution. Many activities held on World Refugee Day create opportunities to support refugees.

When is World Refugee Day? When did World Refugee Day start?

World Refugee Day falls each year on June 20 and is dedicated to refugees around the globe. World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June 20, 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day, before the United Nations General Assembly officially designated it as an international day in December 2000.

What happens on World Refugee Day?

Each year, World Refugee Day is marked by a variety of events in many countries around the globe in support of refugees. These activities are led by or involve refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, companies, celebrities, school children and the general public, among others. 

International Day of Families

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International Day of Families is an annual observance celebrated on May 15. It is organized by the United Nations and aims to raise awareness about the economic, social, and demographic issues that affect families all around the world, and to highlight how important families are in the fabric of international communities and the foundation of society. In recent year, the International Day of Families has commemorated all families, both traditional and non-traditional, to enforce the fact that there is no blueprint for what a family is meant to be – a family is simply a group of people that love and support each other, and are connected by a strong bond.

Background
During the 1980’s, the United Nations began focusing attention on issues related to the family. In 1983, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the Role of the family in the development process (1983/23) requested the Secretary-General to enhance awareness among decision makers and the public of the problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs.

In its resolution 1985/29 of 29 May 1985, the Council invited the General Assembly to consider the possibility of including in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session an item entitled “Families in the development process”, with a view to consider a request to the Secretary-General to initiate a process of development of global awareness of the issues involved, directed towards Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and public opinion.

Later, based on the recommendations of the Commission for Social Development, formulated in its 30th round of sessions, The Assembly invited all States to make their views known concerning the possible proclamation of an international year of the family and to offer their comments and proposals.

The Council also requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-third session a comprehensive report, based on the comments and proposals of Member States on the possible proclamation of such a year and other ways and means to improve the position and well-being of the family and intensify international co-operation as part of global efforts to advance social progress and development.
In its resolution 44/82 of 9 December 1989, The General Assembly proclaimed The

International Year of the Family.
In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution (A/RES/47/237) that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

On 25 September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals aiming to eliminate poverty, discrimination, abuse and preventable deaths, address environmental destruction, and usher in an era of development for all people, everywhere. Families and family-oriented policies and programmes are vital for the achievement of many of these goals.