What an incredible weekend @ The IAAB Conference! With over 75 speakers in attendance from as far as Australia, Germany, the UK, Canada, Israel, Holland, Italy, Norway, and all across the US, an artshow, a film series, workshops and roundtables, … Continue reading →

Thank you to all the staff, speakers, and attendees – an amazing program this year. Keep the conversations going!

Dr. Paola Rivetti (Dublin City University, Ireland) –  “The Role of Diasporas in Establishing Transnational Activism: The Case of Iran” Within the diaspora there has been a shift from nostalgic to strategic, which Dr. Rivetti attributes to the Khatami period’s promotion … Continue reading →

Ms. Golineh Atai (co-founder and V.P., DIWAN, Germany) – “How a (socio-) cultural initiative, founded by 2nd- and 3rd- generation Iranians can bring together Iranians of all age and Germans” Ms. Atai found that there were no programs for Iranian youth … Continue reading →

All sessions run concurrently in one 45-minute period)   Workshops: Immigration: Undocumented Experiences, Challenges, and Paths Forward (South Bay Room) Facilitator: Ms. Pouneh Behin Participants:         Mr. Mohammad Abdollahi Ms. Shirin Hakimzadeh Mr. Diego Sepulveda Social Services and the Iranian American Community (West Coast … Continue reading →

Mr. John Tehranian (Southwestern Law School) – “Who’s Afraid of Hussein, or Playing Cowboys and Iranians:  The Trope of Colorblindness in the Age of Obama” Mr. Tehranian described the firestorm that arose around the “Let’s play cowboys and Iranians.” Despite outrage … Continue reading →

Mr. Shahin Najafi took the stage to address the audience. He began with a short talk regarding the collaborative and democratic culture of Iranians, both in Iran and in diaspora. Anywhere Iranians get connected in a political or organizational capacity, … Continue reading →

Ms. Golnoush Niknejad (TehranBureau.com) – “The Tehran Bureau. Digital News on Iran and the Iranian Diaspora” Ms. Niknejad covered a range of topics in her long journalistic career – constantly having to pitch and pander to American editors if she ever wanted … Continue reading →

Dr. Babak Elahi (Rochester Institute of Technology) – “Crossing Tehran Avenue: The Convergence of Digital, Urban, and Diasporic Iranian Spaces” The metaphor of the internet as city drove Mr. Elahi’s early research into the relationship  of cities and virtual spaces. However, … Continue reading →