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Why Don't NIAC and PAAIA Cooperate?
Dear Friends,
I'd like to share with you a recent email
exchange about PAAIA's relationship with NIAC that was initiated by
one of our
members, Afsaneh Mirfendereski. It
followed a Q&A we posted in the newsletter about the U.S.
sanctions, and she
later agreed for us to publish the conversation.
If you have any related questions or comments, please don't hesitate
to contact
me at [email protected] and I'd be happy to elaborate further.
Have a great Thursday,
Mahasti Afshar
Executive Director, PAAIA
P.S.-
Please visit our new website and sign up as a member
again. It's free!
From: Afsaneh Mirfendereski
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 10:40 AM
To: PAAIA Information
Subject: Re: Qs&As: All You Need To Know About U.S. Sanctions
Against Iran
Dear PAAIA,
I admire much of you do. However, when PAAIA was being launched, it
was presented
as a body that looks after the interests of Iranian-Americans, and
does not get
involved in Iran-US relations.
For that reason, I would often donate to NIAC more - as I do believe
that Iran-US
relations also affect Iranian-Americans.
I think both groups do admirable work - but can PAAIA better explain
if its priorities
have also shifted? If so, the whole idea was that you 2 organizations
may have different
focuses - if you don't, then why not put aside our national Achilles heal of
not being able to cooperate with each other, and just have one body
representing
all the broad interests of the community?
Just a suggestion - and I can guarantee you that if I'm saying it,
others are
thinking it - so I hope the comments are to your benefit. Many
friends get tired
of simultaneous e-mails from PAAIA and NIAC, always covering the same issue.
It resonates deep feelings of angst in the community, that even our
representatives
can't properly get along.
Please do keep up the good work, and again, I hope these insights
serve some purpose
here, as their intention is to seek a positive outcome.
Many thanks,
Afsaneh Mirfendereski BA M Arch
Chevy Chase
MD
-----Original Message-----
From: Mahasti Afshar
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 12:16 PM
To: Afsaneh Mirfendereski
Subject: Your e-mail to PAAIA
Dear Afsaneh -
Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful e-mail. I don't know if
mine will
do the job, but I'll do my best.
I actually believe in variety and look forward to the day when we as
a community
fully subscribe to democracy, not just in thought but in action.
Democracy is all about respecting and negotiating varieties and
differences while
valuing and nurturing a community's common ground--such a noble thought. We
Iranians have a long history of building monolithic, one-party
systems, and I don't
mean only political parties; I mean the claim that only one value
system is good
and true--culturally, socially, politically, spiritually--and we feel
threatened
by differences.
As an Iranian American, I would much rather see several, not just
two, organizations
voice our community's perspectives and concerns and act on its
behalf. To me,
the idea of one organization representing all of us is not only
arrogant but false
and autocratic. We've left our beloved homeland and come to a country built
on the premise that people can thrive and progress in spite of, or
more accurately,
because of their differences. Let's exercise that philosophy and take
advantage
of the opportunity to be different, but then come together to achieve
shared goals.
(Did you know that there are more than 30 Cuban American
organizations in the U.S.
dedicated to a similar, though nuanced, set of socio-political ends?
There are more;
the 30+ are only the "moderate" ones. The same applies to
Jewish organizations
that are many and varied as well, some with fiercely different
positions on issues.)
NIAC's charter allows it to address US-Iran foreign relations.
PAAIA's charter
limits it to tackling Iranian American concerns within the US
borders; we can only
deal with domestic issues while NIAC has no such restrictions. That
is a major difference
between the two; we ought to respect that rather than condemn it, and
actually appreciate
the value in it.
Difference does not always mean disagreement; sometimes it does; at
other times
it means a difference in emphasis, or in style, and in the case of
nonprofits, a
difference in their reach and donor base.
PAAIA cannot take any political action in matters related to US
foreign relations,
the US sanctions against Iran being one such case. What we can do, on
the other
hand, is commission reports about the implications and the
complexities of the law,
and disseminate them so that our community can make educated,
informed decisions.
That is service.
As for domestic [U.S.] issues where both PAAIA and NIAC are active,
speaking for
PAAIA, we want our community to be protected from any form of
discrimination or
manipulation, and to be recognized for its heritage as well as its
contributions
to U.S. society. We strive to be thoughtful, respectful and
informative, give credit
where credit is due, and be constructive where criticism is due. We
believe in collaboration;
that's why PAAIA initiated the Census Project in 2009, which grew into a
coalition of 47 Iranian American organizations in 2010. More
collective efforts
of that nature will help us achieve more for the community while
allowing each to
grow in singular ways. We should all come together around causes that
benefit the
community as a whole, and we at PAAIA will certainly do all we can in
that regard.
Going forward -- and I hope you'll check out our website in September
to know
what I mean -- PAAIA will increase its community building activities
with a special
focus on youth; we will also continue to encourage and support
Iranian Americans
to run for political office to strengthen our voice. We want to have
real impact
and be there as a support system for our community not just today,
but in the future.
That challenge, in a nutshell, is what gets me out of bed in the
morning. I won't
lose heart just because obstacles get in our way, some self-imposed,
others out
of our control, and I hope you won't either. Stay with us, keep sharing your
good thoughts and ideas, and we'll grow stronger as a community and
find more
opportunities to act in solidarity as time goes by.
Don't let differences frighten you. It takes variety to make a garden.
With best regards,
Mahasti
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Urge Congress to pass the DREAM Act!
Help deserving students earn a path to legal residency. Take action today!
Register to Vote, make your voice heard!
Click here
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Congressional Scorecard
, and see how your member of Congress voted on important issues.
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