Cultures of Resistance

Cultures of Resistance agrees with the Campaign for Peace and Democracy when they state, "The Iranian democratic movement holds the promise of bringing freedom to Iran. But far from aiding the struggle for Iranian democracy, war threats and sanctions from the United States, Israel and leading European nations make that fight much more difficult."

In early 2012 the Israeli government was pushing hard for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and it was unclear whether or not the White House would cave to the pressure. Media coverage of the confrontation has relied heavily on anonymous officials and members of the U.S. Congress who think taking a hard line with the Ahmadinejad administration, rather than engaging in serious diplomacy, is the only way forward. As a result, many people worry that we are traveling down the same road that led to war in Iraq less than a decade ago.

Despite these dispiriting signs, it appears that cooler heads may prevail. As Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) co-director Mark Weisbrot has argued, the Obama administration would not condone an Israeli military strike on Iran at least until after the U.S. presidential election, and top military brass have publicly warned that war with Iran would have disastrous consequences for America and the Middle East. As of April 2012, diplomatic talks were scheduled to begin between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.

On March 9, 2012, CoR-ally Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) joined Jon Stewart on The Daily Show to discuss escalating tensions with Iran and the prospects for diplomacy.

In 2007, during a previous round of escalating tension between the White House and Iran, Cultures of Resistance and Agit-Pop Communications teamed up to create an animated short about the Bush administration's drive for war with Iran and the many voices of reason standing against it.

The Need for Better U.S. Policy

The 2009 Green Revolution in Iran demonstrated the enormous desire of the Iranian people for true democracy and presented the world an opportunity to stand in solidarity with them. Yet one year later, rather than developing a way of engaging with this popular movement, Western governments signed a new round of harsh sanctions against Iran. In the summer of 2010, Cultures of Resistance director Iara Lee wrote a blog entry at the Huffington Post, reflecting on the White House's policy in the Middle East,

"This recent round of sanctions is an unjust act of economic warfare against the people of Iran, and another step in the wrong direction on our calamitous approach both to that country and to the region at large."

Citizen diplomacy and cultural solidarity are areas that CoR has been interested in for many years. We believe that the interests of both Iranians and Americans are best served by grassroots solidarity and cross-cultural exchange. We must at once condemn counter-productive sanctions that move us closer to war and support popular movements that are standing up for free-speech and democracy in Iran. To find out ways you can stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and demand a more just foreign policy, scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Bridging the Cultural Divide

Cultures of Resistance supports citizen diplomacy and the sharing of creative expression and education. In particular, we work to promote cross-cultural exchange with Iranian artists. Below you can watch our short film about several such artists who strive for peace and refuse to forget their people's history of suffering from foreign intervention.

In 2008 Cultures of Resistance teamed up with Hichkas to produce the following song and accompanying video. Hichkas, who is sometimes referred to as the "President of Iranian hip-hop," has been refused official permission to release his music. The song attempts to expose some of the diversity of Iranian culture not shown in western media and to invite people to take another look at Iran and its people. The video has been viewed over 340,000 times on our YouTube channel.

How You Can Make an Impact

Solidarity with the people of Iran, opposition to sanctions, and the promotion of free speech and democracy are important components of CoR's work. Having collaborated with many organizations working on these issues, we recommend the following action steps:

• The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is a leading advocacy group and grassroots organizer in the fight for a more diplomatic approach to U.S.-Iranian relations. Their work was important in preventing a Congressional resolution that would have paved the way to war in 2008, and they continue to get the attention of news outlets and elected officials. Drawing on their experience in working with Washington lawmakers, NIAC offers Demystifying Democracy seminars in which they teach individuals to effectively influence their elected representatives. They train attendees on how to frame an issue for maximum impact on a particular audience, how to write letters that move decision-makers, and how to develop relationships with representatives and media personnel. Learn more about attending or hosting a seminar in your community.




• Peace Action is the largest grassroots peace network in the United States, with chapters in 30 states. They firmly stand against war as a solution to conflict and they are a leader in building a movement to demand direct talks and committed diplomacy with Iran. Sign their petition that denounces military force and demands a diplomatic resolution to the dispute. Also, sign up for their action alerts to know when important events are happening near you.




• The Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII), based in the U.S and the U.K., aims to bring together people from all ideologies and religions to oppose military intervention as a solution to tensions with Iran. CASMII focuses its attention on raising its voice in the media, lobbying elected officials and opinion-makers, and educating the public through speaking events. Find out how to organize an event and bring an expert speaker to your community.