Civil Society

July 25, 2013

International Civil Society: Need for Global Solidarity

In a new series, Arseh Sevom summarizes reports on civil society throughout the world. This post looks at the 2012 publication of Defending Civil Society. This report notes that the space for civil society throughout the world seems to be shrinking even as consensus on the need for an independent civil society is growing.
February 20, 2012

Iran Civil Society News Round Up Week of Feb 14

Arseh Sevom --- The Islamic Republic ratcheted up its attacks on Iranian citizens this past week. As you are reading this digest, the Iranian prisoner of conscience Mohsen Aminzadeh, is fighting for his life due to deteriorating health, and the death sentence of an IT expert, Saeed Malekpour, was confirmed by judicial authorities.Stifling DissentOn the 14th of February, security forces filled the streets of Tehran and other large cities in an attempt to nip in the bud any sign of possible opposition gatherings and dissent. Calls had been made for a silent protest, marking one year since opposition leaders Moussavi and Karroubi were placed under house arrest. Reports of several arrests were broadcast on media.The Butcher of the PressA long awaited verdict in the case against the chief prosecutor of Tehran, Saeed Mortazavi, shocked civil society activists. Mortazavi, known as the "butcher of the press," and on trial for the torture and death of prisoners at Iran's notorious Kharizak detention center, was found “vindicated.”
February 11, 2012

NGOs around the world Condemn Persistent Crackdowns on Egyptian Civil Society and reject disabling draft NGO Law

NGOs around the world Condemn Persistent Crackdowns on Egyptian Civil Society and reject disabling draft NGO Law. Civicus has joined with other organizations to issue a […]
January 4, 2012

Arseh Sevom’s 2011 Review

In Arseh Sevom's first ever newsletter (online here), we looked back at some of the highlights from the pages of our website. Those included:
October 5, 2011

Are You a Civil Society Activist?

What is Civil SocietyClick here for the complete post.Before trying to delve deep into a practical definition of a “civil society activist” let us see what is exactly meant by a “civil society”.According to Jeffrey C. Alexander – one of the thinkers who has helped us understand this rather abstract idea – civil society was conceived in the 18th century in a positive way. It was in the words of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, “a burgher, city dweller’s society.” Later, more complex ideas were annexed to the endless definitions and as per a recent version, civil society is “a basic configuration in which society stands apart from the state, develops autonomously and becomes increasingly conscious of such autonomy at both the individual and the collective levels.” All that would translate into an active society wherein citizens take matters related to their community, neighborhood, rights and etc. into their own hands – “civilly”. These activities might include forming associations, clubs, organizations, developing networks and raising awareness on their issues of concern.
September 6, 2011

Cultural Censorship in Iran

The Small Media Foundation has published the report, Cultural Censorship in Iran: Iranian Culture in a State of Emergency. This report looks at government pressure on and censorship of publishing, music, theater, and film, demonstrating an increase since the disputed 2009 presidential elections.The findings of the authors, Mostafa Khalaji, Bronwen Robertson, and Maryam Aghdami, show the efforts of the regime to make the barriers towards public culture even higher by pulling previously approved books off the shelves, controlling funding and licenses for films, denying musicians and theater groups access to their audience, and other acts of suppression.The publishing industry has been especially hard hit. The independent writer's organization, The Forum of Iranian Writers, is being supplanted by the deceptively named, Pen Association of Iran, a government-sponsored organization. The regime financially supports like-minded authors and publishers and purchases mass quantities of their books. In that way they can claim that the number of books published remains high. Bookstores are being shut down at an alarming rate.Read more...
May 28, 2011

Iranian Women’s Conference to be Held in the Netherlands

by Halleh GhorashiFor years, the Iranian women’s movement has been the subject of my research. During the 1979 revolution, Iranian women flocked to the streets to make their voices heard. It wasn’t too long after the success of the demonstrations that women were asked to go back to the house and play the role of the “good wife.” In spite of this, women in Iran used every possibility to make their demands heard and to create a place for themselves in society. In the 1980s, the ubiquitous oppression meant that their efforts were largely invisible. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the significance of their efforts became clear: the tireless dedication of women had cleared a path for civil society and dissent.