IAAB’s Fourth International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora

Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) is pleased to announce The Fourth International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora, to take place April 4-5, 2009 at the University of California Berkeley’s Pauley Ballroom.

IAAB is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen the Iranian diaspora community through programs that fulfill its threefold mission, in creating greater awareness of Iranian culture, promoting leadership especially among youth, and connecting Iranians across borders.

The conference aims to address both the accomplishments within the Iranian diaspora and the issues the community is currently facing. It seeks to unite multigenerational scholars, students, and members of the community to discuss the current state, accomplishments, and future of the Iranian diaspora community.

Distinguished speakers from around the world will sit on specific panels to discuss their accomplishments and work on their areas of expertise. In addition to providing an open environment for productive and interactive discussions about the diaspora, the conference will also serve as an opportunity to build a stronger network of Iranians across various borders.

In addition, Iranian Alliances Across Borders will be hosting a night of entertainment with guest performers in the San Francisco vicinity on Saturday, April 4, 2009.

Paper submissions

Submissions are encouraged in, but not limited to, the following areas:

– Fieldwork or case studies of diaspora communities internationally

– Representing Iran through the diaspora: implications, challenges, and opportunities

– Importance of language study in the diaspora

– Contributions of the Iranian diaspora towards fighting the stigmatization of Middle Easterners, Muslims, and Arabs in the United States and beyond

– The role of NGOs, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders in the diaspora

– Transnational politics and the impact of diaspora activism upon both domestic (e.g. elections) and Iranian issues (e.g. human rights campaigns)

– Transnational economic networks, in particular the role of the diaspora in Iran’s socio-economic development

– The effect of the recent global financial crisis on diaspora communities

– The role of media, such as film, music, television, and printed media, in the formation of diasporic cultures

– Identity negotiation and expression among second-generation Iranians, in particular with issues of gender and sexuality, non-traditional career paths, and the future of the next generation in the diaspora community

– Family life in the diaspora, particularly with regard to domestic violence, gender roles, family dynamics, and communication

– Other topics regarding the present conditions, contributions, or challenges faced by Iranians in the diaspora

All papers may be delivered in either of the conference languages, English and Persian. We encourage you to submit narrative and personal stories in addition to papers of a more academic nature. Short films will also be accepted for consideration.

The audience of the conference will include academics, NGO and community leaders, students, artists, and members of the Iranian diaspora and international community.

Although the International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora is a professional academic conference, preference will be given to papers that will generate discussion among a diverse audience and have potential to engage the entire community.

Submission Requirements

Extended abstracts of no more than 500 words should be submitted using the online submission form available at www.iranianalliances.org/conference .

Please provide all of the contact details and biographical information requested. Abstracts without this information will not be considered.

Please direct any questions regarding submissions to conference@iranianalliances.org.

Film and Music Submissions

If you are submitting a short film or music for consideration, in addition to submitting a brief description through the online submission form, please also mail a copy to:

IAAB’s Fourth International Conference
4266 Nottingham Drive
Danville, CA 94506, USA

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Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB)
IAAB is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, non-profit volunteer organization with a young, dedicated staff spread across the United States, Europe and Iran. The mission of the organization is to address issues of the Iranian diaspora community while raising awareness of the Iranian community, promoting leadership, and connecting Iranians across borders. For more information about IAAB please visit www.iranianalliances.org.