Orange County Register article on GreeNeda Event

Neda's death in Iran inspires UCI teach-in

Day-long event focuses on human rights

By Sandy Rose The Orange County Register

A teach-in organized by a new human rights organization, GreeNeda, drew more than 20 human rights advocates to speak at UC Irvine on Saturday. More than 1,000 people attended the 12-hour event throughout the day, said an organizer.

Mike Kazerouni, a central organizer, along with Arash Ebneyousef, said the event was put together in three days, starting on Tuesday with 16 people funding the teach-in with their own money.

"We got together to form an event so that people would know what's going on, and not forget the Iranians fighting for their human rights," said Kazerouni.

GreeNeda is named, in part, for the color green, which was originally used in representing reform candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in his Iranian presidential campaign against incumbent Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

Ahmedinejad's win sparked allegations of election fraud and widespread protests throughout Iran. Protestors began using green as a representation of their own campaign.

GreeNeda is also named after protestor Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot in the chest while attending a protest against the outcome of the Iranian presidential elections. Her death has become a rallying point for the campaign and a symbol of the turmoil in Iran.

Kazerouni said there was no political agenda behind Saturday's teach-in; rather, the purpose of the event was to bring together a diverse group of people speaking on the same cause, human rights.

"It's not about Mousavi anymore, it's about human rights for people in Iran," said Kazerouni. "Whether you're Iranian or non-Iranian, human rights is something everyone can agree on."

During the day, volunteers manned petition and refreshment booths with snacks, water and tea. Other volunteers collected donations for the GreeNeda group.

Petition booths shared letters drafted to the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Conference, embassies that have acknowledged the validity of the election and countries that haven't spoken against the turmoil in Iran. According to volunteers, the petitions were signed by more than 500 people throughout the day.

The dean of students at UC Irvine, Sally Peterson, helped Kazerouni and Ebneyousef get their idea off the ground, offering the campus for the site of the teach-in. Peterson said that all aspects of the event were meant to attract all members of the community.

"The whole idea is that the speaker list will represent a variety of viewpoints," Peterson said Saturday.

Starting off the lineup of speakers, UCI Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez promoted a united front in the fight for basic human rights.

"Let us offer our support and our hope for them in continuing to strive for a peaceful end. Let us raise our voices in respect for people of all nationalities. …We are all living in a global village and must live together in peace."

Other speakers included professors, students, psychologists and artists from the community.

Neda Nabavian, a GreeNeda supporter who shares a name with the deceased Neda Agha-Soltan, said that Agha-Soltan's death caused a newfound awareness of events in Iran.

"Everyone used to ask me how to spell my name, but now no one asks," said Nabavian. "They all know that it means 'the voice,' and now it stands for the voice of the Iranian people."