Democracy
in Iran, Middle East and Central Asia:
Past
Traditions and Future Prospects
(A Major
International Conference of Asian-American Heritage Program in Commemoration of
the Centennial of 1906 Iranian Constitutional Revolution)
Sponsored by:
Academic Development, Northeastern Illinois
University
5500 N. St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL
60625
For More
Informaiton, Please Contact: h-akbari@neiu.edu or
Call 773-442-6126
Co-Sponsored by:
NEIU International Programs, NEIU
Graduate College,
Northeastern Programming Board and Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh Leadership Fund at NEIU
Foundation
(This program is
open to public, no registeration is required)
Preliminary Schedule for Session in English*
(All
Events, except otherwise indicated, are in Alumni
Hall)
*
Important Note: This schedule is subject to minor
changes. Titles and all descriptions about the panels and speakers will
be slightly altered as needed. A few speakers will be added to some panels.
This is a major
historical conference and once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a
Conference in commemoration of the Centennial of Iranian Constitutional
Revolution covering the most timely topic of our times. Please distribute
this informaiton to your electronic networks. Thanks.
To be added to
the ListServ for this Conference, please write an E-mail to liyingzh@gmail.com.
Wednesday, April 5
9
a,m. - 10:50 a.m. Iranian Constitutional Revolution:
Legacy and Impact
Chair:
TBA
Janet Afary, Purdue University,
the Legacy of Iranian Constitutional Revolution
Daryoush Ashouri, Writer and Linguist
(France) Abortive Birth of a Nation State
11:00
a.m. -12:50 p.m. Prospects and Challenges of Human Rights in Iran, Middle East and Central
Asia
Chair:
David Rustchman, Northeastern Illinois University
Curt Goering, Senior Deputy
Executive Director, Amnesty International, New York
Mansour Bonakdarian, Hofstra University, Discussant
1:25 ? 3:30 p.m. Islam and
Democracy in Iran, Middle
East and Central Asia: Future Prospects
Chair:
TY Okosun, Northeastern Illinois University
Gunes
Murat Tezcur, Loyola University
Norma Moruzzi, University
of Illinois at Chicago
Nader Hashemi, Northwestern University
4:15 ? 5:30 p.m. Iranian
Constitutional Revolution: The Role of Women and the Emergence of Modern
Literature
Chair:
Shahrzad
Mahootian, Northeastern
Illinois University
Minoo Varzegar, Rutgers University,
the Role of Women in Iranian Constitutional Revolution
Houra Yavari, Iranica Institute, Columbia University, Modern Literature
7:00
p.m. ? 9:00 p.m. Keynote Speech
Stephen Kinzer, Author and Senior New York Times Correspondent
?The American Way of Intervention:
Is Iran
Next??
Followed by a book
signing by Mr. Kinzer for his new book: Overthrow :
America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
Thursday, April 6
9:25
a.m. ? 12:05 p.m. The Prospects of Democracy and
Viable Peaceful US Policies
in Iran, Middle East and Central Asia
Chair:
Professor David Leaman,
Northeastern Illinois University
Danny Postel, Author, Journalist and
Senior Editor of Open Democracy, "
Reading Legitimation Crisis in Tehran:
Liberalism, Internationalism, and the Upheaval in Iran Today"
Stephen Kinzer, Author and Senior New
York Times Correspondent, "Constitutional Rule in Iran: Is it
Gone Forever?"
More panelists to be added here.
12:15
p.m. ? 2:00 p.m.
International and Regional Significance of the Iranian Constitutional
Revolution
Chair
and Discussant: Fariba Zarinebaf, Northwestern University
Touraj
Atabaki, University
of Amsterdam,
Netherlands, ?The Movement for Constitutionalism
in Iran
and its Trans-Caspian Dependencies?
Cyrus
Bina, University
of Minnesota at Morris, "The Heart and Soul of the Middle East: The Making of the Constitutional
Revolution."
Mansour
Bonakdarian, Hofstra
University, ?The
international reception and impact of the Iranian revolution?
2:50 p.m. ? 4:40 p.m.
Traditions and Prospects of Democracy in Central Asia
Chair: Charles Steinwedel, Northeastern
Illinois University
Steve LeVine, Wall Street Journal
Correspondent and former Newsday/Newsweek Correspondent to Central
Asia
Anora Mahumudova, New
York based Uzbek Journalist
Touraj Atabaki, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Russell Zanca, Northeastern Illinois University
4:15 p.m. ? 5:30 p.m. Reflections of Iran
and Human Rights in Iran
in Ario Mashayekhi?s works (Room TBA)
Ario
Mashayekhi, Chicago
based Artist
6:55 p.m. ?Remember the Dead Candle, Remember!? A
Special Candle Lighting and Poetry Reading Ceremony for Peace on Earth on the
occasion of the Centennial of the 1906 Iranian Constitutional Revolution.
Ceremony is
conducted by Dan Creely,
Northeastern Illinois University; Poetry Reading by Nahid Shafie, Persian Literary
Expert, Chicago
7:10 p.m. Keynote
Speech and Presentation,
Reza Deghati, National
Geographic Photojournalist and a Recent Recipient of Legion of Honor from the
President of the France, the
highest civilian honor in France and Founder of AINA (Paris,
France and Kabul, Afghanistan)
9:10 p.m. Peace
Fire Ceremony for the Centennial of Iranian Constitutional Revolution,
Dan
Creely, Northeastern Illinois University
Friday,
April 7
Besides Sessions
in Persian, there will be Several Film Showings in English including:
_ Film on Afghanistan (AINA)
_ Children of the
Sun (A Documentary About Ancient Iran), in presence of
the
the
filmmaker, Mansooreh Saboori
at various times during the day
8:30 ? 9:45
p.m. (Recital Hall) A Special Recital
of Classical Music performed by
Mr. Cyrus Forough
(Violin) and Tatyana Stepanova, Piano; this
performance is in memory of his Grand Father and Mother. Haj Mirja Yahya Dowlatabadi was a prominent
Constitutionalist of 1906 Revolution Era and is among the main founders of the
modern school systems in Iran, and his mother, Ms. Fakhri Forough, an Iranian
woman pioneer in classical music.
Professor Cyrus is a full
time faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh and is on the faculty at Roosevelt University's
College of Performing
Arts in Chicago.
