Over the past few months, IAAB has been busy selecting and training its all-volunteer staff and planning our exciting project line-up for this coming year! We’d like to update you on some changes to our staff and generally bring you up to speed with IAAB news.

After working with IAAB over the past few years, (most recently as the Project Manager for IAAB's Third International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora), I am extremely pleased and excited to begin work as IAAB's new Executive Director. In addition, I would like to introduce Mehrdad Bokhour, Ali Ehteshami, Sharareh Hakimi and Amina Serway, four of the newest members of IAAB's staff. To learn more about individual members of our staff, please visit our website at: www.iranianalliances.org/staff.htm

On another note, I would like to extend a great many thanks to our outgoing Executive Directors, Ramin Bajoghli and Shirin Hakimzadeh, for all of the enthusiasm and dedication they brought to the organization. Under their leadership, our organization achieved a great deal of success, especially over the last few months. Before the new staff embarks upon the projects for the coming year, we would like to share some of the coverage and recognition our initiatives enjoyed during the past few months. Without your continued support and kindness, our organization would not be where it is today. We, as a staff, are looking forward to the upcoming year with even higher hopes for success, accomplishment and growth, and we hope that you, too, are looking forward with us!!

Warmest regards,
Sheena Shirakhon
Executive Director

TRANSFORM/NATION: Contemporary Art of Iran and Its Diaspora
In June, IAAB's joint art exhibit, Transform/nation, offered a unique opportunity for culturally related, but geographically separated, communities to interact with one another via simultaneous exhibits in Washington, D.C. and Tehran, Iran. The opening reception drew over 400 people to the Washington, D.C. exhibit, and over 130 to it's opening in Tehran, while supplementary events throughout the summer in DC, NYC, and Boston, engaged at least another 500 people. Using photography, paintings, installations, and films by artists from Iran, Europe and the United States, the sister exhibits brought the individual experience to the global conversation about identity, nationalism, and Iran’s place in the world. The project received overwhelmingly positive feedbac k from gallery visitors, panelists, curators, Iran scholars, and media representatives, who called the joint-exhibit one of the best exhibitions on contemporary Iranian art to date. Here are some highlights from coverage of the events: 

IAAB in the Washington Post:
        "We wanted to give people a different alternative than what is represented in the media," said Nikoo Paydar, co-curator of the exhibit and co-founder of Iranian Alliances Across Borders, which co-sponsored the exhibit. Planet Arlington--a county organization that raises awareness about immigration, globalization and the environment through arts and humanities programs--acted as co-sponsor. "We felt like there was a real need for different visual representations of Iran and Iranians," said Paydar, a D.C. resident.

        Describing most Americans' images of Iran as involving "anger" and "a lot of black," she said, "We wanted to give a more diverse and complex view of Iranians and how they choose to represent and identify themselves."

IAAB in the Washington Post Style on the Go:
        “The show has been organized by Iranian Alliances Across Borders, a Washington-based nonprofit working to give voice to people of Iranian descent living abroad. Not long after Iran was labeled part of an "axis of evil" -- and thus a subject of curiosity -- curators from the group put out a call for submissions in art magazines and on e-mail discussion groups, drawing more than 250 entries exploring identity, stereotypes and tradition.”

IAAB on the DCist.com: 
        “The most recent show at the Ellipse Arts Center in Arlington, titled Transform/Nation: Contemporary Art of Iran and Its Diaspora, explores the themes of identity, tradition, stereotype, and society that Iranian artists confront within their works. It is a show that is not about to divorce the work on the wall with the history of Iran; it chooses to engage it head on. What does it mean to be Iranian: politically, socially, and culturally?” 

Camp Ayandeh 2007: 

Another successful Iranian-American Leadership Camp has come and gone! This year's camp was held in Hemlock Overlook Regional Center for Outdoor Education in Clifton, VA, and drew 48 students, more than double last years camp.  Far from being just a camp of leisure and recreation, Camp Ayandeh 2007 created a positive, inclusive environment where each camper had the opportunity to grow and develop. The camp curriculum was composed of challenging and interactive leadership development activities, focusing on conflict resolution, while specifically exploring Iranian cultural heritage and Iranian-American identity. If you’d like to have a first-hand glance at more about our camp, you can view the Camp Ayandeh 2007 Video, created by our own Ramin Bajoghli. Like last year, this year’s campers were world class; and as a staff, IAAB not only taught, but learned a great deal, as well. It was an extraordinary week, and we are proud to have drawn attention not only from the Iranian-American community, but also from the general American public. Here is some of what was said about this year's Camp:  
 
IAAB in the Washington Post:
    “After just a few days together at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, the campers acted like lifelong friends, playing and talking in a patchwork of Farsi and English that only those from both worlds would understand…Many found that what sets them apart from their non-Iranian friends is what bonds them with fellow campers…It was like, 'Here's a group of strangers who have totally fallen in love with me for the week, who I'm totally comfortable with, who can pronounce my name…”

In addition to the Washington Post article, Camp Ayandeh 2007 also drew the interest of an award-winning Washington Post photographer. Ms. Guzy, who had originally intended to stop by for a few quick shots, ended up tagging along for the better part of the week, snapping photos and absorbing the unique Camp Ayandeh experience. The Washington Post has created a picture gallery of our camp, which can be viewed on their website: The Washington Post Photo exhibit

IAAB in the Fairfax Connection Newspaper
    ”The weeklong leadership camp, known as Camp Ayandeh — Iranian for "future" — draws youth from all over the country. Nineteen students attended last year's camp, and this year's session, which ended Saturday, drew 49 campers...The camp was designed to strengthen the Iranian-American community by providing its youth with positive role models, teaching them leadership skills and educating them about Iranian culture. The hope…is that campers will go on to make contributions…”

None of our events and initiatives would be possible without your faithful support. We want to extend our utmost thanks to our communities, donors, and advocates.  We truly appreciate everything that you have contributed to our work over the years, and we will work to ensure that our organization returns the favor by continuing to serve the interests of our diverse communities.

Enshallah, you are all doing well, and we look forward to working with you again the near future.  
Please keep an eye out for more exciting IAAB updates in the coming months!!

All the best,
The IAAB Staff and Family