Transition pathology and two protective powers in Iran, Kazem Alamdari, November 12, 2023

kazem-alamdari

Kazem Alamdari, received his Ph. D. in sociology from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urban, his MA in Educational Administration from Illinois State University, and his BS from the University of Tehran in Psychology. He has taught at various universities, including UCLA, CSULA, and CSUN. Alamdari has published Ten books and numerous articles in English and Persian, including:
1. Civil Society: Theories, Contexts, and Experiences, 2015;
2. Why the Reform Failed: A Critical Study of the Eight Year Reform Era in Iran: 1997-2005, 2008;
3. Why the Middle East Lagged Behind: The Case of Iran 2004;
4. The Global Crisis: A Critique of the Clash of Civilizations and Dialogue Among Civilizations, 2003; and
5. a best seller that reached to 19th edition Why Iran Lagged Behind and the West Moved Forward, 2000 – 2014.
His latest articles include: “Global Civil-Society Movements: What the World Social Forum Can Do to Change the World’s Situation,” Sociology and Criminology, 2014, 2:2. His article “Religion and Development Revisited: Comparing Islam and Christianity with Reference to the Case of Iran,” in the Journal of Developing Societies, London: Sage, Vol 20 (1-2), has been one of “The 50 Most-Frequently-Read Articles” in five years, reaching number 2 in January 2005. Alamdari was the recipient of a fellowship from the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) in Japan, Kyushu University in 1997. As a public intellectual, he is frequently featured in the media and presents lectures at national and international conferences in different parts of the world.

Justice Seeking Aspects of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement, Monireh Baradaran, May 7, 2023

monireh-baradaran

Monireh Baradaran is a former political prisoner who spent nine years (1981-1990) in Tehran’s prisons. Since 1991 that she settled in Germany as a refugee and has focused her activities on fighting against torture and the death penalty. She has authored several books about the psychology of torture, and evaluation of Truth Commissions. Her 1997 memoir “The simple Truth” has been translated into German, Dutch, Danish and earned her the Medal of Karl von Ossietzky of the International League for Human Rights. Currently she is the editor of the Persian internet-magazine Bidaran (dedicated to the memory of the victims of political persecution in Iran), and collaborates with Amnesty International – Germany, as well as Rastyad Collective in documenting political executions of the 1980s in Iran.

An introduction to the discourse analysis of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, Mohammad Reza Nikfar, April 16, 2023

mohamad-reza-nikfar

Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikfar, is a philosopher and lecturer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Iran Academia), as well as the Chief Editor of Zamaneh Media. He has authored many articles and his books in Farsi and German include: “Violence, Human Rights and Civil Society”, “Critique of Political Theology”, “At the Dead-End of Time, Introduction to the Philosophy of Heidegger”, “The Concept of Peace” and “Faith & Technique” among others.