To NGOs: Stay out of Iran’s Protests
As our continued struggle for a secular democracy in Iran is taking shape led by our brave young women movement, it is important to remember that poverty and neglect imposed on a big swath of the Iranian population continues. Some of the biggest impactful groups supporting the poor and neglected children of our country come from the numerous nonprofit social impact organizations abroad or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
These social impact organizations in diaspora support the men and women in Iran who have dedicated their lives to these humanitarian causes. They show up every day on the ground in cities and villages in Iran and support the needs of the neglected children, elderly, and families. They educate, they heal, they feed, they transport to hospitals, they attend to them to lighten the misery brought on to them by this despicable corrupt and murderous regime in charge in Iran.
It is critical that we organize ourselves in diaspora and remain purposeful in how we fight this fight of our generation to take back our country. We must fight smart and with strategy and nonstop energy. We must defeat them with our brain power as much as with our instinct and desires to react.
Our community in and out of the country has demanded that celebrities and athletes stand up in support of the revolution underway. This is important and needed. From here to victory the cleansing process is essential to the fight.
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However, we must defend against this pressure on our charity organizations to publicly join the battle. We must understand that these dedicated people in Iran and abroad already take enormous risks collaborating for the good of the under privileged in a country where even charity could be a crime. The regime will disrupt their work of helping mothers feed their hungry children or take the elderly to hospitals. They have all been in this fight long before some of us joined in. The price of them publicly joining this fight will be largely paid by the very same people who receive their services.
Will the future of our movement depend on their public show of support? I think not.
Product Manager at PayPal
2 年That’s a great point! Thanks for sharing.
Founder & CEO at unephra
2 年This is a great point, and I believe it’s a well established rule that NGOs engaged in humanitarian efforts should NOT get involved with any side of the conflict they are helping the victims of. There is a good guideline on this from US Institute of Peace by Pamela Aall: https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/pwks5.pdf As you said, this extends to charity organizations outside of Iran who are engaged in humanitarian efforts inside Iran. However, this does not mean they should be silent and insensitive to nation wide events, the events that adversely affect the population they’re trying to help, specially the events that are so widespread that get world wide attention. And yet, this doesn’t mean taking sides, or showing public support for one side, or getting involved in the conflict. The best example I can think of is those of reporters. When reporting an event, they acknowledge something happened, w/o commenting on who was at fault, or taking this side or that. You can express being concerned, and yet be neutral. Let’s consider a hypothetical charity organization that works to help children and young adults with their educational needs in Iran, and they happen to have a gala event amidst the ongoing protests in Iran …
Democracy Advocate | Strategist | Executive
2 年The title of your piece is confusing and misleading. There are a lot of types of NGOs - civil society organizations - which are key to organizing on a particular issue and pressuring governments to act together to support a cause - any cause. Whether it is to fight climate change, advance human rights accountability and justice, or end gun violence in the United States. In totalitarian states, NGOs such as human rights organizations -- are key to documenting what is happening in terms of atrocities and educating global entities such as UN special procedures to act appropriately and pressure the government to stop its abuses. Right now NGOs are helping refugees and the people of Ukraine. It is because of Iranian human rights organizations that we even know how many have been killed and detained. They are the ones doing the 24 hour a day work of speaking to families and documenting abuses and sharing it.
A voracious learner, operator and investor
2 年really well said Faraj jan, 100% agree.