These viral articles are a reflection of what captured our attention the most in 2011.

.
.

20- How U.S. Laws Can Affect Your Personal Affairs in Iran

The current economic and political instability in Iran is causing many Iranian-Americans to sell properties in Iran they did not sell before moving to the United States, be it offices, farmland, factories, or even former family homes.  A number of others are going through Iranian courts to reclaim properties that were seized by the government after the revolution.  What most Iranian-Americans unfortunately do not know is that U.S. laws require U.S. persons (as defined by the applicable regulations) to obtain a license from the Treasury Department to engage in transactions related to the sale of their personal property in Iran.

19- Caspian Sea Is Dying

Caspian Sea is dying and its littoral states (Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) are not able to decide who owns what and what their responsibilities to the Caspian Sea, towards each other and the non-littoral states are.  The main problem is that the newly independent countries (this includes Russia which is not the USSR) around the Caspian Sea are not ready to give an equitable share of the Caspian Sea to Iran

18- 2011 Sundance Film Festival Presents Circumstance by Maryam Keshavarz

Teenagers Atafeh, and her best friend, Shireen, are experimenting with their burgeoning sexuality amidst the subculture of Tehran’s underground art scene when Atafeh’s brother, Mehran, returns home from drug rehab as the prodigal son.

17- Photos: Facebook curly-hair community gather in Tehran’s park

MooFerferia (curly-hair in Persian) Facebook community has about 8000 members worldwide,  and for the first time gathered in Tehran’s Nation Park in January 2011 for a few hours before they were asked to leave by park police.

16- Photos: New Year 2011 at the Vank Christian Church in Isfahan – Iran

The Vank Cathedral was one of the first churches to be established in Isfahan by Armenian immigrants settled by Shah Abbas I after the Ottoman War of 1603-05.

15- Iran: Second anniversary of Neda Agha Soltan ’s killing highlights near-total impunity for officials

Two years after the death of Neda Agha Soltan was captured on a mobile phone and came to symbolize the brutal repression meted out by security forces after the disputed presidential election of 2009, Amnesty International is renewing its call on the Iranian authorities to end impunity for officials responsible for unlawful killings, torture and other human rights violations.

14- The NBC Report That Could Have Been Produced By Iranian State TV

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad prays every morning at 5 a.m., then goes jogging with his bodyguards “at times seemingly ‘Rocky’-style.”

He then heads to the gym. The early bird Iranian president works out for 30 minutes every day before reaching his “spacious but simple office” before 7 a.m.

13- Iranian Actress Marzieh Vafamehr Arrested

According to Iran Green Voice, Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, wife of film director and screenwriter Nasser Taghvai, was arrested two weeks ago in Tehran and remains in detention.

12- Persian Gulf: A Name for All Seasons

The famous Greek mathematician and astronomer of 2nd Century BC, Claudius Ptolemy was a great geographer as well. His world map is in the shape of a vast hemisphere showing at least 8000 places. In this map, the Persian Gulf recorded as Sinus persicus is clearly shown. Parallel to it, toward south, we find the name Sinus Arabicus or Arab Gulf. From this important map, which together with its marking method – attracted the attention of Islamic scholars a more important point can be derived: Persian and Arab Gulfs were two distinct seas whose names and limits were known even before Christ.

11- Iran photos of the year by Fars

Nineteen Photographs of Iran from 300 images submitted by 90 Fars photographers in 1389.
10- Photos: Lake Urmia-Iran, the third largest salt water lake on earth

The lake (in northwestern Iran) is named after the provincial capital city of Urmia, originally a Syriac name meaning city of water.

Lake Urmia has 102 islands, the second largest island, Kaboudi, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.

9- U.S. worried China, Russia will gain access to RQ-170 drone

The controversial U.S. spy drone, which was successfully brought down by the Iranian military in the northeast of the country near the city of Kashmar, is one of the most state-of-the-art espionage instruments in terms of technology and design.

8- I Dream of (A Persian) Jeannie

Stranded on a desert island after his spacecraft malfunctioned, NASA astronaut Tony Nelson comes upon a strange bottle and releases a beautiful girl genie. “Jeannie” as she is called, is more than two thousand years old, is from ancient Persia, and can materialize objects or control any situation with the blink of an eye.

7- Farah Pahlavi’s interview with French Magazine Point de Vue

Ever Since her exile and the death of her husband the Shah of Iran, the life of Empress Farah could have been a succession of tragedies. ” There are moments of great joy “, confesses the Empress to our reporters surrounded by her family in the outskirts of Washington.

6- Designation of Iran Air on OFAC’s SDN List and Restrictions for Iranian Americans

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury announced that it has added Iran Air, the largest Iranian air career, to its “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List” (SDN List).

5- Photos: Bear Cubs Separated From Mommy Bear

Two bear cubs are being cared for at the quarantine center in Lorestan Mountain Park in Khorramabad, western Iran. Environmental protections agents discovered these cubs recently in a box a hunter was carrying with him. The hunter escaped leaving the cubs behind along with unanswered questions about where they had come from and how they had been separated from their mother.

4- Remembering Princess Leila Pahlavi

June 10th is a sad day for the Pahlavi Royal Family in exile. It is marked by a simple gathering in the Passy Cemetery in Paris ever since the demise of the youngest daughter of Shahbanou Farah, the former Empress of Iran, in 2001.

3- Bon Anniversaire Votre Majesté

The Month of October is a joyful one for the Pahlavi Family for it corresponds to several timely birthday celebrations and happy symbolic memories linked to their dynasty that of respectively the Coronation of 1967 and Persepolis Celebrations of 1971. The reason is that October corresponds to the birthday month of the late Shah of Iran ( October 26th, 1919), the Shahbanou (October 14th, 1938) and their eldest son the Crown Prince Reza (October 31st, 1960).

2- Photos: Ali-Reza Pahlavi 1966-2011

Alireza Pahlavi, 44, the youngest son of the former Shah of Iran, died Tuesday morning Jan. 4 2011 at his home in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ali-Reza Pahlavi was born on 28 April 1966. He lived in the U.S. where he received a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a Masters of Arts degree from Columbia University, and studied at Harvard University as a Ph.D. student in ancient Iranian studies and philology.

1- Photos: Murder convict hanged in public in Iran

Alireza Mollasoltani was hanged today, Wednesday, after the appellate court confirmed his death sentence for the murder of Ruhollah Dadashi. ISNA reports that Mollasoltani was hanged in public in the Golshahr area of Karaj.

Related Posts:

1. Payvand’s top 10 News stories of 2010
2. Photos: Ali-Reza Pahlavi 1966-2011

Synopsis – A wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager’s growing sexual rebellion and her brother’s dangerous obsession.

Maryam Keshavarz (born in New York, United States) is an Iranian-American filmmaker.

Circumstance
Run time: 105 min. | U.S.A., Iran, Lebanon | Language: Farsi with English subtitles | color

Teenagers Atafeh, and her best friend, Shireen, are experimenting with their burgeoning sexuality amidst the subculture of Tehran’s underground art scene when Atafeh’s brother, Mehran, returns home from drug rehab as the prodigal son.

Battling his demons, Mehran vehemently renounces his former life as a classical musician and joins the morality police. He disapproves of his sister’s developing intimate relationship with Shireen and becomes obsessed with saving Shireen from Atafeh’s influence. Suddenly, the two siblings, who were close confidants, are entangled in a triangle of suspense, surveillance, and betrayal as the once-liberal haven of the family home becomes a place of danger for the beautiful Atafeh.

Splendidly constructed and saturated with a sumptuous sense of style and sensuality, Circumstance marks the arrival of an exciting, original talent. First-time feature writer/director Maryam Keshavarz registers a rare glimpse of forbidden love in today’s Iranian youth culture.

.

Director:                   Maryam Keshavarz
Screenwriter:           Maryam Keshavarz
Cast:                        Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, Reza Sixo Safai, Soheil Parsa, Nasrin Pakkho, Sina Amedson, Keon Mohajeri

.
Producer:                 Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee
Composer:               Gingger Shankar
Cinematographer:    Brian Rigney Hubbard
Editor:                     Andrea Chignoli
Coproducer:             Antonin Dedet

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

About Maryam Keshavarz

Maryam Keshavarz studied Persian literature at the University of Shiraz before turning to filmmaking. She has a B.A. in literature and women’s studies from Northwestern University and a master’s in Near Eastern studies from the University of Michigan.

Maryam Keshavarz worked closely with Sundance Institute staff and industry mentors to shepherd drafts into scripts, scripts into films, and films into Festival-worthy features.

Maryam Keshavarz

..

Source: 2011 Sundance Film Festival

Related Posts:

1. Payvand’s top 20 News stories of 2011
2. 3rd Annual Iranian Film Festival – San Francisco: September 18-19, 2010

The Commonwealth Club will be hosting Abbas Milani in San Francisco.

Abbas Milani, Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project and author of The Shah, will reveal the complex and sweeping road that has brought the U.S. and Iran to where they are today.

The life of Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran, continues to resonate today. Milani looks at the monarch who shaped Iran’s modern age and with it the contemporary politics of the Middle East. He reveals the complex and sweeping road that he says has brought the U.S. and Iran to where they are today.

Abbas Milani is an Iranian-American historian and author. Milani is a visiting professor of Political Science and the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University. He is also a research fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution.

Location: SF Club Office, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $12 members, $20 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: In association with The Club’s Middle East Member-Led Forum

Tickets

The Shah - Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3,481

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Saadabad Palace Complex in Tehran – Iran
2. Payvand’s top 10 popular books for 2010

I’m trying hard to learn English and have already leaned “sit” and “down” (as in lay down) really well!  They tell me I’m really smart because I learn very quickly and I’m not quite 5 months old yet!

.

I’m proud to say, I’m pretty well potty trained.  My foster family has a doggie door and I caught on to that really quickly!

Fandogh

I’m a high energy puppy and LOVE to play all day long with  dogs, people and toys – I might be a little rough on small children, not on purpose though.

I’m told I’m a little hard headed and would do well with training. I’m really trying to work on my manners right now.

I would love to end up with a family that has time to spend playing with me and taking me to training to wear me out!

Almost forgot to mention, I love tummy rubs and enjoy curling up in laps!  I’m about as sweet as they come people!!!!

If you live in Dallas, Texas area, come visit me at Galleria mall at the Paws in the City adoption event between 1-4pm on Friday 12/24/2010 and again on Sunday 12/26/2010!

Or email my Auntie Farah (kfravon@yahoo.com) or call her 1.408.431.6954 if you want to learn more about me.

Fandogh

Vafa Animal Shelter on facebook

Contact: kfravon@yahoo.com

Related Posts:

1. Petition to stop destroying stray dogs in Iran, and adopt Haiku from Iran
2. Iranian participants in 1st International Exhibition – poster for a Healthier World

An estimated 14% of people who inject drugs countrywide were living with HIV in 2007.

The extremely high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (80%) found among detained people who inject drugs in Tehran indicates considerable potential for the spread of HIV among and beyond people who inject drugs. It has been estimated that close to half (45%) of the Iranian prison population is incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Iran's annual numbers of AIDS death

Systemic deficiencies in commodity procurement and supply management undermine treatment efforts in many countries. Of 94 countries, 38% responding to surveys report at least one drug stock-out in 2009. The Islamic Republic of Iran, Tunisia, Yemen and several countries in Central and South America cite drug supply interruptions as notable barriers to access to antiretroviral therapy.

On the cusp of the fourth decade of the AIDS epidemic, the world has turned the corner—it has halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV (Millennium Development Goal 6.A). The question remains how quickly the response can chart a new course towards UNAIDS’ vision of zero discrimination, zero new HIV infections, and zero AIDS-related deaths through universal access to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

.

HIV trend in the Middle East and North Africa

HIV trend in the Middle East and North Africa

Report’s key notes

- More than 5 million people are now receiving HIV treatment.

- HIV prevention works—new HIV infections are declining in many countries most affected by the epidemic.

- Virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is possible.

- Women and girls need support.

- Human rights are increasingly a part of national strategies.

- Financing the response is a shared responsibility.

- Treatment 2.0 could avert an additional 10 million deaths by 2025.

Five Pillars of Treatment 2.0

- Slightly more than half of all people living with HIV are women and girls.

- Estimated decrease in AIDS-related deaths globally among children from 2004 to 2009.

- With an estimated 5.6 million people living with HIV in 2009, South Africa’s epidemic remains the largest in the world.

- At an estimated 25.9% in 2009, Swaziland has the highest adult HIV prevalence in the world.

- The number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has almost tripled since 2000.

- Estimated HIV prevalence in Cuba is 0.1%, which is exceptionally low.

- Proportion of the population living with HIV in Central and South America that live in Brazil is 1/3.

- 19 times Increase in likelihood that African-American females will aquire HIV, compared to their Caucasian counterparts, in the United States.

- Prevalence of hepatitis C virus among detained people who inject drugs in Tehran is 80%.

- 56% of countries reporting having a mechanism to record and address cases of discrimination

Iran  AIDS Epidemic 2010 Graphs

.

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

.

_______________________________

.

_______________________________

.

_______________________________

.

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

.

.

Comparing Iran to other regions on a few issues

.

_______________________________

UNAIDS has used the following sources for Iran’s data

- Zamani Setal. High prevalence of HIV infection associated with incarceration among communitybased drug users in Tehran, Iran. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2006, 42:342–346.

- Parviz A. Scaling up HIV/AIDS prevention and care in Iranian prisons [slide presentation]. Meeting of the World Health Organization Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for HIV, 20 October 2005.

- Kheirandish Petal. Prevalence and correlates of hepatitis C infection among male injection drug users in detention, Tehran, Iran. Journal of Urban Health, 2009, 86:902–908.

Source: unaids.org

Related Posts:

1. United Nations World Drug Report 2010 and Iran
2. American Global View 2010 and Iran – The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

AlAan TV exclusively interviewed Faezeh Hashemi who said that the Iranian authorities fabricated lies against her brother Mehdi and pressured prisoners to confess against him.

.
AlAan TV: You and your family have been under huge pressures, tell us what happened to your son Hassan and your brother Mahdi?

.

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani: Of course what happened to us is nothing compared to what other people experienced and I feel embarrassed if I want to explain what our family has been through.

My son came to Iran at the beginning of the Persian year and he was arrested at airport. They kept his passport for 7 months, they gave him his passport after his school already started and his visa was expired.

For my brother Mahdi, they created special false atmosphere in Iran. They made up problems and fabricated cases against him. They even got confessions against him from some other prisoners which is against the law.

I don’t want to go deeply into details because it is not about us or Mahdi, it is all about people going to prisons because they are getting fabricated cases and false confessions.

All the trials and sentences issued recently are not in the legal framework, Mahdi is busy with his study and business but there are obstacles against in his return to Iran.

Source: kalam.tv

Related Posts:

1. Video: Namjoo Music
2. Graphs: Iran in UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010

Social institutions that have been around for thousands of years generally change slowly, when they change at all. But that’s not the way things have been playing out with marriage and family since the middle of the 20th Century.

This Pew Research Center report, done in association with TIME, sets out to illuminate these changes by using two complementary research methodologies: a nationwide survey of 2,691 adults we conducted from Oct.1-21, 2010; and our analysis of a half century of demographic and economic data, drawn mainly from the U.S. Census.

The transformative trends of the past 50 years that have led to a sharp decline in marriage and a rise of new family forms have been shaped by attitudes and behaviors that differ by class, age and race.

Here is a summary of the key findings of the report:

• The Class-Based Decline in Marriage. About half (52%) of all adults in this country were married in 2008; back in 1960, seven-in-ten (72%) were.

• Is Marriage Becoming Obsolete? Nearly four-in-ten survey respondents (39%) say that it is; in 1978 when Time magazine posed this question to registered voters, just 28% agreed.

• An Ambivalent Public. The public’s response to changing marital norms and family forms reflects a mix of acceptance and unease.

• Group Differences. Where people stand on the various changes in marriage and family life depends to some degree on who they are and how they live.

• The Resilience of Families. The decline of marriage has not knocked family life off its pedestal. Three quarters of all adults (76%) say their family is the most important element of their life.

• The Definition of Family. By emphatic margins, the public does not see marriage as the only path to family formation. Fully 86% say a single parent and child constitute a family; nearly as many (80%) say an unmarried couple living together with a child is a family; and 63% say a gay or lesbian couple raising a child is a family.

• The Ties that Bind. In response to a question about whom they would assist with money or caregiving in a time of need, Americans express a greater sense of obligation toward relatives—including relatives by way of fractured marriages– than toward best friends.

• Changing Spousal Roles. In the past 50 years, women have reached near parity with men as a share of the workforce and have begun to outpace men in educational attainment. About six-in-ten wives work today, nearly double the share in 1960.

• The Rise of Cohabitation. As marriage has declined, cohabitation (or living together as unmarried partners) has become more widespread, nearly doubling since 1990, according to the Census Bureau.

• The Impact on Children. The share of births to unmarried women has risen dramatically over the past half century, from 5% in 1960 to 41% in 2008.

• In Marriage, Love Trumps Money. Far more married adults say that love (93%), making a lifelong commitment (87%) and companionship (81%) are very important reasons to get married than say the same
about having children (59%) or financial stability (31%).

1- Overview

Over the past 50 years, a quiet revolution has taken place in this country. Decades of demographic, economic and social change have transformed the structure and composition of the American family.

.

.

.

Attitudes about changing families also differ significantly by age. Younger Americans are much more open to the changes and more tolerant of alternative arrangements.

2- Marriage

About four-in-ten Americans think that marriage is on the rocks. No, not their marriage. The institution of marriage.

.

.

.

3- Family

What defines a family? The portrait of the American family circa 2010 starts where it always has—with mom, pop and the kids. But the family album now also includes other ensembles. For example, most Americans say a single parent raising a child is a family. They also say that parents don’t have to be married to be a family, nor do they have to be of the opposite sex.

.

4- Children

Children in America are growing up in a much more diverse set of living arrangements than they did a half century ago. In 1960, nearly nine-in-ten children under age 18 resided with two married parents (87%); by 2008, that share had dropped to 64%. Over the same period, the percentage of children born to unmarried
women rose eightfold, from 5% to 41%.

.

5- New Family Types

Americans view the sweeping changes in family arrangements that have occurred over the past half century with a mixture of acceptance and unease.

.

.

.

.

Source: pewsocialtrends.org, and link to the complete report

About Pew Research Center

The Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis.

Related Posts:

1. Graphs: Iran in UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010
2. UN’s Human Development Report 2010 – Iran Ranks 70 out of 169

In Iran the publication of some cartoons has led to the closure of several newspapers and the prosecution and imprisonment of their cartoonists. The existing restrictions and the absence of any tolerance towards criticism have made the occupation of cartoonists precarious and rather risky. Many talented cartoonists have moved abroad where they continue their work successfully.

Amongst those still in Iran, the number of professional women cartoonists in particular is few and far between. One of these exceptions is Firouzeh Mozaffari whose cartoons are frequently published in newspapers and magazines these days. Her work has been acclaimed both inside and outside Iran. A German art critic wrote about her last year: “The satirical depiction of social issues and situations has always been one of the favourite subjects of cartoonists in the Iranian press. Firouzeh Mozaffari focuses on this theme with a wry sense of humour, great wit and sharp satire, highlighting social foibles and idiosyncrasies, and mocking those responsible.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Firouzeh Mozaffari was the winner of the ‘Persian Cartoon’ of the year, has been awarded several prizes for the best cartoons on the environment and traffic, and has won the press and the Book Festival’s awards in Iran. In this multimedia report, Firouzeh Mozaffari talks about her experience as a cartoonist, her motivations and style of work, whilst showing us some of her colourful, amusing and witty cartoons.

.

.

.

Sources: jadidonline and persiancartoon

Related Posts:

1. Top cartoons in the first international Contest about books in Iran
2. Face of 5000 year old Iranian woman reconstructed

FEMEN protested the death sentence given to Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani at the opening ceremony for an event promoting Iranian culture on Thursday Nov. 11 2010 in Kyiv.

FEMEN said the Iranian ambassador did not come to us at the embassy we had to come to him and tore off the opening week of Iranian culture in Ukraine.

.

Week of Iranian Culture in Ukraine

The event that the group targeted Thursday was part of a cultural exchange program launched by Iran’s embassy in Kiev a day earlier, called ‘Week of Iranian Culture in Ukraine

The protest is aimed at drawing attention to the case of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery and participation in her husband’s killing.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

Click here to view the embedded video.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Femen - Nov. 3rd 2010 at Iranian Embassy

Source:

http://femen.livejournal.com/ Фото Сергей Светлицкий , photo Sergei Svetlitsky

http://www.femen.org/

About FEMEN:

FEMEN is a provocative Ukrainian Kiev based protest group, founded in 2008. The organization is internationally known for topless protests against sex tourism, sexism, lack of hot water in student dormitories, Ukraine not winning any medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter games in Vancouver, modern erotic art at the Pinchuk Art Centre and other topics. As of late April 2010 the organization is contemplating becoming a political party to run for seats in the next Ukrainian parliamentary election.

FEMEN

FEMEN justifies its provocative methods stating that “This is the only way to be heard in this country. If we staged simple protests with banners, then our claims would not have been noticed”. The organization plans to become the biggest and the most influential feminist movement in Europe.

Related Posts:

1. Payvand’s top 10 News stories of 2010
2. Face of 5000 year old Iranian woman reconstructed

People are the real wealth of a nation.

It is now almost universally accepted that a country’s success or an individual’s well-being cannot be evaluated by money alone. Income is of course crucial: without resources, any progress is difficult. Yet we must also gauge whether people can lead long and healthy lives, whether they have the opportunity to be educated and whether they are free to use their knowledge and talents to shape their own destinies.

A few key findings and notes

One of the most surprising results of human development research in recent years, confirmed in this Report, is the lack of a significant correlation between economic growth and improvements in health and education.

Attempts to transplant policy solutions across countries with different conditions often fail: policies must be grounded in the prevailing institutional setting to bring about change.

Countries may accelerate progress in the HDI but not excel in the broader dimensions: it is possible to have a high HDI and be unsustainable, undemocratic.

Countries exhibit enormous variation in maternal mortality ratios, even countries at similar incomes. Iran enjoys a higher per capita income than Costa Rica, but Iran’s maternal mortality ratio is 4.5 times Costa Rica’s.

Putting people at the centre of development means making progress equitable, enabling people to be active participants in change and ensuring that current achievements are not attained at the expense of future generations.

Components of the Human Development Index

Frequency of Google searches for the Human Development Report, Human Development Index and World Development Report, 2006–2010

Human security
In the final analysis, human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not
silenced. Human security is not a concern with weapons—it is a concern with human life and dignity.

Human rights
Human rights are the rights possessed by all persons, by virtue of their common humanity, to live a life of freedom and dignity. They give all people moral claims on the behaviour of individuals and on the design of social arrangements—and are universal, inalienable and indivisible.

Human development has three components:
• Well-being: expanding people’s real freedoms—so that people can flourish.
• Empowerment and agency: enabling people and groups to act—to drive valuable outcomes.
• Justice: expanding equity, sustaining outcomes over time and respecting human rights and other goals of society.

Conceptual framework for human development

Unlike in health and education, there has been substantial divergence in income across countries.

From 1970 to 2010 per capita income in developed countries increased 2.3 percent a year on average, compared with 1.5 percent for developing countries. In 1970 the average income of a country in the top quarter of the world income distribution was 23 times that of a country in the bottom quarter.

By 2010 it approached 29 times. Divergence among developing countries has become more marked as well. Some developing countries—including Botswana, China, Malaysia and Thailand— have grown faster since the 1970s than any rich country.  At the same time, the income of several other countries—including Comoros, Iran and Senegal — has stagnated. Still other countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar and Zimbabwe, have suffered economic collapses.

Top movers in HDI, nonincome HDI and GDP, 1970–2010

.

If economic growth was indispensable for progress in health and education, countries with falling GDP would not be progressing in health and education. But this is not the case: Iran, Togo and Venezuela experienced income declines, yet their life expectancy has risen an average of 14 years and their gross school enrollment an average of 31 percentage points since 1970.

Poor countries benefited from the rapid spread of innovations in medicine and interventions in
public health, when the cost had fallen dramatically.

Democratization may have the strongest effects on primary education; decentralization can
have stronger effects on higher levels of schooling.

Number of people using the Internet and with phone subscriptions, per 100 people, by level of human development, 2000–2008

Globalization has propelled domestic issues onto the international stage. One expression of this trend is the upsurge of global and transnational civil society: the number of international organizations increased more than fivefold from 1970 to 2010, to an estimated 25,000.

Protests often have an international dimension— as attested by boycotts of the apartheid regime in South Africa, mobilizations seeking to end the conflict in Darfur, and support, often in Western countries, for pro-democracy protesters in Iran and Myanmar.

There has been marked international progress in recognizing the rights of sexual minorities in recent years, notably the 2008 UN General Assembly Declaration in support of decriminalizing homosexuality, signed by 60 countries to date. Yet barriers continue in national law and practice. In 2009 homosexuality was illegal in 76 countries, with punishments ranging from several years to life imprisonment. In Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen (as well as in parts of Nigeria and Somalia), it was punishable by death.

Most people depend on their jobs for their livelihood and that of their families—for many,
losing their job is the single most important event (apart from death) that can erode their
human development.

Trends in unemployment over the past decade

The main threat to maintaining progress in human development comes from the increasingly
evident unsustainability of production and consumption patterns. Current production
models rely heavily on fossil fuels. We now know that this is unsustainable—because the
resources are finite and their impacts dangerous. The close link between economic growth
and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be severed for human development to become truly
sustainable.

The world is becoming less sustainable

UN  introduced three new indices to capture multidimensional aspects of well-being for inequality, gender equity and poverty that reflect advances in methods and better data availability.

Gender Inequality Index

Poverty

The agenda beyond 2010

The policies that advance economic growth and the nonincome aspects of human development
differ—but they also overlap. We must pay more attention to these overlaps

Consensus is growing that the same policies can have different effects in different contexts: what has worked in one place may not work in another.

For human development to be sustainable, the link between fossil fuels and economic growth
has to be severed.

Civil society views on most important dimensions of empowerment

Source: United Nations

Related Posts:

1. Human Rights World Report 2010: Iran Targets Human Rights Messengers
2. Iran ranks 69 out of 70 in digital economy 2010 report

Unlike other studies that rank countries by actual levels of wealth, life satisfaction or development, the Prosperity Index produces rankings based upon the very foundations of prosperity those factors that will help drive economic growth and produce happy citizens over the long term.

.

.

IRAN and UAE

Economy – Ranked 78th
Weak economic fundamentals destabilise Iran’s steady economic growth

Inflation in Iran is very high, with prices increasing at a rate of more than 26% year on year. At over 10%, the unemployment rate in the workforce is high and is consistent with only 38%* of the population who claimed to be in either paid or unpaid employment. The rate of gross domestic saving is very high at 44% of GDP. However, the proportion of people with adequate access to food and shelter is the 25th lowest*, internationally**, suggesting poor overall living standards. Just 56%* of Iranians are happy with their standard of living, which is below the global average. The proportion of people with a positive view of local employment prospects is 75%*, well below the international average. Optimism towards local economic conditions is slightly better, placing around the global average* and an average GDP growth rate of 4.3% per year between 2004 and 2008 is good by global standards. Iran also has a reasonable foundation for future growth. The amount of physical capital available to workers is above the international average and the country places 31st with respect to its market size. High-tech exports account for 6% of total exports, which is near the international average. Yet foreign direct investment is low and financial sector efficiency is very poor, placing Iran just 84th in the Index. Non-performing loans account for a quarter of all loans. Despite this, two-thirds* of Iranians have confidence in the financial sector, placing the country 41st on this variable.

Entrepreneurship & Opportunity – Ranked 86th
A poor entrepreneurial infrastructure acts as stumbling block to Iran’s innovative activities

Royalty receipts in Iran are negligible, despite a rate of R&D spending which accounts for 1.1% of total GDP, well above the global average. ICT exports account for just 0.1% of total exports. Understandably, perceptions of the entrepreneurial environment are very poor, with less than half* of respondents considering their local area a good place to start a business. While average business start-up costs of 3.9% of GNI per capita are low, access to communications technology is poor, indicating a weak infrastructure for entrepreneurship. With six mobile phones for every 10 Iranian citizens, Iran places in the bottom third of the Index on this variable. Internet bandwidth provision places around the global average, while the lack of adequate secure internet servers rank Iran 100th on this variable. There is also a general lack of social mobility in Iran. Pervasive inequality in economic development across different socio-economic groups correlates with just three-quarters* of Iranians agreeing that hard work allows people to get ahead; on both variables, the country places in the bottom half of the Index.

Governance – Ranked 105th
Iran is a theocratic democracy, which confers very few freedoms to its citizens

Iran is a theocratic democracy. It places 97th with respect to political constraints, indicating that executive power is rarely checked. The country places 93rd with respect to overall government effectiveness, indicating instability and low bureaucratic efficiency. Competition in the executive and legislative branches of government is minimal, and the judiciary lacks full independence from the executive. The country places 100th for regime stability. However, at 60%*, the government’s approval rating is above the international average. Approximately the same proportion* approves of the country’s efforts to preserve the environment although just over a third* of people approve of efforts to address poverty. Perceptions of corruption are high, placing the country 65th*, globally, on this variable. Both the rule of law and the quality of the regulatory environment are very poor by international standards. Almost eight in 10* Iranians have confidence in the military, while 58%* are confident in the judiciary; the country ranks in the top half of the Index on both variables. While political rights are amongst the lowest in the world, 19%* of the population had voiced concern to a public official in the year prior to the survey in 2008, which places the country around the international average on this variable. Despite the nature of the government, over half* of respondents expressed confidence in the honesty of the electoral process in 2008, which is close to the global average.

Education – Ranked 57th
Iran’s education system is universal at the primary level, but the workforce is only moderately educated

Almost everyone of primary school age goes to school in Iran, with the country achieving the fifth highest enrolment rate in the world, at 99.7%. However, this figure falls to 80% at secondary level and 36% at tertiary level, placing the country 71st and 53rd, respectively, on these variables. There is near gender equality in access to primary and secondary schools. However, subjective indicators are less encouraging. Just 57%* of Iranians profess satisfaction with the quality of education in the country, while 70%* believe children have the opportunity to learn and grow every day. Iran places just below average in terms of the number of teachers, with one teacher for every 20 pupils at primary level. The workforce is only moderately educated by global standards: the average Iranian worker has undertaken 1.6 years of secondary education and 0.7 years of tertiary education, ranking the country below the global average on both variables.

Health – Ranked 60th
Despite low life expectancy, most Iranians are reasonably content with their health

The rate of infant mortality in Iran is close to 3%, higher than the international average. Healthadjusted life expectancy is 58 years, placing the country 78th, globally, on this variable. However, undernourishment across the country is very low and rates of immunisation against infectious diseases and measles are very high, at 99% and 97%, respectively. Iran invests relatively heavily in its health infrastructure; the average annual health spending of more than $700 (PPP) per capita places Iran 45th, globally, on this variable. Yet provision of hospital beds is below the international average. Deaths from respiratory diseases are relatively low, and the incidence of tuberculosis is below the global average. Just 83% of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities, placing Iran in the bottom half of the Index on this variable. Iran also ranks poorly in terms of citizens’ satisfaction the quality of their water, placing it 90th* on this variable. In terms of subjective measurements, Iran performs moderately well: at 82%*, the proportion of people who are satisfied with their personal health is high and just 22%* of people complain of debilitating health problems. However, just over a third* of people were worried the previous day, exceeding the international average, and just 62%* of Iranians report being well-rested, which is very low by international standards. A very low 58%* of respondents were satisfied with their environmental surroundings.

Safety & Security – Ranked 99th
Iran faces major challenges with respect to both national and personal security

Iran has many national security challenges, including large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as many occurrences of group grievances. Demographic instability resulting from border disputes, ownership or occupancy of land, access to transportation outlets, control of religious or historical sites, or proximity to environmental hazards produce less serious concerns. Human flight is also a significant problem, with many professionals, intellectuals, political dissidents, and members of the middle class choosing to emigrate. The country ranks very poorly with respect to state-sponsored political terrorism. However, there were no reports of civil or ethnic strife in 2008, the year of the survey. Personal security issues also pose significant challenges. At 7%*, the proportion of respondents who were assaulted in the 12 months prior to the 2008 survey was above the international average, placing the country 70th on this variable. The proportion of people who were the victim of theft was even worse, placing the country just 90th, globally. Just 57%* of Iranians feel safe walking alone at night, also placing Iran below the international average. No data were available regarding individuals’ willingness to express their political views.

Personal Freedom – Ranked 108th
The Iranian society lacks basic freedoms and is intolerant of outsiders

Civil liberties, which include freedoms of expression, belief, association, and personal autonomy, are extremely low in Iran, placing this country amongst the lowest 10 nations in the Index. Although approximately six out of 10 Iranians are satisfied with their level of free choice, Iran is placed 88th in the Index, on this variable. Perceived tolerance towards outsiders is also very low. Just three and five out of 10 people consider their local area to be a good place for immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities, placing Iran 104th and 97th, respectively, on these variables.

Social Capital – Ranked 106th
Social capital is weak in Iran suggesting low levels of social engagement

At just over one in 10 people*, the proportion of Iranians that express trust in others ranks in the bottom 20 countries, worldwide. Although 36%* of respondents had donated money to charity in the month prior to being surveyed in 2008, just 12%* had volunteered their time, and just 39%* had helped a stranger; Iran ranks 86th and 71st, respectively, on the latter two variables. Just over 63%* of citizens rely on family and friends in times of need, which ranks very poorly internationally. At 57%*, the proportion of respondents who were married is above the global average, indicating the potential for access to familial support networks. However, only 46%* of Iranians had attended a religious service in the previous seven days, placing Iran around the global average on this variable, and indicating that access to religious support networks are only moderately strong in Iran.

*   Data taken from the Gallup World Poll
** The terms ‘international’, ‘global’, or ‘world’ are used to reference the 110 Prosperity Index countries, which represent approximately 93% of the world’s population and
97% of global GDP.

Comparing Iran to Saudia Arabia

Iran and Saudia Arabia

Source: prosperity.com

Related Posts:

1. Iran Ranks 104 out of 149 in Global Peace Index 2010
2. Islamic Republic of Iran in red-alert category of Failed States Index 2010

The 2010 CPI draws on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions. It captures information about the administrative and political aspects of corruption. Broadly speaking, the surveys and assessments used to compile the index include questions relating to bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public sector anti-corruption efforts.

Perceptions are used because corruption – whether frequency or amount – is to a great extent a hidden activity that is difficult to measure. Over time, perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption. Measuring scandals, investigations or prosecutions, while offering ‘non-perception’ data, reflect less on the prevalence of corruption in a country and more on other factors, such as freedom of the press or the efficiency of the judicial system. TI considers it of critical importance to measure both corruption and integrity, and to do so in the public and private sectors at global, national and local levels.

Source: Transparency International

Related Posts:

1. Iran falls to 168 in Corruption Perception Index 2009
2. Iran Ranks 104 out of 149 in Global Peace Index 2010

The United Nations has created a new entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. There is a strong movement around greater investment in girls’ education in the developing world. Businesses around the world are starting to take into account the increasing power of women consumers.

As women begin to make up more than half of all university graduates in much of the developed world, there is an increased consciousness that this talent must be given the opportunity to lead. Several countries have introduced legislation that mandates minimum requirements for women’s participation, in both business and politics.

The Global Gender Gap Index  introduced by the World  Economic Forum in 2006, is a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities and
tracking their progress.

The four pillars

The Global Gender Gap Index examines the gap between men and women in four fundamental categories: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment.

Economic participation and opportunity
This area is captured through three concepts: the participation gap, the remuneration gap and the advancement gap.

Educational attainment
In this category, the gap between women’s and men’s current access to education is captured through ratios of women to men in primary-, secondary- and tertiary-level
education.

Health and survival
This category attempts to provide an overview of the differences between women’s and men’s health.

Political empowerment
This category includes mainly measures of the gap between men and women in political decision-making at the highest levels.

Over 93% of the global gender gap on education has been closed.
Over 96% of the global gender gap on health has been closed.

Only 60% of the global gender gap on economy participation has been closed.
Only 16% of the global gender gap on political empowerment has been closed.

India (112), Nepal (115), the Islamic Republic of Iran (123) and Pakistan (132) occupy the last places in the regional rankings. India and Pakistan perform above average on the political empowerment of women, particularly India, but lag behind in the other three categories.

Mali is one of the three countries—along with Iran and Saudi Arabia—to have poor or no legislation punishing acts of violence against women, according to the OECD.

Click here to view the embedded video.

http://www.weforum.org/

Related Posts:

1. Iran Ranks 104 out of 149 in Global Peace Index 2010
2. Prosperity Index 2010 – Islamic Republic of Iran ranks 92 out of 110

Vafa Animal Shelter is located in the town of Hashtgerd, about an hour and a half west of Tehran on the road to Ghazvin. At VAFA, a 4,000 sq. meter facility, dogs are treated to regular meals, grooming, water, and humane treatment. Every dog is surgically altered to cut down on overpopulation. Trustworthy and deserving families that promise to give dogs good homes are allowed to adopt.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At present, the shelter is under the supervision of Mr. Ali Saani and is run by a group of devoted volunteers and caring veterinarians who donate much of their services. The shelter is currently (in 2010) home to over 400 dogs.

The five teams of the Center for Animal Lovers:

1. Scientific team: studying and researching the latest developments about animals and the environment; providing educational books, articles, and translations.
2. Animal Care team: looking after sick or homeless animals as well as conducting follow up visits to adopted pets to ensure their care and well being.
3. Artistic team: producing newsletters and advertisements, written articles, and artwork.
4. Public relations: maintaining good relations with donors and other organizations; recruiting new donors.
5. Financial team: raising money and funds; maintaining proper accounting of funds.

Budda - 5 month old Smart, handsome, and eager to please - is now home-mate of a Vafa’s supporter in US

Vafa Animal Shelter page on facebook

To send a donation to Shelter cal.ir contact info@cal.ir

Related Posts:

1. Iranian puppy, Fandogh looking for US permanent residency, help
2. Petition to stop destroying stray dogs in Iran, and adopt Haiku from Iran

An RFE/RL primer, in the form of mock trading cards, on some key figures within the Green Movement that emerged after Iran’s disputed 2009 election.

Mir-Hossein-Musavi, Bahareh Hedayat, Mehdi-Saharkhiz, Mohammad Shajarian, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Neda Agha-Soltan, Mohammad-Nourizad, Mourning-Mothers, Zahrah Rahnavard, Majid Tavakoli, Mehdi-Karrub

.

Related Posts:

1. Amsterdam – Cycle For Free Iran, June 12 2010
2. HBO Documentaries: For Neda