Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society, from Women's Activism to Harsh Sentences to Cyberspace (Arseh Sevom)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 7:17One of the video testimonies in "Women Speak Out Against War"
See also Iran Video Document: Tehran's Larijani to UN "We Are a Benchmark for Human Rights"
Arseh Sevom, the non-government organisation promoting civil society in Iran, presents its weekly review of developments in the country:
A New Year Greeted with Empty Pockets, Joy, and Trepidation
The celebration of Iranian New Year (Norooz), which falls at the moment of the Spring Equinox (5:14 am UTC or GMT, March 20), has managed to survive every political regime and every change of religion. It remains autonomous of state control and an example of “the configuration in which society stands apart from the state.” Its continuing celebration in Iran represents a requisite of a civil society.
The fast approaching new year is causing a mixture of apprehension and excitement. This will be a difficult Norooz for many suffering from the bad economic situation in Iran where a combination of run-away inflation, poor economic management, and sanctions are really taking their toll.