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Leadership of movement against Islamic regime
[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great Forum Index
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Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 102
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:14 pm
Post subject: Leadership of movement against Islamic regime
The question of interim leadership of the movement against Islamic regime in Iranian opposition seem to have turned into a curse lingering above opposition groups for more then two decades now.
Islamic rulers of Iran were very successful in disabling all oppositions to them by resorting to extreme slogans and actions in the beginning and then using god given gift of Iran-Iraq war, which started in best possible time for newly established Islamic Republic in those chaotic days. After taking away the slogans of death to America and death to Israel from leftist groups, which seemed to have dominated the atmosphere of politics through chanting extremist slogans, Islamic regime was able to impose itself as the champion of anti Americanism by organizing a suspicious move in attacking and occupying Embassy of United States. The irony is that same Islamic rulers opposed to occupation of same embassy, as an accepted norm in international relations, a few months earlier and kicked a group of armed leftists groups of Mujaahedin and Fadaaeeyaan khalq, which were considered as two arms of revolution by some people, out of the embassy!
Occupation of American embassy by a group, which later called themselves Muslim students who follow Khomeini, opened a new chapter in the life of Islamic regime and the future events which were connected to this event, one way or another. After occupation of American embassy, Islamic rulers who had put on a great show of anti imperialism through slogans and actions, had the opportunity to implicate anyone they wished as American spies, by linking them to American embassy with documented proofs coming out of the embassy! Many members of the interim government of Mr. Bazargan whom was appointed by Khomeini himself to form the first Islamic revolutionary government in Iran, were among those who were accused of conspiring against Islamic Revolution because of their numerous contacts with American officials regarding different issues.
A few months afterwards, discovery of Nojeh coup by Islamic regime resulted in execution of many military and non-military personnel and a wide spread wave of killing of Iranian people for anything which was considered anti revolutionaries by theocratic regimes revolutionary judges. This process started by extending the rulings of Islamic revolutionary courts to some of former allies of the revolution which were only applied to elements of previous regime about a year earlier! During those months that some of the forces, currently opposing to Islamic regime, still considered themselves part of revolution, the last prime minister of previous regime, Dr. Shapur Bakhtiar, had started a nationalist resistance movement against Islamic regime with help and cooperation of some of friends and allies under his leadership. Strangely enough, late Dr. Bakhtiar was criticized and opposed by some of the opposition forces that instead of joining his movement had decided to discredit him and question his leadership! Right or wrong, some people believe that Nojeh coup was linked with Dr. Bakhtiars resistance movement and its failure was a major blow to spirit of opposition forces at that time.
Another member of former system who had also initiated a nationalist resistance movement was Dr. Manouchehr Ganji who served as a minister in previous regime. This movement and its leadership was also target of critiques by many who not only did not take any practical measure against the suppressive revolutionary regime but also did not have anything to offer other than same old worthless politically correct and endless talks! I was inside the country in some of those years and could see how a big portion of Iranian society, was enthusiastically following the activities of these two groups that could reach their voice to Iranian people inside the country through short wave radios.
The feeling of regret about the whole business of revolution and its consequence which had taken over the nation in first few months after Islamic revolution, turned into a huge disappointment after major crackdown on secular opposition forces who were under extreme pressure and in constant retreat against Islamic regimes suppression.
Start of Iran-Iraq war provided the brutal revolutionary regime with yet another excuse to expand its suppressive actions against Iranian people and opposition forces while all of those forces had lined up behind Islamic government to avoid being accused of betrayal to the nation. The war became the best tool to measure the loyalty of people to revolutionary regime and war, was called a gift from god by leader of Islamic revolution, ayatollah Khomeini. About a year later, explosion of the office of Islamic Republic Party which was attributed to former ally of Islamic regime, the group of Mujahedin Khalq, resulted in killing of many major figures of Islamic regime but the consequence of that event for Iranian people was nothing other than more brutal suppression and in wider scale. Many young Iranians, as young as 12-14 years old, were executed because of having a piece of paper from Mujahedin Khalq in their hands. Policies of Mujahedin Khalq Organization which had turned its attention to heavy recruiting of younger Iranians from beginning days of Islamic revolution in fact cost many lives as a result of mistakes and flaws in their policies.
These flaws from one side and heavy propaganda of Islamic regime from another side had a heavy cost for Mujahedin Khalq Organization, or MEK, which presented itself as the only alternative for Islamic regime. After migration of main MEK leadership and the first president of Islamic regime, Mr. Abulhassan Banisadr who was deposed from office by clerics of Islamic regime, and killing of Mr. Moosa Khiabani and Ashraf Rajavi, who were important elements in MEK leadership inside Iran, The third major foreign based opposition group was formed by Mr. Banisadr, Mr. Rajavi and Mr. Matin-Daftari. Mr. Matin-Daftari who is a grand child of late Dr. Mohammad Mosadeq had separated himself from Iranian National Front and started a new political entity called Iranian Democratic National Front. Start of this new alliance, which was accompanied with a political marriage between Mr. Rajavi and Mr. Banisadrs daughter, created some new hopes inside and outside the country which did not last very long and one more time, Iranian scattered opposition failed to provide a real solution to the complicated political problems facing Iranian people.
The desperate situation of Iranian opposition outside and paralysis of the opposition inside the country through brutal crackdown has created opportunity for some opportunists to come forward and present themselves as a solution and take advantage of this desperate situation! The most important issue in this regard is understand that current situation is extremely sensitive and our nation is facing the most serious threat on its existence in the history! This situation calls for a prompt action and a pragmatic solution without getting into many details through endless talks that has not accomplished anything for our nation other than wasting time! Iranian elite need to participate actively in deciding about Interim leadership of a national movement as soon as possible by emphasizing on uniting factors and elements which are shared by as many as possible without insisting or expecting everyone to agree. Those who expect to apply rules of democracy on a resistance movement like an established democracy are asking for impossible and are part of the problem rather than solution! There is no absolute 100% even in democracies and if we want to move forward then we need to act quickly with as much force as we can get and in this scenario, the well known national figures have the highest responsibility and are in highest priority.
As a solution to achieve this, my suggestion is a formal, open, clear, decisive and firm invitation to all nationally recognized figures of opposition by Prince Reza Pahlavi to form the leadership of this movement for the sake of our nation. Public should be informed of anyone declining the invitation or not responding in a formal manner in certain period of time. There is no time to waste! Lets not let the petty differences in views drive our nation towards a catastrophic destiny. Lets not wait for others to arrange this gathering for us and prove that we can represent a nation with thousands of years civilization.
Sohrab Ferdows
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Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:37 pm
Post subject: Re: Leadership of movement against Islamic regime
Toofaan wrote:
As a solution to achieve this, my suggestion is a formal, open, clear, decisive and firm invitation to all nationally recognized figures of opposition by Prince Reza Pahlavi to form the leadership of this movement for the sake of our nation. Public should be informed of anyone declining the invitation or not responding in a formal manner in certain period of time. There is no time to waste! Lets not let the petty differences in views drive our nation towards a catastrophic destiny. Lets not wait for others to arrange this gathering for us and prove that we can represent a nation with thousands of years civilization.
Sohrab Ferdows
Dear Mr. Ferdows ,
Thank you for your visionary post and excellent recommendations.
Prince Reza Pahlavi is currently the most famous leader among Iranians and qualified opposition leader who has shown interest to accept the leadership position of freeing our motherland recently
Due to the facts that Prince Reza Pahlavi has the best name recognition in Iran, in past 28 years has shown his commitment to establish Secular Democracy, Free Society and Human Rights in Iran after regime change therefore it is natural that great majority of voiceless Iranians in our motherland Iran are accepting Prince as their leader for freeing their homeland .
ActivistChat is respecting Prince leadership and reserve the rights to point out our possible future disagreement or differences by stating facts and our recommendations for possible leadership consideration.
ActivistChat supports Prince Reza Pahlavi leadership and dont expect miracle from Prince or other opposition leadership:
At this critical moment in our history, it is absolutely essential to mobilize all our forces and strengthen the opposition disconnected Part time Units in order to free our motherland. There are many Iranian political/cultural groups, democratic organizations that they are working hard and making sacrifices for freeing our motherland in order to replace the backward Islamist Taazi belong to 1400 years ago with a free society, secular democracy and human rights.
The world has changed and time of expecting one person as a leader of very complex Iranian oppositions and 70 million Iranian people as a hostage to the Islamist Taazi regime with 100s of issues might not be wise expectations because no leader can deliver everything and miracle. In the difficult circumstances that the Iranian leader can not act quickly, deliver miracle and provide direction due to limited resources, the opposition groups and individual activists should consider to act through distributed team effort and media and dont wait for the leader direction on every issues. Managing our expectations from leadership is the key to our future success.
One of the key to success is educating Iranian youth inside Iran regarding Distributed Decentralized Disconnected Part Time Resistance Movement For FREE Iran , FREE Society, Secular Democracy, Human Rights and how to Fight current foreign Islamist invaders and Occupiers of Iran (Tazism) and Beyond in 360 degree manner and dont rely 100% on one person or outside support or help from UN . Protect our right side, our left side, attack Taazi enemies weaknesses from all sides to destroy them and move forward for complete victory .
Latest audios Prince Reza Pahlavi مصاحبه با آقای صدیقی رادیو صدای ایران
NEW] Exclusive Interview - Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled crown prince speaks out on Ahmadinejad
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Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 102
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:23 pm
Post subject:
Dear Cyrus,
I agree 100% that the load of leadership of the movement for removal of Islamic regime can not be put on the shoulders of single leader. This is exactly what I have brought up in my statement in suggesting formation of a leadership from different willing parties through direct and open invitation by Prince Reza Pahlavi. The reason for suggesting Prince Reza Pahlavi as a host to initiate such process is because he has been more actively involved with all the issues related to our nation than any other nationally known Iranian figure. It could have been someone else but I honestly could not find any name who enjoys same or more credibility and recognition with Iranian society as Prince Reza Pahlavi does. You are absolutely right that we should not expect miracle from leadership and forget our own responsibilities. In fact most problems arise if we fail to perform our duties as a patriotic citizen as we have seen before.
We have been wating for a real action from our Iranian opposition groups to go "head on" with Islamic regime for a very long time. It's time for someone from those who have a claim or a name in this national struggle to come forward and offer something to finalize this dark chapter in the history of our nation. There is no time to waste and this opportunity should not be missed. Iranian people inside have shown their readiness for change in many ways and it is responsibility of opposition forces to do their task at this crucial times to satisfy the needs of our society for a national leadership in this movement. Longer delay will result in future regrets which will have no use and no effect. we had more than enough of "talks" and discussions, it's time for real action now.
Best regards,
Sohrab Ferdows
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:14 pm
Post subject: Concepts of Leadership
Dear Sohrab,
Thank you for your excellent article and opening discussion regarding one of the most complex Iranian subject.
It goes without saying that good leadership is crucial to any complex successful movement for achieving Regime Change in Iran with optimal results for Free Society, Secular Democracy, Human Rights . . But, what makes a good leader for Free Iran ? The answer is that there are many factors that contribute to good leadership.
Due to the facts that many of us dont know what is the framework and model of leadership and expectations different people have in mind therefore if you agree independent of who is going to be dominating leader of Free Iran in future may I suggest to discuss the Concepts of Leadership, Principles of Leadership, Attributes, expectations in this thread.
What do we want from good leadership?
How much can we contribute to good leadership?
Let me start from basic Human Relations and possible expectations from political leaders:
The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."
The five most important words: "You did a good job."
The four most important words: "What is your opinion."
The three most important words: "If you please."
The two most important words: "Thank you,"
The one most important word: "We"
The least most important word: "I"
Leadership Models
Leadership models help us to understand what makes leaders act the way they do. The ideal is not to lock yourself in to a type of behavior discussed in the model, but to realize that every situation calls for a different approach or behavior to be taken. Two models will be discussed, the Four Framework Approach and the Managerial Grid.
Four Framework Approach
In the Four Framework Approach, Bolman and Deal (1991) suggest that leaders display leadership behaviors in one of four types of frameworks: Structural, Human Resource, Political, or Symbolic. The style can either be effective or ineffective, depending upon the chosen behavior in certain situations.
Structural Framework
In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a social architect whose leadership style is analysis and design. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a petty tyrant whose leadership style is details. Structural Leaders focus on structure, strategy, environment, implementation, experimentation, and adaptation.
Human Resource Framework
In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a catalyst and servant whose leadership style is support, advocate, and empowerment. while in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a pushover, whose leadership style is abdication and fraud. Human Resource Leaders believe in people and communicate that belief; they are visible and accessible; they empower, increase participation, support, share information, and move decision making down into the organization.
Political Framework
In an effective leadership situation, the leader is an advocate, whose leadership style is coalition and building. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a hustler, whose leadership style is manipulation. Political leaders clarify what they want and what they can get; they assess the distribution of power and interests; they build linkages to other stakeholders, use persuasion first, then use negotiation and coercion only if necessary.
Symbolic Framework
In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a prophet, whose leadership style is inspiration. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a fanatic or fool, whose leadership style is smoke and mirrors. Symbolic leaders view organizations as a stage or theater to play certain roles and give impressions; these leaders use symbols to capture attention; they try to frame experience by providing plausible interpretations of experiences; they discover and communicate a vision.
This model suggests that leaders can be put into one of these four categories and there are times when one approach is appropriate and times when it would not be. Any one of these approaches alone would be inadequate, thus we should strive to be conscious of all four approaches, and not just rely on one or two. For example, during a major organization change, a structural leadership style may be more effective than a visionary leadership style; while during a period when strong growth is needed, the visionary approach may be better. We also need to understand ourselves as each of us tends to have a preferred approach. We need to be conscious of this at all times and be aware of the limitations of our favoring just one approach
This is the previous discussion regarding leadership without any answer:
ActivistChat Suggestion Discussion Thread: Iranian Royal Family Leadership Council on Sat Jan 14, 2006 wrote:
Iranian Royal Family Leadership Council Suggestion As A First Step For Unity Of Iranian Oppositions For Freeing Iran Faster With Minimum Bloodshed
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:37 pm
Post subject: Urgent Request From Iranian Opposition Leadership For Direct
ActivistChat wrote:
Urgent Request From Iranian Opposition Leadership For Direction and List Of Urgent Actions
Greatness is not achieved by words but by hard work, difficult choices, actions and sacrifice.
Iranian opposition leadership greatness will be measured by good judgments , good actions, taking risks, sacrifices, ability to mobilize all forces and not just words.
Iranian Opposition Leadership silence regarding difficult issues to be on the safe side or waiting for prefect conditions or waiting for perfect organizations with massive resources are not considered as acceptable choice or solution at this critical inflection point of Iranian history for freeing Motherland from evil forces
The Iranian Opposition Leadership must provide answer to the following questions:
- What are the list of Urgent Actions Inside Iran by Iranian people?
- What are the list of Urgent Actions Outside Iran?
2007 Urgent Request By ActivistChat
Hoshdaar Komite ye Nejat
Emkaan emza ye gharardad dovom torkaman chay
امکان امضای قرارداد دوم ترکمان چای در مورد دريای کاسپين
هشدار کميته نجات
امکان امضای قرارداد دوم ترکمان چای در مورد دريای کاسپين
خانم ها، آقايان، هموطنان گرامی،
اين روزها، با اعلام خبر سفر رييس جمهوری روسيه، آقای پوتين، و هياتي از کشورهاي تازه استقلال يافته ي اطراف درياي کاسپين، زنگ خطر بزرگی در ارتباط با گنجينه ها و ميراث تاريخی ايرانزمين در سرزمين مان به صدا درآمده است.
گفته می شود که يکی از دلايل حضور اين افراد در ايران مذاکره بر سر مالکيت دريای کاسپين است؛ دريايي که مالکيت آن تا کنون و بر اساس قراردادهای کاملا رسمی سال های 1921 و 1940 به طور مساوی بين روسيه و ايران تقسيم می شده است. اکنون سخن بر سر آن است که اين مالکيت چگونه بين پنج کشور تقسيم شود. در اين راستا، پيشنهادی که روسيه برای اين تقسيم به ايران داده، کلا در جهت حفظ منافع روسيه و عليه منافع سرزمين ما و بسيار ناعادلانه و هراس انگيز است.
اگر به نقشه های پيشنهادی روسيه نگاه کنيم می بينيم که تقسيم بندی اول بر اساس سطح آب و تقريبا به طور مساوی بين پنج کشور تقسيم شده اما در تقسيم کف دريا، ايران کمترين سهم را می برد؛ يعنی در واقع نفت، گاز، و ثروت های دريايي که در کف کاسپين خوابيده و تاکنون نيمی از آن به ايران تعلق داشته، به پيشنهاد روسيه بين کشورهايي تقسيم می شود که از دل شوروی سابق بيرون آمده اند ولی روسيه می خواهد بيشترين سهم را از کيسه ملت ايران به آن ها ببخشد
خانم ها، آقايان، هموطنان گرامی
توجه داشته باشيد که تا کنون، يعنی اکتبر 2007، مالکيت ايران بر دريای کاسپين از نظر قوانين بين المللی هيچ تغييری نکرده است، يعنی ما همچنان صاحب نيمی از دريای کاسپين هستيم و در عين حال جمهوری های تازه استقلال يافته در همان سال 1991 کليه تعهدات بين المللی شوروی سابق را که سهم ايران را بر اساس 1921 و 1940 تعيين می کردند تضمين کرده اند. به اين ترتيب هر قراردادی که از اين پس با روسيه و کشورهای همسايه بسته شود پيمانی تازه است که دولت آقای احمدی نژاد نقش اساسی و مستقيم در آن خواهد داشت.
هموطنان گرامی، اگر که در دوران فتحعلي شاه، در صد و هشتاد سال پيش، ايران زير بار فشار جنگ و شکست افتضاح آميز خود، تن به «قرارداد ترکمانچاي» داد و سهم ايران را از کاسپين هزاران ساله ايراني به روس ها بخشيد، اکثريت مردم در جهل و خرافات زدگی و عقب ماندگی غوطه می خوردند. اما آيا امروز هم به همان دوران برگشته ايم؟ آيا برای نسل امروز شرم آور نيست که اجازه دهد يک دولت غيرمسئول منافع و ثروت های ملی ما را برای منافعی شخصی و مصالحی سياسی و کوتاه مدت به باد دهد؟
کميته بين المللی نجات پاسارگاد بدين وسيله اعلام می کند که هر پيمان غير عادلانه ای که، عليه سهم ايران در اين دريای تاريخی، تصويب شود، خيانتی آشکار به ملت ايران است و مسئوليت آن صرفا با دولت آقای احمدی نژاد، و البته همه ی مسئولان دولتی و نمايندگان مجلس اسلامی، خواهد بود که بر پای چنين پيمانی امضا خواهند گذاشت.
با مهر و احترام
کميته بين المللی نجات پاسارگاد
دوازدهم اکتبر 2007
باج گیری پوتین و باج دهی رژیم ضد ایرانی به روسها
خبرگزاری حکومتی ایرنا: كارشناسان سياسي و راهبردي روسيه، در مورد حل مسايل مورد اختلاف كشورهاي حاشيه درياي در اجلاس سران اين كشورها در تهران ابراز خوشبيني كردند.
اين موضوع روز پنجشنبه در ميزگردي كه با عنوان "سفر ولاديمير پوتين به تهران و مساله خزر" با حضور سه كارشناس مشهور روس در خبرگزاري ريانووستي روسيه برگزار شد مورد تاكيد قرار گرفت.
رييس آكادمي مسايل راهبردي روسيه در اين نشست گفت: اجلاس سران حاشيه خزر كه روز ۱۶اكتبر( ۲۴مهرماه) در تهران برگزار ميشود، ميتواند مسايل مورد اختلاف در تقسيم درياي خزر را حل كند.
"لئونيد ايواشف" تاكيد كرد: بدون شك نخستين ديدار رييس جمهوري روسيه از ايران به روابط مسكو و تهران تحرك تازهاي نيز خواهد بخشيد.
به گفته اين كارشناس روس، دورنماي حل مسايلي كه در تقسيم منابع درياي خزر وجود دارد در چنين سطح عالي بهبود خواهد يافت.
"رجب صفراف" رييس مركز مطالعات ايران معاصر در روسيه نيز با اشاره به امضا نشدن موافقتنامه رژيم حقوقي درياي خزر تا زمان حاضر، در مورد نتايج اجلاس تهران و سفر پوتين به ايران ابراز خوشبيني كرد اما گفت: اختلافات بين كشورهاي حاشيه خزر در مورد نحوه استفاده از اين دريا، جدي است.
وي در مورد تقسيم درياي خزر پس از فروپاشي شوروي سابق گفت: با توجه به اينكه اين دريا بين ايران و شوروي سابق بصورت پنجاه، پنجاه تقسيم شده بود، ايران ميتوانست حتي بر اين سهم پيشين خود تاكيد كرده و پنجاه در صد باقيمانده را بعنوان سهم چهار كشور تازه استقلال يافته بداند، اما ايران اين كار را نكرد.
صفراف افزود: ايران پيشنهاد ۲۰درصد از خزر براي هركشور ساحلي را پيشنهاد كرده ولي طرفهاي مقابل به ايران تنها ۱۳درصد اين دريا را پيشنهاد كردند كه اين امر به جايگاه ايران و نيز اقتصاد اين كشور لطمه وارد ميكند.
بگفته اين كارشناس مسايل ايران در روسيه، ايران آمادگي حل عادلانه مساله خزر و استفاده از ذخاير اين دريا به نفع پنج كشور حاشيهآن را دارد و سفر پوتين به تهران و نشست سران ميتواند پس از سالها، در اين مورد نتيجه مثبتي داشته باشد.
وي در عين حال پيشرفت در روابط ايران و روسيه را منوط به حل مساله درياي خزر دانست.
"ولاديمير اورالف" ديگر كارشناس اين ميزگرد نيز با مهم توصيف كردن سفر رييس جمهوري روسيه به ايران، گفت: ايران يك طرف راهبردي براي روسيه بوده و از طرفي برنامه هستهاي ايران نيز دستور روز جامعه بينالملل است.
"رجب صفراف" درادامه ميزگرد با اشاره به اينكه آژانس بينالمللي انرژي اتمي هيچ سندي در مورد نظامي بودن برنامه اتمي ايران در دست ندارد، گفت: هيچ دولتي را نميتوان بخاطر داشتن سوء ظن مجازات كرد.
وي گفت: پوتين نيز بخاطر اين سوءظن به تهران نميرود بلكه قصد دارد با ايران از جمله در زمينه هستهاي همكاري كند.
صفراف در خصوص نيروگاه بوشهر كه توسط روسيه در دست ساخت است نيز اظهار داشت: راه اندازي اين نيروگاه در سال ۲۰۰۸علامت خوب مسكو به جهان خواهد بود.
وي مذاكره درمورد نيروگاه بوشهر را از مباحث جدي احمدي نژاد و پوتين درتهران دانست و گفت: البته ايردهاي روسيه درمورد مشكلات مالي ايران براي تكميل اين نيروگاه، بيهوده است و پوتين در اين مورد اظهار نظر نميكند.
اين كارشناس مسايل ايران افزود: احتمالا پوتين به رييس جمهوري ايران پيشنهاد ميكند از غنيسازي اورانيوم خودداري كرده و به وي تضمين خواهد داد تمام نياز ايران به اورانيوم غني شده در خاك روسيه رفع شود.
بگفته صفراف در صورت چنين پيشنهادي، ايران آنرا رد خواهد كرد و وابستگي سوخت هستهاي خود به روسيه را نميپذيرد و مقامات ايران نيز دلايل خود را به پوتين ارايه داده و اطمينان ميدهند كه از خواستهاي آژانس تبعيت كنند.
"ضمن آنكه غنيسازي اورانيوم در ايران نقض قوانين بينالمللي نيست و آژانس نيز از همكاريهاي ايران رضايت دارد"
وي تاكيد نمود: در كيف پوتين، پيشنهادهايي براي همكاري با ايران وجود دارد كه ميتواند به اقتصاد ايران ياري برساند.
اين ميزگرد با استقبال گسترده رسانههاي خبري روسيه مواجه شده بود.
"ولاديمير پوتين" رييس جمهوري روسيه قرار است روز ۱۶اكتبر ( ۲۴مهر ماه) براي شركت در اجلاس سران كشورهاي حاشيه درياي خزر عازم تهران شود.
Hoshdaar Komite ye Nejat
Emkaan emza ye gharardad dovom torkaman chay
هشدار کميته نجات
امکان امضای قرارداد دوم ترکمان چای در مورد دريای کاسپين
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:14 pm
Post subject: Support This Sunday October 14, 2007 Protest In Tehran NOW
RezaPahlavi.org wrote:
RezaPahlavi.org >
برنامه اعتراضات > بيانيه مخالفين "حكومت ديني" مقیم تهران ، در حمايت از تظاهرات روز ...
بيانيه مخالفين "حكومت ديني" مقیم تهران ، در حمايت از تظاهرات روز يك شنبه همزمان با مسابقه فوتبال بين باشگاههاي استقلال و پرسپوليس
شنبه 21 مهر
اكنون كه دانشگاه و كارگاه و مسجد، جايگاه اعتراض و انتقاد نيست، اكنون كه روزنامهها و راديو و تلويزيون
در مصادرهي كامل كذابين و شايعهسازان و سانسورگران و تحريفكنندگان است، اكنون كه دادسرها موظف شدهاند تا داد حاكم جبار و مسئولين خائن را، از رعيت مفلوك و مظلوم و دربند بستانند و در يك كلام، اكنون كه: تمام سرزمين ايران زير نعلين جنايتكاران است و هيچ نقطهي امني در اين كشور پهناور وجود ندارد تا بتوان طرح مطالبه نمود، به ناچار به استاديوم ميرويم و با همهي وجود فرياد سر ميدهيم: "مرگ بر استبداد" ؛ "مرگ بر ديكتاتور".
بدينوسيله از تمامي آزاديخواهان و مخالفين حكومت ديني در داخل كشور بالاخص پايتختنشينان دعوت ميكنيم با شركت در اين مراسم مسالمتآميز در عصر روز يك شنبه، 22 مهرماه ، 14 اكتبر، مخالفت خود را با دوام حكومت ستمكاران عصر و جلادين نسل اعلام كنند، هچنين از تمامي رسانههاي آزاده در خارج از كشور ميخواهيم كه با برگزاري برنامههاي فوقالعاده و انعكاس اخبار مربوطه، از اين اعتراض خودجوش و مردمي حمايت كنند.
به شركتكنندگان در اين مراسم باشكوه و تاريخي ابلاغ ميكنيم: از آنجا كه بنابر گزارشات درز كرده از سازمانهاي امنيتي و اطلاعاتي، عدهاي از اراذل و اوباش وابسته به رژيم قصد دارند با ايجاد آشوب و تخريب اموال عمومي، بهانه براي سركوب و اعدامهاي ديگري به دست مستكبرين ديني دهند، تقاضا داريم هوشيارانه تدابير لازمه را اتخاذ كنند و همچنين از نهادهاي حقوق بشري و سازمانهاي خبري بينالمللي ميخواهيم با دخالت مؤثر، هرگونه توطئه احتمالي را خنثي كنند.
این مراسم ابتدا در استادیوم آزادی و بعد از مسابقه، در خیابان آزادی برگزار می گردد. لطفا ديگران را در جريان قرار دهيد.
Article from:
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:18 pm
Post subject: Assembly of Iranian Cultural Renaissance
Must Watch Video Breaking News: Ancient Flag Of Iran Derafshe Kaviani - History in Making! Statue of Liberty in New York
History in Making! - For Immediate Release
Assembly of Iranian Cultural Renaissance wrote:
Dorood to you,
Please see the press release below and spread the word. The Derafsh will flies over Statue of Liberty today. Also a test flight was covered by a local news channel in NY. See below.
For Immediate Release
Statue of Liberty in New York will look on proudly on Monday October 15, 2007 as Irans ancient flag of the Kings, Derafshe Kaviani, flies overhead to signal the revolt of Iranians of every country, language, and religion against Irans repressive Islamist regime of Mullahs. The 25 x 25 foot Derafshe Kaviani will fly along Long Island, over the United Nations, and circle New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. The flight is timed to coincide with the ancient Iranian festival of Mehregan, the fall festival that also celebrates an ancient victory over oppression at which this flag was unfurled.
The flag of the Kings, Derafshe Kaviani remains an important motif in Iranian art and culture, although its meaning has been repressed by the current regime. We raise this flag now to call on Iranians to renew their pride in their ancient culture and to rise once more, as their ancestors rose against legendary demons and conquerors, to establish an Iranian nation that is truly free.
Derafshe Kaviani was first raised, according to legend, against the Satanic, evil dragon demon Zahak. In Irans national epic, Shahnameh Ferdowsi, the demon has become an oppressive Arab ruler. Kaveh Ahangar, the blacksmith rallied the people against him, using his spear and leather apron to remake the ancient flag and lead the people to victory.
Assembly of Iranian Cultural Renaissance
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Joined: 04 Sep 2003
Posts: 1829
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:48 am
Post subject:
Thank-you Reza Pahlavi !
There is only one leader I respect & trust when it comes to Iran, and thats Reza Pahlavi.
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:23 pm
Post subject: Dr. Kianzad
Dear Spenta,
Please read the following article in Persian by Dr. Kianzad and let us know what you think?
Dr. Kianzad Vision Of New Plan For Movement Leadership and Moving Away From Dead End
طرحي ديگر و فرصتي ديگر براي برون
رفت از بن بست
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Joined: 26 Feb 2004
Posts: 1672
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:27 pm
Post subject:
Spenta wrote:
Thank-you Reza Pahlavi !
There is only one leader I respect & trust when it comes to Iran, and thats Reza Pahlavi.
I agree one hundred percent.
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 4993
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:55 pm
Post subject: Peace and Stability in the Middle East and Beyond
HM Prince Reza Pahlavi wrote:
"Peace and Stability in the Middle East and Beyond: A Hostage to Iranian Intransigence and Adventurism."
Reza Pahlavi's Secretariat
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
Speech given by Reza Pahlavi of Iran at Management Center Innsbruck, Austria.
It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be among you tonight. I cannot help but recall some wonderful memories of my first trip to your beautiful country, some 32 years ago! I thank you for the opportunity you have given me to share my thoughts and perspective on a topic that rightly preoccupies the world.
My country Iran, under the tyrannical rule of a theocracy, has unfortunately become a source of premonitions and fear rather than inspiration and hope. I shall begin by describing the background to current state of affairs. It has to do with the build-up of a strategy which I call politics of Shiite hegemony. In a quick sketch I shall also describe the various building blocks connected with this strategy prior to proceeding to demonstrate how the clerical regime has abused the advantages it has gained as a result of this strategy.
Iran of today and yesterday
Let me preface this presentation with a word about what remains uppermost in my heart and mind: My country Iran. Here, I should like to draw a clear line: As a nation-state and as a people, Iran and Iranians should not be confused with the clerical regime, and what it projects. Irans multi- millennia culture has suffered from the fundamentalist yoke, but is alive and defiant. Its strength has conditioned and reshaped the paradigm the Islamist regime had hoped to impose and perpetuate. This distinction is essential both for understanding Irans behavior as well as the dynamics it generates in the region.
Late in August this year the Osnabrueck Symphony Orchestra from north-western Germany travelled to Tehran and played Beethoven and Brahms in Roudaki Hall Tehrans famous opera house. The previous year it was the Tehran Symphony Orchestra which had performed in Osnabrueck. This cultural exchange a banal event in all other circumstances was remarkable in some respects. If it evoked surprise and curiosity, even criticism in some quarters, for me, it was a comforting vindication of what I just said. But let me develop this thought just a bit more.
Western classical music, to be sure, is not part of traditional Iranian culture, and yes its elitist. But the fact that the Tehran symphony Orchestra and the Roudaki Hall have survived the vagaries of these past three decades is yet another evidence that the forces of darkness, the cult of death, martyrdom and superstition has not conquered the spirit of our nation.
We have seen more glaring examples of this reality in international film festivals, in world sport events, and still more in the unconquerable spirit of our women and in the daring defiance of our youth. Women have stood for their rights in a cult that prefers to relegate them to an inferior status as a household object. Our youth have defied and derided a regime which is not mindful of their future but is obsessed with the hereafter. The Iranian youth keep defending their right to live their age and the epoch in which they are born; that is to say in a world flourished by science and learning, and not mourning and martyrdom.
People may have forgotten what that revolutionary paradigm might have looked like. At the onset of the Islamist revolution, in the shadow of kangaroo courts and massive executions, music of all kinds were banned from the airwaves. The universities were closed down and subjected to most vicious purges. The darkest names, the grisliest figures in our collective memory became the icons of the revolution; they were exulted and canonized.
The core clique that dominated the revolution was of the same ilk as the Jihadists whom the world is now so familiar with. They came to power with a single-minded will to destroy past achievements and remodel our society after their medieval moulds. But Iran was and is a nation with a proud history and culture which in 1979 had behind it more than half a century of relentless and widespread reconstruction efforts. Yes, a theocracy was imposed on our nation, but it could not fully escape the imprint of that multi-millennia culture. This is one reason why Iran of today is the scene of stark contrasts, and its polity is so rife with complexities and contradictions.
The Make-up of the Strategy of Shiite Hegemony
How did this state of mind resonate in regional politics, and more broadly in the international sphere? Let me first recall that thirty years ago Iran was still a force of stability in the region. Iran, under the previous regime, had succeeded to strike a balance between the principle of good neighborliness and its strategic concerns in the context of the cold war. Iran had aligned itself with America and the West for historical and geo-strategic reasons, but relations with the USSR were also friendly and productive. The old dispute with Iraq over a common stretch of waterway had amicably been resolved. So was an old claim of sovereignty over Bahrain. In the Persian Gulf, Iran saw to the safe flow of maritime commerce and the security of waterways. In Oman, Iran had intervened to help the sultanate quell a radically inspired insurgency.
With the oil industry finally under full national control and the oil price optimized, my late father had held high ambitions for the future of our country. During the two decades before 1975, per capita income in Iran grew faster than in Turkey, while keeping pace with South Korea. By 1975, the level of per capita GDP in Iran had far exceeded those attained in Korea and Turkey. But the task remained unfinished, and in the zeal to achieve more and faster, a number of fatal errors were committed. This was the Iran that the revolutionaries inherited.
I would like to dwell a little on foreign policy choices made at the onset of the regime, and its effects on regional dynamics. It will be seen that these decisions were not driven by national interest, but by ideology. Much of the choices made were underpinned on an ideological hostility towards the United States and Israel. Indeed, ever since the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran and the taking of hostages in November 1979, militant anti-Americanism has been the cornerstone of the clerical regimes foreign policy agenda.
Driven thus by a xenophobic claim to faith, the regime has moved quickly from its very outset to assert its Shiite identity by acting swiftly to mobilize Shiite communities in Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and elsewhere. The so-called Shiite Crescent label has only recently come to the vogue but there is nothing new about it.
The first target in Irans strategy of Shiite hegemony was Iraq. When he came to power, Khomeini set out to replicate the Islamic revolution in Iraq. His ambition was to supplant the Baathist regime by an Islamic government modeled after the government he had himself established in Iran.
The events that subsequently ensued, starting with Iraqs aggression against my country in September 1980, are a matter of record; suffice it to say that, despite the very great sacrifices of the Iranian people which had succeeded in turning the tide against the Iraqi invaders by 1982, Khomeini refused the substantial offers of peace with reparations and its attendant glory in the vain pursuit of the same goals that had been at the heart of the conflict: Liberating Shiite holly places and establishing an Islamic Republic in Iraq. Six years and hundreds of thousands more Iranian casualties later, he realized he would not achieve that goal. In the end, his allegoric chalice of venom speech put an end to the longest conventional war in the century, and one of the bloodiest.
As a result of Khomeinis obstinate intransigence, Saddam Hussein had emerged from the eight-year war with Iran feeling stronger. Perhaps it was this notion of self delusion that impelled him to embark on a losing gamble in Kuwait. In any event, his invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 created a chain of events which has brought us to the present day situation that we face in Iraq and the region.
It is no secret that policies pursued by Washington since the invasion of Iraq in April 2003 have created a new paradox. At least some of the objectives Iran had sought but could not obtain through eight years of war have now been attained as a consequence of American failures in Iraq. As a result, no one today disputes the fact that Iran exercises real influence in Iraq and that some of the current movers and shakers in the Iraqi government are figures who have a long history of collaboration with the Islamic leadership in Tehran.
In Lebanon, the creation of Hezbollah was the second important building block that has now given shape to this now much talked about Shiite Crescent. Unlike what is often assumed, Hezbollah was not a product of Lebanon's demographic diversity and injustice to the Shiite community. Long before Hezbollah came into existence another Shiite entity under Imam Musa Sadr was active in Lebanon. AMAL, as that movement was known, was not just a politico-military outfit but was involved in social and community-based projects on behalf of Lebanese Shiites.
The revolutionary regime in Iran was looking for a surrogate in Lebanon, and AMAL did not fit the bill. Consequently, as of the early 1980s, the regimes henchmen operating out of Damascus set out to create a new entity that was launched in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. To supplant AMAL as the main Shiite movement in Lebanon, Hezbollah needed plenty of funds for its social projects, maintenance and training of its militia and other expenses which are currently estimated conservatively at half a billion dollars per year. Their benefactor was no other than the clerical regime in Tehran which was able to solicit the tacit support and assistance of Syria as well.
A third element in the make-up of the strategy of hegemony has been the support of non-Shiite Arab extremist groups involved in Jihad against Israel. Again, the main Palestinian movement Fattah, headed by the likes of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, was seen as secular and ineffectual. Having over the years courted various extremist factions, the Islamic regime has today ended up embracing HAMAS and Islamic Jihad.
Finally, to service its illusion of grandeur, the clerical regime has seen fit to embark on a clandestine nuclear weapons program in disregard of its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as the interest and security of the Iranian people. It has now been clearly established that, apart from keeping nearly two decade of secret activities under wraps, the Islamic authorities had also clandestinely shopped for centrifuges and weapon designs in the black-market with the help of such people as the nuclear entrepreneur, A.Q. Khan, who is now under house arrest in Pakistan. When the extent of the regimes nuclear program was eventually disclosed in 2003, the regimes response was to pose as an innocent victim of bullying by the United States and others, whom they accused of wanting to deprive Iran of it inalienable rights to explore atomic science for peaceful purposes.
While this right is recognized under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, its exercise has never been unconditional. In fact, Article IV of the NPT stipulates that this right should be exercised in conformity with the two main premises of the Treaty: namely, non-production and non-acquisition of nuclear weapons. Today, however, the international community is expressing its serious concerns because all objective indicators point to a conclusion that the clerical regime is hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons in order to ensure the continuation of its bloodstained rule at home, and the sealing of its hegemony in the region.
The Iranian regimes disingenuous pretences about need for nuclear fuel independence are also in stark contrast to Irans dependence on hydrocarbon sources of energy. The regime in Iran has only just begun to tackle the scandalous situation of petroleum imports and subsidies. Almost 30 years into the clerics rule, Iran of all places imports 40% of its daily consumption of refined petroleum products from abroad. At a time when the country is so dependent on such a large quantities of gasoline imports for its day-to-day mundane needs, it is simply hilarious to watch regime figures pontificating about the countrys need for independence in the nuclear fuel cycle particularly at a time when not even a single reactor has become operational. This ostrich-like posturing of course fools only the fools.
Islamic Republic and Politics of Shiite Hegemony:
Now I would like to turn to the central theme of regional politics, and see how the clerical regime makes use of the assets that it has acquired by design or default.
It can be seen from what I have just outlined that the clerical regime has made use both of soft power namely radicalization and manipulation of Shiite communities in the region as well as hard power through heavy spending in armaments, including of course the very expensive nuclear weapons program, while at the same time retaining two parallel fully-fledged armies in the shape of the countrys regular armed forces and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps or IRGC, whose nefarious involvements in extraterritorial adventures in places like Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan has been the subject of so much discussion in the past several months.
Moreover, through its recent calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and its outright denial of the holocaust, the clerical regime has today firmly established itself as the dean of the regions so-called rejection front. Not even Syria is quite in the same league, while its ideological offspring, Hezbollah, has lent credence to this pretension. It goes without saying that this kind of provocative posturing does have its appeal to large segments of frustrated Arab and Moslem citizens across the globe.
Hezbollah has indeed played a triple role, all of which suit and cater to the interests of Tehrans theocracy: Firstly, Hezbollah has created a strategic buffer against Israel not just for the rest of Lebanon and Syria, but significantly also for Iran. Invariably, the summer of 2006 battles in southern Lebanon were seen as a proxy war between Iran and Israel, and by extension with America. According to most analysts, in any plan for a pre-emptive strike against Irans nuclear installations, Hezbollah is no doubt a factor that will need to be reckoned with.
Secondly, thanks to Iranian petrodollars, Hezbollah maintains a gigantic welfare machine for the Shiite community.
Finally, by the same token, Hezbollah has become a domineering political force in Lebanon acting to sap the countrys independence in favor of Syria, and preventing the more moderate political factions. Recent tragic events in Lebanon once again brought to light the vicious designs orchestrated by Iran against the democratically elected government of Lebanon.
The clerical regimes leadership of the rejection front is more pronounced in Palestine. The mullahs support HAMAS in its face-off with Al-FATAH and in its defiance of Israel. Other radical Palestinian groups who refuse to acknowledge Israel have equally been supported. The clerical regime thrives in the current impasse and would want to perpetuate it. As long as peace in the Middle-East remains elusive, Hezbollah, the Islamic Jihad, HAMAS and other clients of Iran and Syria could claim legitimacy among the Arab masses from which Tehrans theocracy gains political mileage. If peace finally is achieved, the clerical regime would be nobodys hero outside a strictly sectarian setting.
In Iraq, the situation is equally complex. Iran drew unhoped-for dividends from the American venture in Iraq. As I already pointed out, forces that some 27 years ago were unleashed by Khomeini to overthrow Saddam Hussein and replicate the Islamic revolution are now in position of influence or power. But challenges to the ascendancy of the new Shiite-based ruling circle are taunting and relentless. There are Baathist remnants, dispossessed of power, who joined the disgruntled Sunni tribes in an insurgency to restore themselves to pre-eminence; there are the Al Qaeda linked insurgents who seek to oust Americans and the Shiite parvenu in order to gain a foothold. Some regional powers are concerned about Irans influence and Shiite ascendancy at the expense of the Sunnis. Within the Shiite factions also an undercurrent of enmity and resentment is palpable. Different rival militia groups attached to Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) or Muqtada al-Sadr have been engaged in infightings in a quest for ascendancy. They have penetrated the security forces and are involved in daily acts of kidnapping and murder.
How do the ruling mullahs in Tehran exploit the situation in Iraq to their advantage? The first point to consider is that in the mullahs psyche the instinct of self preservation is paramount. From this perspective, their first priority should be to get the American forces out of Iraq, and Afghanistan for that matter. The strategy to achieve this is simple! Prolong the current state of chaos and mayhem beyond the patience of the American public and the life-span of the current administration. To achieve this goal, the number of the American casualties in Iraq should go up; hence the supply of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and funding and training of various insurgents to exhaust the American will to continue with its mission in that country.
The second priority is to ensure an enduring foothold in Iraq and perpetuate the Shiite ascendancy. The current Shiite ruling circle under prime-minister Maliki in spite of having undisputable ties with Iran could not fully be relied on as a long-term ally. The clerical regime is therefore seeking to build up a bogyman modeled after Hezbollah to act as its surrogate in any future civil war, thus ensuring the preservation of Irans influence in Iraq. Who other than Mugtada al-Sadr could fit the bill? The recent pull out of al- Sadr ministers and deputies from Malikis coalition is a clear indication of the rift, not just within the coalition, but also between Maliki and the Islamic Republic. It should further be noted that among the main Shiite poles of power, only al-Sadr fully subscribes to Irans objective of getting American and allied forces out of Iraq.
There are similar policies and patterns, albeit on a smaller scale in Afghanistan, but in the interest of time I shall forego entering into that aspect.
Does the Shiite Crescent and the politics being built around it make Tehrans theocracy a great regional power? There are some analysts who argue that Iran has already emerged as a regional super power. As always there are some elements of truth in any hype, but in my view, such a premise is fundamentally faulty and flawed.
The sheer size of Iran and its geo-strategic location no doubt imparts on Iran the status of a major regional power. This is a country of 70 million inhabitants spreading over 1.6 million square kilometers which includes the entire northern shores of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. The current problem is that the clerical regime has sought to impose its hegemony beyond what is inherent in its geo-strategic profile. This has in turn generated a strong current of opinion that advocates both engagement and negotiations with the regime.
Nonetheless, today there are clear signs that the politics of Shiite ascendancy and regional adventurism pursued by Tehran is starting to backfire. In the opposite horizon, a new arch that of a Sunni alliance led by a number of key Arab countries is starting to emerge. Today, this confrontation is becoming more evident in places like Iraq and Lebanon where, armed with Arab funds and other material support, the Sunnis have started to copy the kind of structures the Shias have been developing in the past two decades.
Negotiating with the Islamic Republic:
Prior to concluding my remarks, let me say a few words about dialogue and engagement with the clerical regime. While such an approach is, as I just said, being advocated by a main current of opinion, there is another extreme who argue for the military option in the shape of military strikes, even all-out war. I have time and again expressed my firm opposition to any military solution. Moreover, the current talk of war could alienate public opinion inside my country and even unite it behind a much despised regime. Iranians in their great majority have friendly feelings towards the United States and the West. Therefore, it is important that they should not be let down.
There is no doubt that dialogue must be privileged in all circumstances. But those who confuse the process with purpose and view negotiations as a panacea are in for disappointment. Henry Kissinger once rightly pointed out that "diplomacy never operates in a vacuum;" it succeeds when the parties arrive at a frame of mind or at a realization that the risks involved in non-negotiation outweigh benefits of preserving one's original position. The process of give-and-take that results from negotiation is incidental to that paramount realization.
Have the ruling mullahs reached that mental threshold? The answer in my judgment is negative, although a resolute global strategy short of resort to military action could transform the current mindset. A few years ago we saw such a transformation in the attitude of Colonel Muamar Qaddafi in Libya.
But here, I want to emphasize the following: I should like to strongly point out that no durable settlement of dispute with the Islamic Republic can ever be achieved, should that settlement be reached at the expense of the Iranian people. In clarifying this point even further, I must stress that while Irans nuclear ambitions are at present, the focus of international attention and scrutiny, most Iranians are hoping that the current level of unprecedented pressures will not only help end the current threat which the clerical regime is posing to regional and international security, but to also usher in a new era where notions such as freedom, democracy and human rights are all fully adhered to by a responsible government that is both of the people and committed to the future welfare of the people.
My country, Iran, is youthful in its demographic properties, rich with a multi millennia culture and an alive and vibrant society. In our defiance of the ruling theocracy, my compatriots need and deserve all the moral help and support they can get in order to bring about fundamental change by establishing a system of governance that is in keeping with the imperatives of our time: a secular democracy in place of the current ruling theocracy.
I thank you for your patience.
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Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 102
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:29 am
Post subject: Petition to Prince Reza Pahlavi on leadership of movement
despite desparate attempts of Islamic regime to filter the site of the petition regarding the leadership of movement against Islamic regime and despite the absence of any kind of support from public media, this petition is gaining momentum inside Iran and this matter has provoked attacks from miserable agents of Islamic regime. The number of signatures grew by more than 50 within only 30 minutes (all from Iran) last night before Islamic dogs could discover and disable the anti filter and start their own attack! Please do your part in promoting this petition and spread the word and also include a word of advice and recommendation regarding use of anti filter or proxy servers to reach the petition from inside Iran:
How to sign the Petition
We have provided many methods to enable you to sign this petition, obviously the
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Man flashes girls near Lenexa middle school
Incident may be linked to similar one in February
Lenexa police said a man exposed himself to two girls as they walked near Trailridge Middle School early Monday.
Police said the girls were walking to the school from The Meadows apartment complex when a man standing near one of the buildings waved at them and then exposed himself. Police said the girls ran to the school and told staff members what had happened.
Investigators said the man is white, in his mid-30s, between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 11 inches tall and may have blond hair. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. The girls said they saw a white van parked nearby but they were unsure whether the van had any connection to the man.
Police said they're looking into connections between Monday's incident and a similar one that happened near The Meadows in early February. The man in that incident was also described as having a dark hooded sweatshirt on.
"This makes me more concerned," said parent Cindy Hogya. "Just making sure we're doing the right things as parents, too, talking to our kids about what's safe and what isn't, what's appropriate and how to let us know and make sure we have an open conversation with them."
Anyone with information in the case is encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

subset: commoncrawl


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There is a major problem with this view, unfortunately, and it is not the obvious ones of China's lack of political will or the legal non-enforceability of the Chinese constitution.
Rather, the missing factor is that even for Hong Kong, autonomy under China's Article 31 has always been understood to be only temporary. Hong Kong's freedoms are scheduled to expire after a transitional period, when the territory will then be absorbed into the Chinese political system. Strangely, this factor is wholly ignored in the public analysis of whether the Hong Kong model has utility for Tibet.
Looking Closely at China's Article 31
Article 31 was added to the 1982 Chinese Constitution for the purpose of easing Hong Kong and Macao (and possibly Taiwan) back under Chinese sovereignty. The inconvenient truth is that Hong Kong's current status is simply a prelude to full incorporation into China. The Basic Law, which serves as Hong Kong's mini-constitution, provides that Hong Kong's "capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years". This means that, come 2047, Hong Kong will no longer be protected by its autonomous arrangement.
To make certain of this outcome, the Basic Law also provides that only China's National People's Congress has the power to interpret or amend the law. (An almost identical basic law in Macao provides that autonomy there will also only last 50 years.) And even during this temporarily autonomous period, China has not yet followed its own legal obligation to allow universal suffrage for the Hong Kong legislature or the chief executive.
Seemingly, nothing in the words of China's Article 31 demand that Hong Kong's autonomy expire. But any serious scholar of constitutional law (and Chinese law, even more so) will know that law is more than the words on the page. If China's Article 31 were intended to protect diversity, Hong Kong's autonomy would not have what is known as a "sunset provision". But it does.In fact, Hong Kong and Macao are set to become normal provinces of China after a defined period of time. This shows that China's Article 31 at its heart is not a liberal democratic autonomy mechanism. It is, rather, a strategic "gift" that China intends to take back. It is a narrowly-tailored political tool to allow the People's Republic of China to acquire or re-acquire "lost" territories.
"The moral of this story is that the two-systems solution is not what it seems from a distance. Although carefully written and promoted to obscure the endgame, Hong Kong's Basic Law authorizes all the means necessary to facilitate integration within the national political system and that process is well advanced. Even the staid South China Morning Post has begun slipping lines about full integration by 2047 into its editorials."
While the Basic Law is honest that Hong Kong only has a 50 years' reprieve, the Seventeen Point Agreement that China imposed on Tibet in 1951 promised a permanent arrangement. Of course, Tibet's nominal autonomy lasted only eight years, until 1959.
But in all cases – Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macao – autonomy was proffered by China merely as a temporary, incremental strategy. The final goal was always integration. Autonomy was never intended by China to be permanent (the Hong Kong and Macao arrangements say so explicitly, and everyone knows what happened to Tibet). Therefore, China's strategic patience must not be confused with any sort of genuine commitment to diversity or to allowing real self-determination outside of Communist Party control.
In other words: China may be willing to wait, but ultimately it intends all temporarily autonomous territories to be integrated fully into the Motherland.
Sadly, the point seems to be lost or obscured in the arguments being made for why the Middle Way is supposedly in harmony with Article 31.
Arguing for Middle Way-Article 31 harmony is, unfortunately, wishful thinking. The mistake is in interpreting a legal clause without regard for the completely different political context, legal system, and philosophical framework in which the clause developed. It would be like reading the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech…") ignorant of the vast body of case law setting out when Congress can actually abridge free speech.
Given the reality of Chinese constitutional law, any autonomy under China's Article 31 is only a temporary one, granted for the specific purpose of incrementally integrating a territory into the People's Republic of China. That is why it is almost impossible that China would ever consider applying it to Tibet. China already "owns" Tibet, in its view.But even if the Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) policy were somehow successful against all odds, and China were to give Tibet a "Hong Kong deal", then what? Tibet would just be back in the situation that it found itself in leading up to 1959, facing re-absorption by China in a set number of years. But not to worry; China will almost surely never consider such an offer anyway because it would defeat the very purpose of Article 31: more integration, not less.
Thus, it would be reasonable to say that the CTA's attempt to link the Middle Way policy with Hong Kong's expiring autonomy may be well-meaning, but is painfully ironic and dangerously unrealistic or naïve. We believe that open and objective debate of the pros and cons of any idea leads to better policy. Therefore we are optimistic that participation from Tibetan citizens around the world will help the Tibetan movement improve its approach. Such free debate will hopefully lead to a stronger policy in the best interests of the Tibetan people.
--* To read more on the fate of Hong Kong after 2047, please see: China's Hong Kong Transformed: Retrospect and Prospects Beyond the First Decade, Ming K. Chan (ed.), City Univ. of Hong Kong Press, 2008 (available online on Google Books).


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Pat Milnes gave an informative presentation on the DAR's genealogy online search features at the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogy Society's June meeting.
The DAR's website is pretty straightforward, so I won't go step by step, but I did want to share a few tips.
On the Home Page click on "Genealogy," and you will come to "Collection Highlights." Of course we want to find out if our ancestor is listed, so click "Online Research," and then get right into the GRS (Genealogical Research System). Clicking on "Ancestor" will bring up a simple form. Fill in your ancestor's name, click the "Search" bottom at the bottom and wait for the information to unfold. If you do have an ancestor in their database, a list will appear, with "Purchase" boxes alongside each. But …
Some warnings from Pat:
The blue question mark next to an "S" means Short Form – Don't purchase this! It does not have the information you seek.
"EL" means there is an error in the lineage – Don't purchase!
A small "s" means there is supporting documentation - o.k. to purchase.
Other notes: When doing research at the Washington DAR Library, cameras and scanners are not allowed; laptops are welcome.
The "Analytical Index" and GRC (Genealogical Records Committee) are in-house use only.
You can purchase records via credit card for $10 each; $15 for orders placed by mail or fax. If you can't get to Washington, the DAR offers a search service for an hourly fee.
Pat convinced us that the DAR has a wonderful genealogical research library just waiting for us.
The club's next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 11th featuring noted national speaker Barbara Vines Little, who will be discussing methods for researching Virginia records and repositories.


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As the debate continues over extension of the fiduciary standard to brokers who advise retail investors and the SEC and Department of Labor prepare economic or cost studies as a next step before making final determinations on their separate fiduciary rulemakings, fi360 and AdvisorOne have jointly conducted their second annual survey of investment advisors' and brokers' attitudes about the fiduciary standard.
Fielded in March and April of 2012, the survey was completed by 380 advisors from across the spectrum of advisor business models and affiliations. The survey not only sought advisors' opinions on the fiduciary standard but also gauged their understanding of what such a standard means now, or would mean, to their businesses.
In part one of this three-part blog series on the survey's findings we recalled that investors don't understand the differences between brokers and investment advisors and that the majority of advisors believe that extension of the fiduciary standard to brokers would help restore investor confidence.
Key findings in the first report on the survey also pointed out that, contrary to what some industry groups might be saying formally on behalf of both independent broker-dealer and wirehouse brokers, registered reps and investment advisors in the field believe that extending the fiduciary standard would not cost investors more for advice, limit access to advice or products nor price investors out of the market for advice.
In part two below, we'll discuss participants' attitudes about pending or potential regulation, and assess their stated beliefs about some of the myths surrounding the implementation of those regulatory changes.
For instance, a majority of survey participants agrees with the somewhat controversial proposal (temporarily withdrawn) to extend the stringent ERISA fiduciary duty to more advisors. This majority extends even to the question of fiduciary duty to those advising on money coming out of 401(k)s and IRAs—long considered to be an area of vulnerability for many investors. Here we have highlights of this part of the survey:
Overall Fiduciary Relationship
When on the survey we asked, "Do you have a fiduciary relationship with your clients?," the vast majority of independent RIAs and IARs said they do have a fiduciary relationship with all or nearly all of their clients, as you would expect for a group regulated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. But for registered reps and dual registrants, most said they have a fiduciary relationship with all (38%), or some (37%) of their clients, and relatively few reported they had no client fiduciary relationships. A small number of registered reps and dual registrants (14%), reported they have both suitability and fiduciary relationships with some clients.
An Even Tougher Standard: ERISA
Here is where it really gets interesting. The ERISA standard is arguably even more stringent than the '40 Act fiduciary standard. Yet when we asked in the survey, "Do you agree in concept with the Labor Department's plan to propose a rule that would redefine "fiduciary" and expand the number of advisors who are considered fiduciaries under ERISA?." 70% of respondents—including registered reps and dual registrants—agree in concept with the rule that would make them a fiduciary. Of dual registrants and registered reps, 63% agree, while 76% of RIA/IARs agree.
In addition, 68% of all survey participants agree that the same fiduciary standard that applies to 401(k) plans should also apply to advice on IRA accounts. Within the overall group, 80% of RIA/IARs, 57% of registered reps and 54% of dual registrants agree.
Distributions From 401(k) and IRA Accounts
There may be no area of advising individual investors where there is greater vulnerability for investors—and need for advice that is fiduciary—than distributions from retirement accounts. When we asked, "Should the fiduciary standard apply to advice to investors on distributions from 401(k) or IRA accounts?," 79% agreed. That percentage included 68% of registered reps and dual registrants, and 88% of RIA/IARs.
The DOL has also required that retirement plan sponsors provide fee disclosures to plan participants by July 1. Most survey participants say they are ready: 71% say they are "sufficiently prepared to provide 408(b)(2) compliant disclosures by the July 1, 2012 deadline." More dual registrants, 78%, than any other registration category say they are prepared to provide 408(b)(2) disclosure by the July 1 deadline, while 71% of RIA/IARs, and 50% of registered reps say they are prepared.
The approach to conflicts of interest and disclosure is an important difference between the BD suitability standard and the fiduciary standard. The '40 Act fiduciary approach is to avoid conflicts, and where unavoidable, manage in the investor's interest—and disclose all material conflicts. The suitability approach is to disclose, but there is no duty to avoid conflicts of interest. Even so, when asked, "Are disclosures alone sufficient to manage conflicts?" the vast majority of respondents, 81%, across all types of advisors, agrees: disclosures alone are not sufficient to manage conflicts. Broken out, 84% of RIA/IARs, 80% of registered reps and 76% of dual registrants agree that disclosures alone are insufficient.
In addition, 70% noted that the primary role of disclosures in their practice is both "informing investors of products and conflicts so that they can make the best decisions," and "informing investors of the rationale for your recommendation and advice."
Some of the familiar myths that surround the potential extension of the '40 Act fiduciary standard to brokers, as in Dodd Frank, seem to be eschewed by those who participated in the survey.
"Do you believe the fiduciary standard requires advisors to only recommend the lowest cost products and services?" 'No,' was the response by 93.8% of respondents.
"Do you believe the fiduciary standard of care requires ongoing monitoring of clients' portfolios or is this 'scope of engagement' issue to be agreed on between client and advisor?" Overall, 54% say ongoing monitoring is required, while 46% say it is a scope of engagement discussion.
When responses were broken out according to registration, RIA/IARs were nearly evenly divided over whether the fiduciary standard requires ongoing monitoring of client portfolios or if this was a 'scope of engagement' issue to be agreed upon by client and advisor. Registered reps as a group, 69%, believe the fiduciary standard requires ongoing monitoring, followed by 56.4% of dually registered participants.
"Do you believe that receiving commissions and/or recommending proprietary products is prohibitive to acting as a fiduciary?" Overall, 53.5% responded 'No,' that commissions or recommending proprietary products is not prohibitive. Dodd-Frank specifically noted that commission compensation and recommending proprietary products were not prohibited under fiduciary requirements. However, it did give the SEC the ability to prohibit certain industry practices if they were deemed harmful to investors.
Fiduciary Knowledge
There appears to be a thirst for fiduciary knowledge among advisors. When asked, "Do you believe that advisors are adequately knowledgeable and trained to practice under the fiduciary standard?" overall, 74% said 'No.'
"Do you believe investors understand the differences between brokers and investment advisers?" Overall, 97.2% say investors do not understand the differences between brokers and investment advisors
"There is a large gap in the knowledge base between professional advisors and that of individual investors regarding investments and financial services. Can the ordinary investor bridge this gap?" Two-thirds of all surveyed believe that ordinary investors cannot bridge the knowledge gap they have with the advisors. While 66.7% of RIA/IARs, and 64.1% of dual registrants agree that investors cannot bridge the knowledge gap, an even higher percentage of registered reps, 75.9%, believe this is the case.
"Does this 'knowledge gap' make fiduciary advice much more important for ordinary investors?" While 85% overall believe that this knowledge gap makes fiduciary advice much more important for ordinary investors, the breakout by registration on this survey question shows more variation. A much higher percentage of RIA/IARs—93.1%—than dual registrants—76.9%—or registered reps, —72.4%— believe that the knowledge gap makes fiduciary advice much more important for ordinary investors. This may be linked to the requirement of the fiduciary standard that is already in place for RIA/IARs. Still, it is the clear majority belief across all types of advisors.
"Is there room in financial services for the suitability standard to apply to sales only (investment information only, no personalized advice, all costs disclosed) and the fiduciary standard to apply to advice and/or money management?" A majority, 63%, says there is room for suitability in sales only (investment information only, no personalized advice, all costs disclosed) and for the fiduciary standard to apply to advice and/or money management
"Which of the following ways are best to clearly differentiate fiduciary versus non-fiduciary roles to investors?" Participants were given three choices for yes or no answers:
- Disclosure—85% say 'Yes.'
- Separate firms with clearly differentiated purposes—64% say 'Yes.'
- Titles—59% say 'Yes.'
The Best Fiduciary Enforcer?
At a time when the issue of an SRO for advisors has returned to the front-burner in the re-regulation debate, the next question in our survey seemed particularly timely.
"Which regulator should enforce the fiduciary standard if extended to brokers who provide advice to investors?" Overall, 41% believe the SEC (as opposed to FINRA or an SRO) should enforce the fiduciary standard of it is extended to brokers, while 33% believe it should be FINRA, and 25% would rather see a separate SRO regulate advisors under the fiduciary standard.
While it may not be evident from some of the louder voices in Congress or among Wall Street lobbyists, there is an argument to be made that in the field, advisors, brokers and dual registrants who practice with clients every day are clearly listening to those clients, and thinking about the regulatory questions at hand in thoughtful ways. As clients become aware of differences in types of firms and advisors, they are making their own choices—and so are the individuals who advise them.
Next week, we will report on the key overall trends emanating from the AdvisorOne-fi360 survey.


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News » National
Watch: Grindr Exec Apologizes for Sharing Users HIV Statuses, Explains More
Grindr shared a video of its Vice President of Social Impact Jack Harrison-Quintana apologizing after the gay dating app shared users' HIV status with third-party companies. Harrison-Quintana also explains how the company will handle the sharing of HIV status data.
"I want to start by apologizing from everyone here at the Grindr team for all the distress that we've caused over the last 48 hours," he says in the clip, later adding, "I want to say at the outset very clearly that we have never and would never sell any user data - especially HIV information - to advertisers or anyone else."
Harrison-Quintana goes on to say that "the only people who have access to Grinder user information is our trusted contractors who help us roll out new features and deliver relevant messages to our users. They aren't advertisers. They are well-respected companies who take privacy and security as seriously as we do."
"Over the past two days, we've heard your concerns. Your privacy and trust are very important to us... that's why we're making additional changes to keep this data even more secure," he continues. "From now on, HIV status data will be isolated from the rest of the information we have so its inaccessible to even our most trusted partner who we work with everyday."
Grindr came under fire this week when it was discovered the app was sharing user profile information, including HIV status, to third-party companies that help optimize apps. After an outcry, Grindr announced it'd no longer be sharing such information.
Watch Harrison-Quintana in the video below.


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PHP is a server-side scripting language and an interpreted language. Its one of most famous server-side languages on the web today. PHP is highly in demand amongst all small, medium and large size companies. If you are struggling to kick-start your career in IT domain then PHP is probably best language to get into.
You will get a certificate of completion after attending all sessions and completing all assignments/quizzes.
Anyone can take this course.
A Magento Certified Developer with 5+ years of live development experience will instruct you in this course.
You will get a free hosting account from bay20.education for installing and practicing learned concepts on live server.
You can opt to physically visit us for training or opt for instructor led online training.
- You can visit our facility in Aditya City Center, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad for training. Bay20.education is one of best organizations providing PHP Training in Delhi area.
- You can opt for instructor-led online training where sessions will be delivered using video conferencing software.
If you are looking for reliable web design training provider in Rajouri Garden area please contact us for more details.


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Louisiana Will Now Have Nine High School Football State Champions
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association's Executive Committee approved recommendations made by the school relations committee to divide the newly classified select schools into four divisions on Thursday.
So, if you like a lot of state championship high school football games, you're in luck, as beginning this fall, there will be a total of nine state championship games, including five in the non-select bracket, and four in the new select bracket
After a lot of discussion, the Executive Committee of the LHSAA voted to divide select schools into four different brackets.
In the select bracket, Division I will consist of class 5A schools, Division II will be a combination of 4A and 3A schools, Division III will consist of 2A schools, and Division IV will consist of 1A schools.
There will be only four divisions in the new select classification, due to lack of schools, and with the combination of select 3A and 4A schools, there's a chance that a lower populated 3A school will have to compete against a higher populated 4A school.
The reason the committee elected to combine the 3A and 4A schools however, is because they thought they had to combine two classifications, simply because the numbers just weren't there, and because combining 3A and 4A made the most sense of anything.
One idea of combining 5A and 4A schools was passed over because the committee determined there was actually a larger disparity between the smallest 4A school's enrollment and the largest 5A school's enrollment, as opposed to the smallest 3A school's enrollment, compared to the largest 4A school's enrollment.


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Bruce Roldan
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Hello everybody! :D Who i? nice question! I like a tipical guy, university with great aspirations in life , good friends and a great family,a pleasantly quiet life.but actually doing interesting happens inside me! I am a very fun and active guy, I love sports, be in good shape, basically be in constant motion. I like extreme adventures , go for a walk occasionally , I am a lover of good cinema and showbiz , in a nutshell I'm all terrain ;)
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I love leather and domination, if you like to be a slave and you are looking for a true dominant master this is your right place.
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"Reduced" this. "Light" that. Be careful -- Things aren't always what they seem.
The new 75% less sugar versions of Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs may be lower in sugar than the originals, but don't let that fool you into thinking they contain fewer calories, less fat, or even fewer carbs. The truth is, these "healthier" versions of classic breakfast cereals sometimes have more calories and more carbs than the originals. If you're watching your sugar, they're better for sure, but otherwise, read the labels carefully and then make your decisions.
Those kooky Girl Scouts will do anything to sell a cookie. Their so-called "reduced fat" lemon cremes are pretty darn high in fat and calories. Three little cookies contain 130 calories, 4.5g of fat and 22 carbs. Not really a big difference between those and some of their other cookies. In fact, their apple cinnamon cookies actually have 10 fewer calories per serving than the reduced fat ones!
What a Jif! Should choosy dieters choose Jif or Reduced Fat Jif? Believe it or not, both the regular and reduced fat versions of Jif peanut butter contain 190 calories for 2 tablespoons. The reduced fat version has 12g of fat and 15 carbs per serving, and the regular has 16g of fat and 7 carbs. So...do you want to save fat or carbs? The choice is yours.
Sour Cream Tip!
Knudsen's Reduced Fat Sour Cream has only 5 calories and half a gram of fat more than their Fat Free Sour Cream. Our advice? Go for the reduced fat version if taste matters to you at all. The fat free kind is just, well, not good.
Don't forget to send these "little light lies" to someone you like a lot. Use our handy "send to a friend" button.
Did a friend send you this? SIGN UP NOW & get your very own DAILY Tips & Tricks!


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The last legal public hanging in America took place in 1936 in Owensboro, Kentucky. The "event" attracted 20,000 people and turned into such a sickening spectacle that many credit it with ending the practice in the U.S.
But one North Carolina Republican believes that as a country we've grown soft since banning public hangings and is calling for them to reinstated as a deterrent to crime. If Rep. Larry Pittman had his way, "abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers" would be first in line for the gallows:
Republican Rep. Larry Pittman, who was appointed to the District 82 House seat in October, expressed his views in an email sent Wednesday to every member of the General Assembly. […]
"We need to make the death penalty a real deterrent again by actually carrying it out. Every appeal that can be made should have to be made at one time, not in a serial manner," Pittman wrote in the email. "If murderers (and I would include abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers, as well) are actually executed, it will at least have the deterrent effect upon them. For my money, we should go back to public hangings, which would be more of a deterrent to others, as well."
As ThinkProgress reported, last year Republicans in South Carolina, Nebraska, and Iowa pushed legislation that would essentially legalize the murder of abortion providers. Such radical sentiments have been echoed by prominent conservatives like Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who said during his 2004 campaign, "I favor the death penalty for abortionists."


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It's an NFL maxim that no position is more replaceable than running back. In the wake of Trent Richardson's shocking trade to Indianapolis, it's worth noting that this Sunday, the Browns won't be playing anyone who has a single rushing yard this year.
It's (somehow) true. The listed starting running back is Bobby Rainey, who was undrafted in 2012 and didn't play a snap for Baltimore last season or Cleveland through the first two games. Chris Ogbonnaya is a blocking fullback; last year he had just eight carries in 15 starts. It appears that Willis McGahee will get the start after failing to catch on with an NFL team in training camp, if he passes his physical—and that's a pretty big "if."
The Browns current leading rusher is QB Brandon Weeden, with his seven yards on two scrambles. Weeden's out this week with a thumb injury and will be replaced by Brian Hoyer.
The Browns will be terrible this year. They've scored 16 points over two games, and that was before their offense consisted of scrap heap guys, depth chart fillers, and Super Bowl champion Bobby Rainey. This is the idea. This is a team that could happily lose 14 games, because there's a quarterback draft coming up, and it'll pay to have picks.
There'll be Bridgewater and Manziel and, less sexily, Boyd and Hundley and Mariota. If the Browns don't lose their way into a position to get their choice, they're primed to trade for it. Cleveland finds itself with two first-round picks, a second, two thirds, and two fourths. That's more than enough to pull off a deal like the one Washington used to get Robert Griffin III (three first rounders and a second, spread out over three years), even without decimating the team's future drafts. Trent Richardson wasn't the mistake, the front office is conceding. Brandon Weeden was the mistake, and Richardson was the only piece with value enough to press the reset button.
I do believe this is a good move for Cleveland (even if Dan Gilbert, an owner who failed to take advantage of the world's greatest basketball player, and let him leave for nothing, doesn't). Which doesn't make it any easier to take for Browns fans. Or for Richardson, who reportedly learned about the trade not from his agent, not from the team, but from a report on the radio.
"One of my friends called me he was like 'You got traded.' I was like 'Man, shut up talking to me get off my phone,'" he said. "I turned on the radio and all of a sudden I heard Cleveland Browns running back has been traded."
"It just hit me in my face," he said. "I didn't see it coming."
So what now, besides losing and more losing? Willis McGahee and Bobby Rainey don't sell tickets. If only there was a local legend with nothing but potential who could fit the bill.


text:
Emma McCorkell has been named deputy managing director at Organic Marketing, the London-based marketing, publicity and events company that is part of the Target Media & Communications Group.
She reports to MD Nick Leese.
McCorkell joined Organic in January 2011 as UK publicity director. Prior to that, she was VP at Rogers & Cowan London.
Leese said, "We have built a publicity team over the past 18 months with eclectic backgrounds, enabling us to offer clients dynamic solutions. Emma's promotion reflects the value she has brought to the team and the growth and development she continues to pioneer within the department. She is a true asset and I look forward to working with her in this new role."
McCorkell added: "I feel very fortunate to work with such a creative and committed team. Organic, and TMCG as a whole, provide a wonderful environment within which to grow a vibrant and expanding publicity offering for the entertainment industry. I am looking forward to taking on this new responsibility, as we continue to move forward within an ever changing marketplace."
Organic has recently worked on campaigns such as Senna (online), Snow White And The Huntsman, home entertainment for Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, as well as awards campaigns for The Artist and The Iron Lady.
Organic's client list includes Artificial Eye, Disney, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Entertainment, G2, Icon, Kaleidoscope, Lionsgate, Metrodome, The Moët British Independent Film Awards, Studio Canal and Universal.


text:
Josh Brolin opened up in an interview on Thursday and discussed his past and his former drug use.
The 46-year-old actor recently appeared as an escaped convict named Frank in the movie Labor Day. The character hides out with Kate Winslet's character Adele, a melancholy single mom, and begins to play surrogate father to her son Henry.
The actor told The Guardian that aspects about the character reflect his own life, "It's not just Frank who is in flight from his past."
Brolin was born to actor James Brolin and wildlife activist Jane Cameron, and enjoyed a privileged upbringing in California. He had several acting roles by the time he was a teenager, but was also a member of the surf gang Cito Rats.
"It was the 80s. It was punk rock. You either had the children of rich, neglectful parents or children of poor, neglectful parents," the actor began. "I tried heroin. That sounds so horrible when you put it like that. But yeah, I tried heroin."
Brolin admitted that he and his friends used to rob cars in order to buy drugs, but said he never got in over his head. Others were not as lucky.
"I never got into it, and I never died from it... [but] I've had nineteen friends who died," he acknowledged. "Most of those guys I grew up with, they're all dead now."
The actor has avoided old habits since, but has seen some recent slips. Brolin was arrested for public intoxication in January 2013, and his marriage to actress Diane Lane deteriorated shortly after.
"It was another turning point," he said. "I realized that I was on a destructive path. I knew that I had to change and mature. It was like I stepped back and saw the hamster wheel."
"I used to think you should try to...experience everything...but I don't believe that anymore," the actor expressed earlier in the interview. "Having adventures is all very well, but an imagination can make up for all that. That's the more intelligent way to be. And it keeps you out of harm's way."
Brolin has returned to a clean lifestyle, and will appear in several upcoming films. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Inherent Vice, and Everest are all projects the actor is currently involved with.
[The Guardian]


text:
- Recruiter
- RED Driving School
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- Posted
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- Closes
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- Hours
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