Sunday, May 22: Shine a Light on Azadi Square Westlake Center, 2:00pm
Amnesty International is transforming Westlake Center into Azadi Square for the day to call on the Iranian government to release all prisoners of conscience! On May 22, 2011, Majid Tavakkoli’s birthday, we will shine a light on freedom of expression in Iran through a virtual protest in Azadi Square. In Iran, students continue to face egregious forms of repression and human rights abuses, as the Iranian authorities attempt to… exert control over students opposed to their policies. Those who dare speak out, do so at great risk and with devastating consequences.
Majid Tavakkoli may spend over eight years in prison for simply criticizing the government. The student leader was arrested in 2009 after speaking at a university rally. Azadi Square (Freedom Square) in Tehran is a place where demonstrations have occurred throughout Iran’s history. Recently, it was the site for student led demonstrations in 2009, which took place in the days and weeks following the disputed Presidential elections in Iran.
We will gather with signs and banners and take pictures documenting the protest, to be used in the virtual global protest in June.
For more info, visit www.amnestyusa.org/majid.
The Facebook event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=224757830868014.
Thursday, May 26: Protest, Revolution and Human Rights – Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa Seattle University, Bannan Room 401, 6:00pm
Amnesty International presents an interactive teach-in and discussion on the uprisings in the Mid-East and North Africa region over the last several months. Speakers will be both in person and via Skype, and will cover the region broadly with a focus on Egypt, Syria and Libya.
Speakers:
— HIND AHMED ZAKI, EGYPTIAN ACTIVIST AND ACADEMIC
— ZANE AHMEDEIN, EGYPTIAN YOUTH ACTIVIST via Skype
— CHRISTOPH KOETTL, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER
– AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL via Skype
— MARWA MAZIAD, ARABIC MEDIA AND JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR
— MAHSA MALEKI, SYRIAN COUNTRY SPECIALIST – AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL via Skype
— SALEM A. SALEM, LIBYAN POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND MID-EAST COUNTRY SPECIALIST via Skype
Moderators:
Sophia Hansen-Day, Shorewood Amnesty International
Jordan Palmer, Lakeside Amnesty International
The event will be streaming live online and will include a live chat for those watching the event from outside of Seattle. Free and open to the public.
Campus map: http://www.seattleu.edu/uploadedFiles/Facilities/SU-CAMPUS-DIR-Handout-2010%20.pdf.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108566669231427