The Unique Zan Foundation is pleased to announce its sponsorship of an upcoming, exciting event: The Iranian Literary Arts Festival in San Francisco, CA., created, produced and directed by Niloufar Talebi.
Bita Daryabari, Founder of the Unique Zan Foundation, has had the honor of knowing Ms. Niloufar Talebi for the past several years. Niloufar Talebi, Founder of The Translation Project, is one of several distinguished Iranian women in the Bay Area, known for her passionate commitment to Persian literature and the arts. It is our pleasure to support Ms. Talebi in her artistic endeavors and to introduce her work to the Iranian and non-Iranian communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Translation Project's first annual Iranian Literary Arts Festival in San Francisco, will take place November 13-17 at Theater Artaud. The festival will include film screenings, panels, a talk by noted Iranian writer Moniru Ravanipur, an art exhibit, on-site bookstore, author signings, and the world premiere of ICARUS/RISE, a theatrical piece based on never-before-translated, new Iranian poetry, created by Niloufar Talebi.
The festival will culminate in a Gala Celebration for The Translation Project on Saturday November 17th, which includes the closing performance of ICARUS/RISE , and a post-show gala with food and live music. For more information, please visit www.thetranslationproject.org
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The Unique Zan Foundation is proud to announce its first fundraising event: "Know Your Rights," with Banafsheh Akhlaghi and Aileen Hernandez.
May 6th, 2007, raised funds to help Ms. Akhlaghi continue her work at the National Legal Sanctuary for Community Advancement (NLSCA). Thank you to all who participated.
On May 6, 2007, the Unique Zan Foundation sponsored its first fundraising event: "Know Your Rights," with Banafsheh Akhlaghi and Aileen Hernandez.
In 2005, Ms. Hernandez was one of 1,000 women from more than 150 countries who were nominated collectively for the Nobel Peace Prize, for her work in committing herself to human security and justice. Ms. Hernandez spoke about the civil rights movement in the United States and the parallels between the earlier struggles of African-American and other ethnic minorities and the struggles of Middle Eastern Muslim communities today. Ms. Hernandez' long-standing experience as a civil rights advocate provided a unique perspective to the challenges faced by many in a post-9/11 environment.
Banafsheh Akhlaghi, Esq., founder of the National Legal Sanctuary for Community Advancement (www.nlsca.com), addressed the impact of the post-9/11 "war on terror" on legal Middle Eastern or Muslim immigrants and US citizens. Ms. Akhlaghi discussed numerous shocking accounts of men, women, and families who are being held in U.S. facilities without due process. Most importantly, Ms. Akhlaghi conveyed the importance understanding and exercising existing civil and legal rights, and how communities can mobilize to ensure those rights remain intact.
Thanks to both the speakers, and to the active participation and generosity of all who attended, the evening was an enormous success.
