Report of "Medical Access for Iranians" Event in San Francisco

- On Sunday, February 22, over 140 members of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), Havaar, and National Lawyers' Guild (NLG) attended a charity fundraiser in San Francisco to raise awareness about the impact of US sanctions on ordinary Iranians' medical access. - 3/6/14

Iranians in Malaysia dismayed by visa change

- Many Iranians in Malaysia are upset about the ending of the policy that enabled them to obtain a 90-day visa on arrival (VOA), according to the Malaysian Iran Friendship Association (MIFA). - 3/6/14

Why some people have no tolerance for linguistic diversity?

- I was talking with two friends in the dressing room of a gym. A lady came from the shower, walked to her locker, grabbed her clothes, turned around to us and said: "I don't understand a word of what you are saying to each other". My friend: "Don't worry, madam. Our conversation is not very exciting. We are discussing a Persian recipe". -Ferdows Kazemi - 3/4/14

PARSA Community Foundation Scholars at Tufts University Tackle Large Global Issues

- "Having been raised in a region where people are suffering from misguided economic policies," explains Maliheh Birjandi-Feriz, a first year PhD candidate in economics at Yale University, "I realized that development and economics are not about statistics and math, rather they are about people and their livelihood." - 3/4/14

Iran Heritage Foundation's Norouz Gala 2014 in London

- Iran Heritage Foundation Invites you to celebrate The Persian New Year NOROUZ with its legendary hospitality on Saturday 22nd March 2014 at The Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN. Featuring Rising Star Rana Mansour - 3/3/14

The Pars Equality Center 4th Annual Nowruz Gala In Northern California

- We are pleased to announce that with the kind generosity and support received from both Iranian and American community, event has been sold out three weeks prior to the date. Please check our auction items at www.parsnowruzgala.com - 3/3/14

First Annual Bita Prize for Young Persian Artists Awarded To Pianist Dena Taherianfar

- Dena Taherianfar was born in Tehran, in November of 1996. She began taking lessons in piano when she was six. Her first teacher was Mrs. Shohreh J. Ghajar. Dena gave her debut concert in the renowned Roudaki Concert Hall of Tehran in 2008. At her teacher's suggestion, Dena eventually moved to Vienna where she began to study piano with Prof. Stanislaw Tichonow at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory. - 2/28/14

In Memoriam of Dr. Akbar Ghahary

- Last night, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans lost one of its board members, and the Iranian American community lost one of its staunchest supporters. Dr. Akbar Ghahary, a member of the board of directors of PAAIA's affiliated PAC, the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), passed away from heart complications. - 2/28/14

The 2014 IAAB Summer Leadership Institute Returns to the South in July

- IAAB is pleased to present its 2014 Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), which is being held from July 6th to July 18th at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2014 SLI houses IAAB's celebrated annual Iranian American high school and middle school leadership camps, Camp Ayandeh and Camp Ayandeh Javan - 2/27/14

6th Annual Nowruz (Iranian New Year) Celebration at LACMA

- For the sixth year in a row, Farhang Foundation will celebrate Nowruz (Iranian New Year) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in what has become the foundation's signature event, drawing thousands of visitors to the museum in recent years. - 2/26/14

Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries Celebrate the Persian New Year with a Free Family Festival

- The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will present its sixth annual "Nowruz: A Persian New Year Celebration" free family festival Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Throughout the day, visitors of all ages can dance, play and feast to mark the Persian year of 1393 at a celebration encompassing both museums and including live music, film, art making, hands-on workshops and traditional cuisine. - 2/25/14

Iran Sanctions Hit the Aloha State (via Bank of Hawai'i)

- Let me begin by saying that I have been a long-standing critic of US sanctions against Iran. Irrespective of my distaste for Iran's structure of governance, I have not been shy in calling out the sanctions regime as collective punishment of the Iranian people. I have also been worried that they will eventually ensnare Iranians living in the United States. -Farideh Farhi - 2/25/14

"Cultures of the Iranian Diaspora" Conference in San Jose State University, California

- This conference made possible with grants from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute (a managed fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation), the PARSA Community Foundation (in collaboration with IHF America) and CAL Humanities (with a grant for the Community Stories Project). With special thanks to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. - 2/25/14

British-Iranian man's kidnap in Dubai: Wife blames UK

- The wife of a British businessman who went missing in Dubai has said she blames the UK government for his disappearance. Abbas Yazdi is thought to have been kidnapped by Iranian intelligence agents last June after the Serious Fraud Office passed on his private business documents to Iran. -BBC - 2/25/14

PAAIA Releases Report on U.S. Interests Section in Iran

- The idea of establishing an American-staffed Interests Section in Iran was first considered by the George W. Bush administration and had the support of then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. An interests section would be responsible for protecting America's interests in Iran. It would not, however, be equivalent to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with Iran. - 2/21/14

Iranian Medical Access Project: Advocacy Event and Charity Fundraiser

- Please join us for an evening of cocktails, snacks, good company, and, most importantly, discussion on the impact current sanctions are having on ordinary Iranians' access to medicine and medical devices. All proceeds of this important advocacy event will benefit Moms Against Poverty's medical initiatives in Iran. - 2/20/14

Sign up for NIAC's Annual Norooz Day of Service!

- Join NIAC's Fourth Annual Day of Service on Saturday March 8, as Iranian Americans nationwide honor the Iranian New Year (Norooz) tradition of beginning a good year through acts of kindness. - 2/18/14

Zanan Group's International Women's Day Celebration 2014 in Cupertino, California

- Partow Noorial, Acclaimed Poet and literary Critic. Mojdeh Shamsaei, Prominent actress of Iranian Cinema. Shahrzad Sepanlou, A refreshing voice from LA. Songs of Azerbaijan by Mahin. Dance Performance by Negar Esfandiari, and Art Exhibition by local Iranian Women artist - 2/17/14

An Iranian-American 'Pioneer' Celebrates 50 years in America

- On Feb. 7, Beatles lovers will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band's arrival in America. While I like the Beatles, my siblings and I will be celebrating a different 50th anniversary: The arrival of our father in the United States. -David Shams, Huffington Post - 2/11/14

The Iconic Cafe Nadery: From Tehran To New York

- Cafe Nadery is a community-driven Cafe in historical Greenwich Village in downtown Manhattan. The vision of the Cafe is to create a contemporary Iranian-culture inspired cosmopolitan social space for both Iranians and non-Iranians in the New York City area. Founded in 1928 by an Iranian-Armenian, Khachik Madikiyans, Naderi Cafe in Tehran was one of the first western Cafes in the country. - 2/9/14

Meet Neda Bolourian: Candidate for Montgomery County Council, District 2

- Neda Bolourian, a lawyer in Bethesda, Maryland, is running to represent District 2 on the Montgomery County Council. A first generation American of Iranian descent, Bolourian received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, a master's degree in international relations from St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Texas, and a JD from the University of District of Columbia's David A. Clarke School of Law. - 2/3/14

Intelligence Ministry Reviews Cases of Iranian Expats for Return

- Iran has established a secretariat for the Committee for the Return of Expat Iranians, inside Iran's Intelligence Ministry, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Expatriate Affairs Hassan Qashqavi said in an interview with Tadbir News Website. - 1/31/14

NIAC Applauds Investigation of Bank Discrimination Against Iranian Students

- NIAC applauds the decision by Minnesota Department of Human Rights' (MDHR) to investigate charges of alleged discrimination by TCF Bank against Iranian students whose university-linked bank accounts were terminated. - 1/29/14

Iranian Artist Shirin Neshat Receives a Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum

- Every year at Davos, the Crystal Awards celebrate artists who not only excel in their art, but also help to improve the world around them. This year, the awards recognized three exceptional cultural leaders: the Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian Matt Damon; the opera tenor Juan Diego Florez; and artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat. - 1/25/14

Iranian-American Actress Gets Fed Up With Hollywood's Racism

- Ever get tired of seeing your favorite Middle Eastern actors relegated to roles that only deal with the War on Terror? Because they surely are. Kathreen Khavari is a public-health-professional-turned actress who was fed up with Hollywood's racism, so she decided to do something about it. -Jamilah King, Colorlines.com - 1/25/14

Iranian-American Sunny Zia running for Long Beach Community College's 3rd District

- "I am running to bring new leadership to the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees and fight for affordable education for all," said Zia. Her platform includes putting an end to the anti-student two-tier tuition system, increasing access to vocational programs, and reinvesting in the local Long Beach economy. - 1/19/14

Former US Ambassadors Hunter and Gargano Join the Board of American Iranian Council

- Commenting on this significant development at the AIC, Professor Hooshang Amirahmadi, Founder and President of the Council, said "Ambassadors Hunter and Gargano bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in diplomacy and business that most suit US-Iran relations in this historic moment in their constructive engagement. - 1/17/14

Penn Research Helps Lay Out Theory for Metamaterial That Acts as an Analog Computer

- Now, the birthplace of the digital computer, ENIAC, is using this technology in the rebirth of analog computing. A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (led by Nader Engheta), The University of Texas at Austin and University of Sannio in Italy, shows that metamaterials can be designed to do "photonic calculus" as a light wave goes through them. - 1/17/14

Tell Your Senators to STOP New Iran Sanctions Bill!

- A growing number of Senators are preparing to kill the interim deal with Iran and pass new sanctions to put us on the path to war. President Obama has issued a rare veto threat against the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has thus far opposed bringing the bill up for a vote. If we get 40 Senators to oppose it, a vote will not happen. If 34 Senators oppose it, a veto will be sustained and the bill will not become law. - 1/10/14

German-Iranian woman set to head co-ruling Social Democratic Party

- Berlin - Yasmin Fahimi, A German-Iranian woman, is tipped to become the next secretary general of Germanyˈs co-governing Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Frankfurt-based daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said Wednesday. - 1/9/14

2014 Nowruz Banner Contest Winner Announced

- The winning design, now unveiled for the first time, will be featured on street banners in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley in promotion of Farhang's upcoming Nowruz celebrations in March 2014. Afsoon Riazi, a graphic designer based in Vancouver, Canada has created this year's winning design, at the heart of which is a red apple. - 1/7/14

Iranian Foreign Ministry: Number of Political Emigrants Irrelevant: Email Address to Check Return Status

- Iran's deputy foreign minister has asserted that contrary to the prevalent propaganda, the refugee trend in recent years has been in-bound into Iran, rather than outbound. Hassan Ghashghavi at the same time acknowledged that many Iranians had left the country in the aftermath of the controversial 2009 presidential elections adding that those who emigrated were from the political sectors of society. He declared the political sector to be between 50,000 to 100,000 people, adding that they constituted an "irrelevant" size. -Niusha Saremi - 1/6/14

Omid Foundation USA holds fundraising events in DC, Los Angeles and Boston

- The Omid Foundations (Empowering disadvantaged young women in Iran ) consist of three registered charities, which were established by Marjaneh Halati, a London-based social psychologist and psychotherapist. Following is some of the recent fundraising activities by Omid Foundation USA. - 12/26/13

Cash-strapped Iranian students in U.S. hope nuclear deal will ease tuition woes

- When Mohammad Hamedi Rad arrived in the United States last year, he carried his Iranian passport, a hard-won student visa and a backpack containing $14,000 in hundred dollar bills, because there was no simpler way of getting money into the country. -Reuters - 12/11/13

DOCUMENTARY: Iranian Israelis: life in the shadow of a conflict

- Bahram Sadeghi (born & raised Iranian and living since his eighteenth in the Netherlands) and Dikla Zeidler (born in Eilat to an Israeli father and a Dutch mother, living in the Netherlands since she was eight) decided to ask some well-known Iranian Israelis, including singer Rita and radio presenter Menashe Amir, the simple question: What is it like to be an Iranian Israeli? - 12/10/13

IASF HAND Foundation Scholarship Recipient Gives Back

- "I live by the philosophy that the energy you project to the universe is the energy you receive right back, so I strive to better my community in as many ways as possible." Lilygol Sedaghat, a political economy major at the University of California, Berkeley, is a recipient of a 2013 The HAND Foundation scholarship from the Iranian-American Scholarship Fund (IASF). - 12/9/13

Objection to selection of "Pourdavoud Chair in pre-modern Persia at Princeton": Petition by Ehsan Yarshater

- Objection by the International community of Iranian Studies to the selection of a scholar of Greco-Arabic, to the Pourdavoud Chair in pre-modern Persia at Princeton University. - 12/9/13

Netherlands-based filmmaker arrested in Tehran

- Samad Khatibi, an Iranian filmmaker and artist based in the Netherlands, has been arrested in Tehran. Nedaye Sabz Azadi's website reports that Khatibi was arrested at Imam Khomeini Airport 10 days ago. - 12/6/13

Electric car owner (Kaveh Kamooneh) charged with stealing 5 cents worth of juice

- One Saturday in November, Kaveh Kamooneh drove his Nissan Leaf to Chamblee Middle School, where his 11-year-old son was playing tennis. Kamooneh had taken the liberty of charging the electric car with an exterior outlet at the school. Within minutes of plugging in the car, he says a Chamblee police officer appeared. -11 Live, Atlanta - 12/5/13

Peace: The Foundation of Prosperity - HAND announces $150,000 matching fund for NIAC

- Long-time PARSA and HAND grantee, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has been a relentless advocate of engagement with Iran for the past decade. HAND is pleased to announce that we have created a $150,000 fund for NIAC to raise as much money as it can in the next 30 days. HAND will match your contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $150,000 between now and December 31. - 11/29/13

TAKE ACTION: Congressman Sherman wants to crash Iranian airplanes

- Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) is working to undermine the historic nuclear deal struck in Geneva last week because he wants more Iranian planes to crash. Sherman, who says he wants sanctions to "hurt the Iranian people," said on Wednesday he wants to block part of the deal that would enable Iran to receive new parts for its aging civilian aircraft fleet. That is unacceptable. - 11/29/13

NIAC Applauds U.S.-Iran Nuclear Agreement

- "Diplomacy has delivered the U.S. and Iran from the brink of a disastrous war and placed the two countries at the beginning of a brighter, more sustainable path forward. NIAC congratulates Presidents Obama and Rouhani, Secretary Kerry and Minister Zarif, and all of the diplomats involved in breaking the paradigm of enmity that have undermined both country's interests. - 11/24/13

6th Annual Stanford University "Bita Prize" Awarded To Acclaimed Writer Mahshid Amirshahy

- In a ceremony held at Stanford University last Friday evening, November 15, 2013, global philanthropist and humanitarian Bita Daryabari awarded the 6th Annual Bita Prize in Persian Letters to acclaimed writer, essayist, and translator Mahshid Amirshahy. - 11/21/13

Iran Nuclear Talks Weigh On Those Watching From Afar

- Iranians at home and those living abroad are closely watching international talks this week aimed at ending Iran's controversial nuclear program. Many are hopeful that the negotiations could end years of animosity between the West and Iran. - 11/21/13

Iranian American Coalition Asks Senate Not to Undermine Iran Negotiations

- A coalition of Iranian American organizations yesterday sent a letter to key U.S. Senators to express concern regarding the imposition of new sanctions against Iran at this time. The letter was signed by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, National Iranian American Council, Pars Equality Center, Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, and United for Iran. - 11/20/13

Iranian American Identity and Cyrus the Great: Looking to the Past and Moving into the Future

- Washington, DC - The figure of Cyrus the Great looms large over Iran's history, but his role in defining the identity the Iranian diaspora is less explored. At the 2013 NIAC Leadership Conference, an expert panel discussed the issue the leadership model of Cyrus and its impact on Iranian identity for the past, present and future. - 11/14/13

The sole Iranian involved in the Apollo Project passes away

- Prominent Iranian mathematician Professor Abolghassem Ghaffari passed away on the night of Tuesday November 5, 2013, at the age of 106. Less than a month earlier, at the ceremony for the first Spirit of Iranian Noted Achievers (SINA) Awards recognizing the contributions of outstanding Iranians to the arts, science and culture, Professor Ghaffari was a recipient of the prestigious award. - 11/13/13

Announcing the Recipients of the 2013 Farhang Heritage and Lifetime Achievement Awards

- On Saturday, November 9, 2013 Farhang Foundation had the distinct honor of recognizing the contributions of the remarkable painter, scholar, and architect, Houshang Seyhoun, and the culinary "guru" Najmieh Batmanglij with the annual Farhang Lifetime Achievement and Heritage awards. - 11/12/13

Farhang Foundation Helps Los Angeles Students and Teachers Learn About Cyrus the Great and the Cyrus Cylinder

- Farhang Foundation is spearheading a cultural and educational initiative in Southern California, aimed at teaching our community and students about the significance of Cyrus the Great and the Cyrus Cylinder. - 11/7/13

Portraits of Iranians in exile to be displayed in Germany

- On Saturday Nov. 23, the Arturo drama school in Cologne, Germany will exhibit 101 portraits by Iranian painter Arta Davari depicting Iranians living in exile. The artist told Radio Zamaneh that the subjects of the portraits are all friends or acquaintances of his. - 11/7/13

University of Maryland Hosts IAAB's 2014 Student Summit

- IAAB's 2014 Student Summit will be held at The University of Maryland, College Park on Friday, January 31st through Sunday, February 2nd. The 2014 Student Summit will be hosted by the Iranian Students' Foundation (ISF), one of the oldest and largest Iranian university student groups in the country. - 11/5/13

6th Annual Noor Iranian Film Festival Announces Award Winners

- NIFF presented ten awards for its 2013 line-up of competition films. Each film featured a theme about Iran and/or Iranian talent, either in front of or behind the camera. Over 350 celebrities, VIPs, filmmakers and distinguished guests were in attendance. - 10/30/13

Oman to Represent Iran's Interests in Canada

- Oman will look after Iranian affairs in Canada after diplomatic relations were suspended last year, Iran said on Tuesday, part of efforts by Tehran to improve ties with the West under President Hassan Rouhani. -Reuters - 10/22/13

Iran Heritage Foundation announces the appointment of Dr John Curtis OBE FBA as CEO of IHF and IHF America

- Dr Curtis joins Iran Heritage Foundation from the British Museum where he was Keeper of the Middle East Department until 2011 and is currently Keeper of Special Middle East Projects. - 10/20/13

WHERE DOES DIZZINESS COME FROM? Johns Hopkins researchers pinpoint a key area for "upright perception" in the human brain

- "Our brain has this amazing way of knowing where we are in space, whether we are upright or tilted at an angle, even if it is completely dark and we can't see anything around us," says Amir Kheradmand, M.D., a neurology instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who conducted the research. - 10/19/13

How Pierre Omidyar plans to 'free' independent journalism

- Pierre Omidyar, a 46-year-old Paris-born Iranian American who is worth $8.5 billion, did not miss a beat in answering that question last night: "I have always been of the opinion that the right kind of journalism is a critical part of our democracy." -The Week, UK - 10/17/13

Canadian returns after five-year ordeal in Iranian prison

- After a five-and-a-half-year ordeal in an Iranian prison that included abuse, solitary confinement, brutal interrogation and months on death row, Hamid Ghassemi-Shall had only one word for his return to Canada on Thursday. "Freedom." -The Star - 10/11/13

San Jose Earthquakes' Beitashour to play for Iran football team

- Steven (Mehrdad) Beitashour has accepted call-up to Iranian national football team for Asian Cup qualifier. Beitashour will leave the Quakes to join the Iranian football team after San Jose's Wednesday match against the Colorado Rapids. The 26-year-old right back is scheduled to rejoin his MLS club following the Iran game. - 10/9/13

Iran To Consider Resuming Flights To U.S.

- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has ordered aviation authorities to study the possibility of resuming direct flights between Iran and the United States for the first time in more than three decades. - 9/30/13

Foiling Medical Implant Hackers

- Professor Farinaz Koushanfar at Rice University and doctoral candidate Masoud Rostami created a system to secure implantable medical devices like pacemakers and insulin pumps from wireless attacks. -R. Colin Johnson, EE Times - 9/30/13

STAY CLOSE: A Contemporary Music Project

- Stay Close is a ten-month project funded by Arts Council England and Jerwood Charitable Foundation exploring contemporary classical music as a means of cultural exchange between the UK and Iran. Following research periods in both countries, British-Iranian composer Soosan Lolavar will write a new piece of music considering ethnic identity in the UK through the lens of the Iranian-British community. - 9/16/13

We, the Simorgh

- Ever since I joined NIAC as Outreach Director six months ago, and as NIAC's Third Annual Fall Leadership Conference fast approaches, thoughts of birds cloud my mind... I'll be more specific: the birds on my mind are those from Farid ud-Din Attar's famous 12th century epic poem, The Conference of the Birds. -Yasmin Radjy - 9/16/13

PAAIA Congratulates Darius Shahinfar on Historic Primary Election Win

- Darius Shahinfar claimed victory in Tuesday's primary election for City Treasurer of Albany, New York. Unofficial results show Shahinfar with 61% of the vote, while his opponent, County Legislator Gary Domalewicz, earned 34% percent. - 9/13/13

DC Community Addresses Generational Gap

- Ethnic Social Service Referrals (ESSR), in collaboration with IAAB, is hosting its annual conference titled 'Aberoomoono Nabar! Addressing the Generational Gap', which will be held at Northern Virginia Community College on Sunday, September 29th from 10am to 5pm. - 9/11/13

Momeni Foundation announces 2013 scholarship recipients

- It is a great pleasure to introduce the Momeni Foundation's Year 2013 scholarship award recipients to you. This year we are awarding $10,000 dollars to 17 well deserving students. The following students have demonstrated outstanding achievements in both academics and social/civic causes. - 9/10/13

Golreezan Launches New Products Including The First-Ever Persian Alphabet Blocks

- Golreezan.com, an Iranian-American design brand, is thrilled to announce a variety of new and exciting Persian-inspired products, including alphabet blocks, apparel, magnets and stickers. - 9/10/13

Sam & Saam: A Bilingual (Persian-English) Children's Show

- Sam and Saam are two eight year old boys. Sam is American whose father is from Iran, and Saam is Iranian. They wake up into what appears to be a dream at first but turns out to be reality. They are stuck on a spaceship, apparently a bit damaged with no record of how or why it arrived there, guided only by the on-board computer. They need to work together to find a way back home. - 9/9/13

Moms Against Poverty: Building Schools and an Education & Cultural Center in Iran

- The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) has extended Moms Against Poverty's (MAP) special permit to build schools and an Education & Cultural Center in Bushehr. Bushehr, one of Iran's poorest regions, was devastated by an earthquake earlier this year. The OFAC permit also allows MAP to continue their work in building the The Asheglou High School in Azerbaijan. - 9/6/13

Iranian American Artists On A Mission to Stop War Through Hip Hop

- Iranian American rap artist Base One Basic and director Justin Mashouf released their video "Call to Disarms (Why Are You Scared of Iran?), Thursday (09/05/13) as US lawmakers debate taking military action in Syria. Director, Justin Mashouf, mentions "As the Syrian civil war escalates and American intervention becomes more likely, anti-Iran hawks have increased their efforts to justify action against Iran." - 9/6/13

Persian Pianist Ends Up With Viral YouTube Video

- Persian American pianist and composer Faranak Shahroozi is a unique personality in Persian culture. A pianist raised on Beethoven and Bach, she also grew up during the turmoil of Iran in the 1970′s and took her own path, avoiding the usual engineering career so many Iranians excel at. - 9/6/13

Programmers: Rock Stars of the Future

- Twin Iranian American brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi launched Code.org and donated $1 million each to the organization. Code.org advocates that "every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn to code." Since its launch, 3.5 million students have participated in Code.org's online courses - 9/5/13

Announcing 6th Annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival Celebrating Iranian Heritage

- Calling on individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life to submit short films visualizing some aspect of Iranian art, culture, and heritage, Farhang Foundation's annual online short film festival offers contestants the opportunity to compete for $10,000 (first prize), $5,000 (second prize), and $3,000 (third prize). - 9/4/13

Dr. Hossein Eslambolchi is a recipient of the 2013 Thomas Edison Patent Award

- Dr. Eslambolchi is Chairman and CEO of 2020 Venture Partners and CyberFlow Analytics. Recognized as a quintessential telecommunications visionary and thought leader, he provides consulting to private equity firms, telecommunications service providers, enterprise customers, venture capitalists and start-ups in the areas of business transformation, content distribution, and wireless technology and IP communications. - 9/3/13

Mehregan, The Ancient Persian Harvest Festival of Autumn, in Campbell, California

- Pars Equality Center will be hosting a Mehregan Festival on Sunday, September 29th from 4:00-8:00 pm at the Orchard City Banquet Hall at the Campbell Community Center. This event will be fun for families and expose you and your children to Mehregan and Persian traditions. - 8/28/13

US Melting Pot Adds Flavor to Ice Cream

- With a 34-year history, Iranian American Mashti Shirvani makes Persian-style ice cream at Mashti Malone's Ice Cream shop. "I do the old-fashioned way when I make any food anything," Shirvani said. "I don't measure it. Just my eyes and my hand." -Elizabeth Lee - 8/28/13