Letter from the Chairman
Dear friends,
The global and collaborative outlook of the new administration in the U.S. has ushered in an exciting new era of promise for the world of international development and cooperation. Expressing respect for people around the world, President Obama has extended his hands globally, stating the desire to work with and help people in all nations, and has called on all of us to play our part by volunteering. In that spirit, this newsletter looks at organizations, volunteers and philanthropists around the world, and how we can all learn from them and support their work. We are all in this together and, by helping others we are also helping ourselves.
This trend towards constructive engagement coincides with circumstances that make it much easier for the Iranian diaspora to contribute to charities inside Iran. Increased transparency and access to information about charities in Iran make it much easier for us to learn about giving options in that country. World-class Iranian organizations have received global recognition and OFAC licenses that allow us in the U.S. to contribute to them. If you are a U.S. citizen or resident and want to make donations to charities in Iran, always make sure that the organization you want to support has a supporting organization in the U.S. with a valid OFAC license, such as Kahrizak and Mahak. More information on this can be found in this month’s PARSA CF University and Volunteerism articles.
Dr. Nasser David Khalili is an example of someone who works across boundaries. He is arguably the most prominent collector of Islamic art in the world. Having had the opportunity to see a small part of his collection in Abu Dhabi in 2008, I can attest its beauty and magnificence. How lucky Iranians are that someone like Dr. Khalili has collected so extensively and preserved a part of our heritage for us and the world to enjoy.
With the direction we are headed, there is indeed hope for engagement and closer ties with the people of Iran and the global Persian diaspora. We have always had the desire and, now we have the opportunity, to collaborate across borders.
Kind Regards,
Noosheen Hashemi
Founder and Chairman