Women, Life, Freedom:
An Uprising in Iran Led by Women

Monday, October 17 at 7:00pm

ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 857 5197 5891
Passcode: 812946

Join us for a discussion about the uprising, global significance, and the role we can play to support justice and freedom. Protests erupted after Mahsa Amini was beaten several times on the head after her arrest for wearing so-called "improper" hijab (head covering). Mahsa's murder has galvanized all classes and social groups, with protests erupting in eighty-five cities across Iran, although this has come at the bitter price of beatings, death, and thousands getting arrested.

We will hear from Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Voices of Women for Change Founder, Taraneh Roosta. Vice President of Silicon Valley Democratic Club, Sousan Manteghi, will moderate. More information below.

Afterwards, Silicon Valley Democratic Club members are encouraged to vote on two important items:

1. Executive Board Search Committee Recommendations
2. Resolution in Support of Minimum Standards for School Superintendents and How School Districts Recruit Superintendents

About

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson is a Santa Cruz City Councilmember and a Candidate for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. As a councilmember she has focused on racial equity, investments in children and youth, affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and building green economies. In her professional work, Shebreh provides grant writing, organizational development/strategic planning, facilitation, and program management services to agencies working in the areas of public health, education and social services. Her work has generated increased investment and funding in the community, innovative projects, and health focused local policies. Shebreh has secured over $40 millions in grant funding over the last 17 years for Santa Cruz to address a range of issues such as immigration rights, mental health and substance use, juvenile justice reform and youth homelessness. Shebreh is also the co-founder of Impact Launch, a social enterprise made up of a collective of social impact professionals committed to supporting individuals, teams and collaboratives to work more effectively for equitable and sustainable outcomes.

Shebreh received her B.A. in Psychology and French/Francophonie Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State University. Shebreh is fluent in written and conversational French and fluent in conversational Farsi and is a native of Iran. She is a mother of two boys, is married and has lived in in Santa Cruz California for over 20 years.

Taraneh Roosta has been a women’s right activist and community organizer for more than 30 years. She is the Founder and President of the non-profit Organization, Voices of Women for Change. She is also the Founder of Kavosh Cultural Foundation and Kavosh Women’s Group and organized International Women’s Day events, women’s Poetry Nights and Film Festival, Women’s Musical Performances, Talks and Conferences for more than three decades.

In 2016, she organized 16 prominent Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, and Human Rights organizations and established the Silicon Valley CEDAW Task Force. As Chair and Founder of the Task Force, she successfully lead the efforts to pass a CEDAW Ordinance in December 2017, adopting the principles of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), a United Nation’s Treaty known as Women’s Bill of Rights in the City of San Jose. She has received numerous Awards and Recognitions by Amnesty International, Santa Clara County’s Office of Women’s Policy, Domestic Violence Consortium and Assembly Members For her leadership and dedication to Women’s Rights.

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Only Silicon Valley Democratic Club members in good standing can vote in elections and resolutions, so make sure you have a current membership here.

We hope to see you there!