Americans for Informed Democracy

America has a pivotal opportunity to create multilateral dialogue in an effort to deescalate the situation regarding Iran's nuclear program. Although the UN continues to dialogue with Iran and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been advocating similar multilateral solutions, others are promoting military strikes against Iran. Even in American public discourse, a nuclear power issue has been relabeled as a nuclear weapons issue, and propaganda swirls on both sides of the debate. To make matters worse, the Iranian nuclear issue is tied to complex discussions about the role of the U.S. in the Middle East and American efforts to promote democracy. Sanctions and U.S. funding of reform groups have proved to be unsuccessful, while a military strike would prove disastrous. It is at this crossroads that Americans for Informed Democracy finds itself in a place to promote diplomatic solutions to an escalating conflict.

With America at a critical moment in its relations with Iran, Americans for Informed Democracy is accepting applications from students and young professionals from all four U.S. swing states: Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, and Colorado to become scholars in US-Iran Relations and foster discussion on how the U.S. can build a grand bargain with Iran. This initiative, At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran, will allow 150 young leaders to engage in direct dialogue with leading experts in Middle Eastern relations and nuclear energy about their vision for the United States relationship with Iran. The initiative will give students a historical overview of Iranian-American relations, as well as offer practical advice on how students and citizens can take action to ensure a positive U.S. relationship going forward.

At a Crossroads will begin with a video-conference with Iranian scholars, experts, and youth in February of 2008 at colleges and universities located in key swing states. The video-conference will set the stage for a large summer conference in Washington, DC. The summer conference will be a three-day leadership retreat assembling 150 young people from various colleges and universities. Participation in the conference requires attendees to reside in or be able to travel to key swing states (such as Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, and Colorado) during the election months so they can use their training to impact presidential campaign events.

The Washington D.C. summit will feature a panel of top experts on the situation with Iran, generating discussion among both these experts and laypeople to shed light on policy options that do not involve warfare. By the end of the conference, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge, support and structures to bring discussions and events to their home communities. Participants will be given training on “birddogging.” (Birddogging is when informed advocates attend political speeches and events to ask pointed questions on specific issues, forcing politicians to spell out their agendas.) Attendees will be asked to sign a “contract” in which they agree to organize a town hall and attend at least three political campaign events in exchange for the opportunity to attend the free leadership summit. ALL EXPENSES PAID, EXCEPT TRANSPORTATION TO THE WASHINGTON, DC SUMMIT.

After the summer conference, AID's staff will support participants as they organize town hall events in their communities in September and October of 2008 on the role of the U.S. in reaching multilateral diplomatic agreements with Iran. To maintain ongoing engagement between students and experts, and students across the country, AID will host another videoconference in the fall. The videoconference will allow students to gain different perspectives by connecting with their peers, as well as scholars and policy makers, from around the world.

Another strand of continuing activism generated by the conference will be birddogging during the 2008 general elections. We will establish 15 teams of 10 student leaders that will participate in at least three major campaign events in each state or forty-five campaign events in total. AID will support this network of young leaders in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential elections as they form “Diplomacy Teams” to participate in birddogging. These crews will share their views on Iran at key speeches by political candidates as well as ask for the candidates to announce their policy platforms. These teams will be trained to ask questions at these events that are both pointed and non-partisan. They will raise awareness about America’s role in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and hand out literature from our partner organizations such as the Cato Institute.

AID is now accepting applications on a competitive basis. Students and young professions must submit a resume and short essay on our online application.

There are no costs for At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran participants. With funding from the Ploughshares Fund, AID is able to pay the costs for the video-conferences, food and lodging in Washington, transportation within Washington, DC, registration fees, and provide reimbursements for birddogging and townhalls events in the fall. Participants are only responsible for their travel to the Washington, DC summit.

Key Dates

February 25 Phone Conference with All Accepted Applications
-Featured Speaker: Stephen Kinzer, Former New York Times foreign correspondent, award winning author: "All the Shahs Men", Iran Expert

July 17-19 Washington, DC Summit
-Stay Tuned for Updated Featured Speakers!
-SEE BELOW FOR TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Fall 2008 Post-Conference Civic Activism
-Birddogging, Lobbying, Cultural Diplomacy, Town Hall Events

Goal: To educate young Americans on the pressing global issues currently facing the United States and Iran and provide the practical tools to influence US foreign policy on their campuses, in their communities, and with national policymakers..

Small Group Discussions: Initial Thoughts and Perceptions of Iran: Personal and Societal

Nuclear Power - Shervin Boloorian, Washington Representative, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Geopolitical - Riccardo Redaelli, Director of the Middle East Program, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

5:15-6:15PM

Lunch Discussion Group: What next? Implications for January 2009 and beyond: Shaping Future Relations

Address: Hirad Dinavari, Reference Librarian for the Iranian World Collection, U.S. Library of Congress

Art & Culture - Neda Sarmast, Film-Maker, including "Nobody's Enemy"
Media - Barbara Slavin, Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace
International Citizen Diplomacy - Leila Zand, Iran Program Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation

12:00-1:00PM

Lunch Discussion Group: “If I could tell one thing to someone in Iran it would be…because…”

At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran is funded by Ploughshares Fund. The Ploughshares Fund enables the smartest people with the best ideas for building a safer, more peaceful world to implement their ideas and achieve results. A public grantmaking foundation, Ploughshares Fund pools contributions from individuals, families and foundations and directs those funds to initiatives aimed at preventing the spread and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of war, and preventing conflicts that could lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Ploughshares Fund is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.



	At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran Scholars Program
	At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran Scholars Program 2008 America has a pivotal opportunity to create multilateral dialogue in an effort to deescalate the situation regarding Iran's nuclear program. Although the UN continues to dialogue with Iran and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been advocating similar multilateral solutions, others are promoting military strikes against Iran. Even in American public discourse, a nuclear power issue has been relabeled as a nuclear weapons issue, and propaganda swirls on both sides of the debate. To make matters worse, the Iranian nuclear issue is tied to complex discussions about the role of the U.S. in the Middle East and American efforts to promote democracy. Sanctions and U.S. funding of reform groups have proved to be unsuccessful, while a military strike would prove disastrous. It is at this crossroads that Americans for Informed Democracy finds itself in a place to promote diplomatic solutions to an escalating conflict. With America at a critical moment in its relations with Iran, Americans for Informed Democracy is accepting applications from students and young professionals from all four U.S. swing states: Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, and Colorado to become scholars in US-Iran Relations and foster discussion on how the U.S. can build a grand bargain with Iran. This initiative, At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran, will allow 150 young leaders to engage in direct dialogue with leading experts in Middle Eastern relations and nuclear energy about their vision for the United States relationship with Iran. The initiative will give students a historical overview of Iranian-American relations, as well as offer practical advice on how students and citizens can take action to ensure a positive U.S. relationship going forward. APPLY TO AT A CROSSROADS: DIPLOMACY AND IRAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM HERE! Program At a Crossroads will begin with a video-conference with Iranian scholars, experts, and youth in February of 2008 at colleges and universities located in key swing states. The video-conference will set the stage for a large summer conference in Washington, DC. The summer conference will be a three-day leadership retreat assembling 150 young people from various colleges and universities. Participation in the conference requires attendees to reside in or be able to travel to key swing states (such as Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, and Colorado) during the election months so they can use their training to impact presidential campaign events. The Washington D.C. summit will feature a panel of top experts on the situation with Iran, generating discussion among both these experts and laypeople to shed light on policy options that do not involve warfare. By the end of the conference, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge, support and structures to bring discussions and events to their home communities. Participants will be given training on “birddogging.” (Birddogging is when informed advocates attend political speeches and events to ask pointed questions on specific issues, forcing politicians to spell out their agendas.) Attendees will be asked to sign a “contract” in which they agree to organize a town hall and attend at least three political campaign events in exchange for the opportunity to attend the free leadership summit. ALL EXPENSES PAID, EXCEPT TRANSPORTATION TO THE WASHINGTON, DC SUMMIT. After the summer conference, AID's staff will support participants as they organize town hall events in their communities in September and October of 2008 on the role of the U.S. in reaching multilateral diplomatic agreements with Iran. To maintain ongoing engagement between students and experts, and students across the country, AID will host another videoconference in the fall. The videoconference will allow students to gain different perspectives by connecting with their peers, as well as scholars and policy makers, from around the world. Another strand of continuing activism generated by the conference will be birddogging during the 2008 general elections. We will establish 15 teams of 10 student leaders that will participate in at least three major campaign events in each state or forty-five campaign events in total. AID will support this network of young leaders in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential elections as they form “Diplomacy Teams” to participate in birddogging. These crews will share their views on Iran at key speeches by political candidates as well as ask for the candidates to announce their policy platforms. These teams will be trained to ask questions at these events that are both pointed and non-partisan. They will raise awareness about America’s role in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and hand out literature from our partner organizations such as the Cato Institute. APPLY TO AT A CROSSROADS: DIPLOMACY AND IRAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM HERE! Applications AID is now accepting applications on a competitive basis. Students and young professions must submit a resume and short essay on our online application. Costs There are no costs for At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran participants. With funding from the Ploughshares Fund, AID is able to pay the costs for the video-conferences, food and lodging in Washington, transportation within Washington, DC, registration fees, and provide reimbursements for birddogging and townhalls events in the fall. Participants are only responsible for their travel to the Washington, DC summit. Key Dates February 25 Phone Conference with All Accepted Applications -Featured Speaker: Stephen Kinzer, Former New York Times foreign correspondent, award winning author: "All the Shahs Men", Iran Expert July 17-19 Washington, DC Summit -Stay Tuned for Updated Featured Speakers! -SEE BELOW FOR TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Fall 2008 Post-Conference Civic Activism -Birddogging, Lobbying, Cultural Diplomacy, Town Hall Events At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran Scholars Program Washington, DC Summit The George Washington University July 17-19, 2008 Goal: To educate young Americans on the pressing global issues currently facing the United States and Iran and provide the practical tools to influence US foreign policy on their campuses, in their communities, and with national policymakers.. Thursday, July 17 8:30-8:45AM Welcome: Vicente Garcia Global Peace & Security Program Director Americans for Informed Democracy Marceline White Executive Director Americans for Informed Democracy 8:45-9:30AM Opening Keynote Address INSIDE IRAN 9:30-10:30AM Small Group Discussions: Initial Thoughts and Perceptions of Iran: Personal and Societal 10:30AM-12:30PM Panel 1: Inside Iran Government - Michael R. Kraig, Director of Policy Analysis and Dialogue, The Stanley Foundation Demographics - Steven Kull, Director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), and the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) Religion - Aram Hessami, Adjunct Professor, Montgomery Colleage 12:30-1:30PM Lunch Discussion Group: Reflections and New Approaches to Change US Attitudes 1:30-2:30PM Workshop: Change and You: A Look in A.I.D.’s Toolbox - Vicente Garcia, Program Director, Americans for Informed Democracy 2:30-3:00PM Break IRAN: A STRATEGIC ALLY 3:00-3:45PM Address: Perspectives as a US Legislator 3:45-5:15PM Panel 2: Iran: A Strategic Ally Nuclear Power - Shervin Boloorian, Washington Representative, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists Geopolitical - Riccardo Redaelli, Director of the Middle East Program, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 5:15-6:15PM Discussion Group: U.S. Role and Implications 6:15-7:00PM Dinner 7:00PM-8:00PM Workshop: Congressional Influence and Lobbying - Marceline White, Executive Director, Americans for Informed Democracy 8:00-11:00PM Optional: Washington, DC Excursion to National Monuments Friday, July 18, 2008 US/IRAN FOREIGN POLICY 9:00-10:00AM Address: Thoughts as a Retired US General - Retired General Robert Gard, Chairman, The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation 10:00AM-12:00PM Panel 3: US/Iran Foreign Policy Current Iranian Policy towards US - Trita Parsi, President, National Iranian American Council Current U.S. Foreign Policy - Carah Ong, Iran Policy Analyst, The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation 12:00-1:00PM Lunch Discussion Group: What next? Implications for January 2009 and beyond: Shaping Future Relations 1:00-6:00PM Capitol Hill Visit 6:00-8:00PM Cultural Dinner Saturday, July 19, 2008 DIPLOMACY AND IRAN: SHAPES AND FORMS 9:00-10:00AM Address: Hirad Dinavari, Reference Librarian for the Iranian World Collection, U.S. Library of Congress 10:00AM-12:00PM Panel 4: Diplomacy and Iran: Shapes and Forms Art & Culture - Neda Sarmast, Film-Maker, including "Nobody's Enemy" Media - Barbara Slavin, Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace International Citizen Diplomacy - Leila Zand, Iran Program Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation 12:00-1:00PM Lunch Discussion Group: “If I could tell one thing to someone in Iran it would be…because…” 1:00-2:00PM Workshop: The 44^th U.S. President and Birddogging MOVING FORWARD 2:00-3:00PM Concluding Address 3:00-4:00PM Fairwell *& Taking Action* Fair : Vicente Garcia** Global Peace & Security Program Director Americans for Informed Democracy Donors At a Crossroads: Diplomacy and Iran is funded by Ploughshares Fund. The Ploughshares Fund enables the smartest people with the best ideas for building a safer, more peaceful world to implement their ideas and achieve results. A public grantmaking foundation, Ploughshares Fund pools contributions from individuals, families and foundations and directs those funds to initiatives aimed at preventing the spread and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of war, and preventing conflicts that could lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Ploughshares Fund is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. APPLY TO AT A CROSSROADS: DIPLOMACY AND IRAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM HERE All Questions and Media Inquiries may be directed to Vicente Garcia, Global Peace & Security Director
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