Rira: The Call of Iran’s Environmental Prisoners
Organised by Aras Amiri, Dr Dani Admiss and Nacim Pak-Shiraz.
When: 5.30-7.45 pm, Monday 5th June 2023
Where: Online and in-person at Inspace, University of Edinburgh, 1 Crichton St, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9AB
Web: https://rirairan.com/ T: @RiraIran1 IG: @RiraIran1.
Rira: The Call of Iran’s Environmental Prisoners presents a very special evening of discussions on Iran’s wildlife, its rare species and recalls the instrumental work of its environmental scientists including Sepideh Kashani, Houman Jowkar, Niloufar Bayani, Amirhossein Khaleghi, Taher Ghadirian, Sam Rajabi, and Morad Tahbaz, who have dedicated their lives to safeguarding the vulnerable and endangered wildlife and ecosystems of Iran and yet have been imprisoned for their work since January 2018.
The evening will feature a stellar line up of distinguished international environmental scientists, who will share their knowledge of the richness of Iran’s wildlife alongside their experiences of working with Iran’s environmental scientist prisoners. They will reflect on Iran’s unique wildlife and climatic challenges, as well as raising awareness for the world’s environmentalist community to connect and defend these ambassadors and advocates of nature as an integral aspect of the international work required to confront the climate emergency. The event will be live streamed as a way to invite the international community to participate and hear this tribute to Iran’s endangered wildlife and its imprisoned scientists.
You can view this event online through live streaming or join us in person at the Edinburgh venue. Please order tickets on Eventbrite and our website. Tickets are free but the event has a first come first served policy.
The evening will feature two panel discussions chaired by artist-photographer, researcher and academic Dr Patricia MacDonald: Setting the Landscape will give an overview about Iran’s wildlife, its significance and the work of its environmental scientists. This panel will bring together internationally leading voices in ecological conservation Dr Urs Breintenmoser, Dr Christine Breitenmoser-Würsten, Prof Sarah Durant, Dr Andrew Kitchener, Dr Stephane Ostrowski, and Dr Chris Walzer. Together they will reflect and explain the importance of Iran’s wildlife and its diversity with a focus on Iranian cats as well as the range of activities, approaches, and instrumental initiatives of the environmentalists. The second panel, Love and dedication: stories and memories of Iran’s wildlife environmental prisoners, will be a celebration and sharing of memories and experiences of working with the imprisoned environmentalists in Iran. Speakers will include Dr Kaveh Madani, Dr Urs Breintenmose, Dr Stephane Ostrowski , Dr Chris Walzer and Leili Khalatbari, who will raise the urgency for the world environment community to connect and defend advocators of nature as an integral aspect of the international work required to confront the climate crisis.
We will also share a selection of rarely seen photos taken by the Iranian environmentalists of the wildlife, landscapes and regions they were conserving and working on before their arrest including the Asiatic cheetah, which is the most important endangered cat species in the world. There will be live music by Iranian saxophonist, Omid Amiri, and a special opening message and welcome by political prisoner and curator Aras Amiri and co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, Will McCallum.
We would like to encourage those who care for nature, wildlife, climate justice, and freedom, both the environment community and the public alike, to join this endeavour. Their participation and support of Rira will contribute greatly to raising awareness about Iran’s environmentalist prisoners, as well as raising new questions among the climate justice community of the UK.
From the Zagros Mountains and Dasht-e Kavir desert to the Caspian Forest and Persian Gulf, Iran’s diverse ecosystems are home to an abundance of wildlife, including the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, Baluchistan bear, Persian fallow deer, Caspian seal, Siberian crane, Caspian Sea wolf, and many more. ‘Rira’ is the title of one of Nima Yushij's poems, who is known as the father of Persian modernist poetry. Nima’s poetry is distinguished by its affinity and connection with nature. The name ‘Rira’ doesn’t have an exact English translation but conveys the ambiguity of the strong emotional impulses felt when depicting scenes from nature. Critics argue that Rira is in fact the sound through which the women of Mazandaran would call their cattle to return. It is a call upon the unknown moment, and it is this unknown moment that we want to call upon and invite audiences around the world to join us in giving a stronger vibration to.
With special thanks to the generous sponsorship and support by Greenpeace and the University of Edinburgh, including the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH). We extend our gratitude and appreciation to Patricia Erskine from the University of Edinburgh, graphic designer Katayoon Forouhesh, and the esteemed scientists and researchers, who have pledged their time and support to this event.
Speakers include:
Chair: Dr Patricia MacDonald BSc PhD FRSE FSA(Scot) FRSA HonFRSGS is an artist-photographer and a researcher and academic.
Dr Urs Breintenmoser carnivore ecologist and former senior scientist at the University of Bern. He is the Co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commissions Cat Specialist Group.
Dr Christine Breitenmoser-Würsten wildlife biologist and co-founder of Swiss-based KORA (Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management). She is the Co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commissions Cat Specialist Group.
Prof Sarah Durant Professor at the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London and head of the Africa Range-wide Cheetah Conservation Initiative.
Leili Khalatbari post-doc researcher at CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto, Portugal working at BIODESERTS (Biodiversity of Deserts and Arid Regions).
Dr Andrew Kitchener Principal Curator of Vertebrates and specialises in research on mammals, especially carnivorans at National Museum of Scotland.
Dr Kaveh Madani is a globally recognised environmental scientist, educator, and activist, working on complex human-natural systems at the interface of science, policy, and society. He is the Director of United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
Will McCallum co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK.
Dr Stephane Ostrowski Senior Technical Advisor of Temperate Asia Region & Associate Director of Wildlife Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York.
Dr Chris Walzer Executive Director of Health at the Wildlife Conservation Society.