Experts take on Afghan, Iranian issues at conference Oct. 22-24
Sculptor Sami Nadi will show his version of the famous 'National Geographic' Sharbat Gula cover at Thursday's opening program.
- August 20, 2009
Issues ranging from women's health to the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, and from new directions in Afghan and Iranian scholarship to personal and immigration narratives, will be covered in a three-day conference at California State University, East Bay Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 22-24.
CSUEB President Mohammad Qayoumi will present the first plenary, "Framing Afghan and Iranian Diasporas," at the Afghan and Iranian Diaspora Cultures and Communities in the Bay Area Conference on Cal State East Bay's Hayward Campus, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd.
The conference, sponsored by the university's College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, will begin with an evening focused on the arts from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. There will be an exhibition by Bay Area artists, documentary and discussion on the making of "Beyond the Mirror," Homayun Sakhi performing on the rubab, and a reception.
The Friday, Oct. 23 program from 3 to 8:30 p.m. will open with President Qayoumi and others. Afghani Najia Karim and Iranian Nosratollah Nooh will read their poetry, Alam Payind will deliver his keynote on the Soviet Union's pull-out, and Iranian dancers will perform during an Afghan dinner.
The program on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. will cover, "1979 - 30 Years Hence," by such persons as Fatemeh Keshavarz, author of "Jasmine and Stars: Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran." There also will be break-out sessions on the high divorce rate among Afghans in the United States, the impact of Sept. 11 on Afghan women's community participation, and social activism among pre- and post-revolution Iranian persons.
Registration is $35 per person through Oct. 15; $50 per person after that. A registration form (which must be filled out, printed and sent together with a check) is available online at .
CSUEB welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodation upon request. Please notify event sponsor a minimum of two weeks in advance at (510) 885-3183 if accommodation is needed.