You are invited to learn from peacemakers who are dedicated to promoting peace between Iranian and United States citizens at a seminar, “Peacemaking with Iran.” Speakers include peace activist Anthony Donovan, Ed Martin who has traveled to Iran a remarkable 34 times on humanitarian peacemaking missions, and Leila Zand, an Iranian academic who has been working to build peace between her naive Iran and the United States.
The conference will be held on Friday, July 24 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm at the Friends Meetinghouse at 15 Rutherford Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and 15th and 16th Streets in Manhattan.
Ms. Leila Zand, Ph.D., has worked extensively with international communities and in academia and higher education to promote peace and justice in the United States and abroad. She promotes dialogue to achieve nonviolent conflict resolution in international disputes, as well as to educate younger generations within academic settings to provide a holistic understanding of the Middle East and its politics, particularly those of her native Iran. Her research builds on over a decade of research and practice focusing on Track II Diplomacy within the international context between non-state and non-governmental participants from the different countries that are involved in conflict.
Another speaker, Ed Martin, said, “I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand the beautiful culture of Iran many times and developing long-lasting friendships with Iranians. I’m eager to share with my fellow Americans the extensive experiences I have had with the Iranian people. I do believe that peace with Iran is possible.”.
Mr. Martin’s engagements with Iran include serving as Mennonite Central CommiZee’s representative to Iran for 16 years, collaborating with the Iranian Red Crescent Society on disaster and refugee relief, establishing a student exchange program between Iran and North America, assisting in organizing a series of interfaith dialogue conferences, helping to arrange meetings of American religious leaders with several presidents of Iran, and arranging the recruitment and hosting of a Muslim scholar from Iran at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Interfaith Engagement, of which Mr. MarBn was director for six years.
Speaker Anthony Donovan first interviewed diplomats of the Iranian UN Mission in 1983 for his book World Peace, He again interviewed Iran’s UN Ambassador in 2004 for the documentary Dialogues. Mr. Donovan traveled with Ed Martin to Iran for 3 weeks in 2022, and he met with Iran’s President Pezeshkian in 2024. His most recent planned visit had to be canceled because of the US/Israel attack.
Mel Lehman, Director of Common Humanity, will facilitate the panel discussion.
A table will be provided for organizations working for peace with Iran that have materials they wish to distribute.
There is no charge for admission; a free-will offering will be taken. We encourage you to invite people who wish to explore this opportunity to better understand the Iranians as people who are eager for peace between our two countries.
The seminar is co-sponsored by the non-profit humanitarian organization Common Humanity (CommonHumanity.org) and ManhaZan Mennonite Fellowship (ManhaZanMennonite.org)
