Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
– The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
In fewer than 10 months one of the most sensitive elections will take place in Iran: an election which can have a major effect on the situation there. On February 25, 2016, the people of Iran will vote for representatives of the Islamic Parliament (Majlis) as well as the members of the Assembly of Experts.
Due to the efforts of moderate groups to improve ties with the West and the advanced age of Iran’s political leaders, the results of both elections could be quite important.
As a civil society organization, Arseh Sevom intends to contribute to the creation of increased transparency in regard to all activities and functions of the Islamic Parliament and Assembly of Experts in Iran.
To reach this goal, Arseh Sevom plans to provide in-depth information (in Persian) regarding candidates and major issues in order to enrich political and social discussions to better monitor and understand candidates, representatives, political parties, and movements. Having access to clear data will increase informed participation in the coming elections. Some of the pieces will also be translated into English. Subscribe to our English newsletter to stay up to date.
Dar Sahn’s Goals
- Contribute to increased transparency in the democratic process.
- Provide information, research, and analysis that contributes to informed participation in the political process
- Raise awareness concerning issues of interest to the public and the political response to those issues
- Provide support for monitoring the politico-social activities of representatives, candidates, parties, and movements in relation to the 2016 elections
Principles
Arseh Sevom and the Dar Sahn project are committed to moral and professional principles:
- Opposition to weapons of mass destruction and environmental pollution
- Peace and conflict transformation
- Respect for participatory (and deep) democracy, universal human rights, basic freedoms, political and economic rights of political, cultural rights, and diversity
- Commitment to independence and responsiveness
- Respect for personal privacy when it is not a matter of public power
Arseh Sevom asks its colleagues to respect all of the above-mentioned values in relations with each other and in reporting. Those who work with us are expected to respect diversity of opinion and belief as well as sexual affiliation. Aggression or violent behavior is not tolerated.
Working with Us
Writers and researchers are expected to do original work and not copy from other sources without attribution. Reliable sources are important.
There is a huge difference among reality, speculation, and rumor. The last two can be important just when they are related to the main issue. Opinion is personal, but reality is factual and can be proved and confirmed. Citing reliable sources contributes to the reputation of the organization as a neutral and trusted source of information. It is one of the primary responsibilities of the contributors to separate rumors, speculations, and factual news stories from each other. Mistakes in can happen so all suggestions and comments to improve to quality of work are quite welcome.
To sum up, the following issues are important:
- Awareness and accuracy
- Avoid presenting confusing information
- Respect a source’s need for privacy, yet confirm accuracy
- Be transparent in providing information
- Don’t “create” news
- Observe personal privacy
- Respect beliefs and traditions, while staying clear of ideological, religious, or ethnic bias
- Avoid discrimination of all kinds
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Contact Us
Contact us by email in English or Persian:
Director: director @ darsahn.org
Website Editor: editor @ darsahn.org
Just make sure to delete the extra spaces around the @ sign.
