Kite of Transformation meeting dedicated to Iran

It resulted in an impressive collective artwork, which is now part of the current IISH exhibition "Meet Rosa Luxemburg".

For many participants, freedom consisted of many aspects in life. There were many key points in everyone's discourse. For example, freedom is social free will. People are all equal in applying their free will. Freedom from fear. To be who you are when a 'concrete block' is absent. It is a movement without borders, like animals moving around without recognising abstract human concepts. It means living normally and having basic rights. As an artist, drawing what you want; painting a naked body from neck to knee. Freedom stands for expression. If someone wants to say something, he/she/they should be able to do so and not be stopped. Freedom, in short, is everything. For all different people, different countries, different standards. Not just one side of the story, but layered stories. And above all normal communication between men and women. Iran lacks all of that.

One of the participants (who wished to remain anonymous out of safety concerns), summed up the conversations of the meeting afterwards as follows: "It is great to be hear and talk about courage and resilience of women in Iran, particularly those involved in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. As many of you know I no longer live in Iran, my roots are deeply connected to the struggles faced by many Iranian women."

"Although Iranian society is suffering from the strictest filtering of social networks, everyday some video clips of moral police brutality with women/girls go viral on the Internet. The violence is not the only answer of Iranian government to the women’s movement. They even officially deprived them from their basic social rights. Within the last two months, eight thousands personal vehicles are impounded in my hometown Tehran not because their drivers violated traffic laws, but the drivers didn’t wear mandatory hijab, as it is announced by the Chief of police."

"The fight against the mandatory hijab is a daily challenge for them. It’s important to note that not all Iranian women oppose the hijab. I come from a religious family that values it. Our fight is for tolerance and fairness in respecting everyone’s choices. Every person should have the right to decide what they wear. This is a basic freedom that has been denied in Iran."

"The Woman, Life, Freedom movement shows the bravery of Iranian women. They face severe consequences for simple acts like not wearing a hijab while driving. They risk their safety every day by going out without the mandatory hijab, knowing they could be punished. Their resistance is a daily act of courage. They carry scarves that say, "This hijab is forced," and walk the streets with their heads held high."

"When I was away from Iran, I constantly worried about my friends there. During the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, I helped friends find their missing teenage siblings because I had access to high quality internet so I could have asked about them in social media to ask for news. Even as dual nationals, we face risks when returning to Iran. We live with fear because we might be questioned for attending protests abroad!"

"The Woman, Life, Freedom movement is the result of years of civil disobedience by Iranian women. Since this movement started, things have changed significantly.
This movement has shown that these women's voices can't be silenced. They sing, "We have crossed the barrier of fear, finally we have found our way in the streets." These young women out on the streets today showing the bravery of their mothers"

"These stories remind us that the quest for freedom is universal. It transcends borders and connects us all. Let us honor their sacrifices by raising awareness and supporting their cause"