Here at Qissa we understand the value of using art for social justice and how important community is in the fight for equality. These traits are shared by the Iranian Diaspora Collective, a group of visionary agents dedicated to raising the voices of people in and from Iran.
After the horrific murder of Mahsa Zhina Amini in September 2022, a revolution began around the world in response to the continuous oppression and injustices that women face in Iran. One such response was the emergence of the Iranian Diaspora Collective (IDC), an initiative that has already reached hundreds of millions of people through their social media platforms, digital and broadcast work and various partnerships.
It is through working with partners that IDC are able to have such a huge impact. One such project is ‘Connectivity is a Human Right: Keep Iran Online’, a campaign led in partnership with Jigsaw at Google to campaign to stop the Iranian government shutting down social media and access to the internet. This is so important in the Woman Life Freedom movement as on-the-ground content from Iranian people is the number one way in which their message gets heard internationally. Iranians are having to use VPNs to bypass government censors and IDC are helping by amplifying their messages and fundraising to provide more VPNs to the country.
IDC’s message is best summed up by this description from their website:
‘We believe change, especially in Iran, will come about because of the resistance by the people of Iran, led by the youth, women and girls, and minoritized ethnic populations. As members of the diaspora, we believe our role is to aid the development of collaborative projects that build trust amongst community members and contribute cultural and social change on a micro level, as well as activists, artists, and thought leaders who are developing plans for macro changes in policy, governance and international law.’
It is this focus on cultural and social change that has driven so many of their projects. Huge billboard campaigns have seen Iranian voices amplified around the world. The billboard campaign was shown in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and more and was crucial in ensuring that the women in Iran felt heard and supported. The campaign was repeated in 2023, as the world mourned a year since the death of Mahsa Amini and the many others killed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Another project to come out of the Iranian Diaspora Collective is one that is wholly online. The Iran Prison Project is a harrowing yet essential virtual journey into Iran’s prison system. Featuring quotes from women political prisoners in Iran, voice actors share these stories while dark, brooding artworks play out on screen. The viewer navigates to each artwork through a dark and empty cell and the effect is truly chilling.
As we continue to witness women’s rights being oppressed in many countries around the world, from anti-abortion laws in America and beyond to girls being denied access to education in Afghanistan, it is organisations like Iranian Diaspora Collective that remind us that we can - and should - use our voices to make a difference.
