The Ninth Annual Conference of Iranian Republican Solidarity Held in Germany

The ninth annual conference of the "Solidarity of Iranian Republicans" was held on November 11 and 12 for two days in the city of Cologne. The focus of discussions at this conference was on the political shifts in society following the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran and the role of women in political participation. The conference highlighted the achievements of the movement, the changes in political perspectives in Iran and abroad, women's political participation since the onset of this movement, and the significant presence of women in high-level decision-making within parties and organizations, as well as discussions on national rejuvenation. Mehdi Arabshahi, a member of the Republican Solidarity group, spoke in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America about the effort to establish a national identity after the transition from the Islamic Republic. According to this member of the Republican Solidarity, "We must strive to define Iranian national identity in a way that encompasses and includes every single person in Iran and its citizens. This approach fosters a sense of solidarity among individuals with different mother tongues and backgrounds, which can contribute to unity and solidarity in the context of transitioning from the Islamic Republic and can facilitate the conditions for this transition while reducing risks and dangers." Mahdieh Golroo, a political activist and one of the participants in this program, also emphasized the significant presence of women in the movement at this conference, describing the political changes in society after the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement as very diverse and decentralized. She told the Persian section of Voice of America: "The frequent presence of women over the years until now indicates women's share in identity formation, and during these two days, efforts were made to address the barriers to women's political participation." Hassan Shari'atmadari, Reza Alijani, Taghi Rahmani, Mehdi Fattapour, and Naeemeh Doostdar, along with several other political activists, participated in this conference, which featured three panels discussing convergence assessments, practicing democracy, women and political participation, and national rejuvenation and territorial existence. The meeting concluded with three slogans: "Women’s Revolution, National Rejuvenation, and Human Life."