About IFIR

Mission

The International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR) is committed to organizing the protests of Iranian refugees and asylum seekers in support of political and social campaigns which:

defend refugee and human rights;

expose the Islamic Republic of Iran;

reveal the progressive and modern character of Iranian refugees in contrast to usual negative and reactionary portrayals;

create a progressive environment among Iranians abroad; and

place this force alongside the progressive forces in their countries of residence.

Hambastegi (Solidarity) is IFIR’s bi-monthly publication which promotes its mission.

 

Organizational Structure

Established in 1990, IFIR is an international organization with over 40 branches in fifteen countries world-wide. Each branch promotes IFIR’s mission in its own country of residence. Any individual/organization who/which believes in IFIR’s mission can become a member and activist, as long as s/he has not been involved in the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran or monarchy. The IFIR Director, elected by branch representatives in bi-annual conferences, provides political guidance and summons international campaigns.

IFIR's Organizational Chart and the Provisions of the Departments

Thus, we will inform the public of the provisions and responsibilities of each department of the IFIR

Legal Consulting Department:


• Legal consultation through the weekly Hambastegi newsletter, one page bulletin, e-mail and if necessary in emergency cases by phone
• Cover general issues that effect many people instead of individual issues whenever possible

Research Department:


• Preparation of the documentary reports in regard of the refugees’ news and issues (the first report critiqued the United Nations function in Turkey)
• Preparation of the news column at the Hambastegi website
• Coordination of the campaigns and individual’s urgent matters
• Documentary reports regarding the refugees matters

Treasury Department:


• Upgrading the treasury system and accounting departments of the country as well as the cities
• Issue the monthly report of the treasury and accountability

Organizational Development Department:


• Over-viewing and coordinating the local conferences and international conferences
• Organizing secretariats for the countries requiring representatives of the accounting, treasury, marketing (weekly hambastegi and monthly Hambastegi in English, and monthly civil law in Iran), organization, campaigns, public relations, and conferences departments
• Organizing the departments’ reports
• Expanding and organizational structuring of the federation

Organizational Development of Border Countries:


• Restoration and (of) political auditing (investigation) for the neighboring countries. The first attention to Turkey and Pakistan
• Restoration of the federation chapter in Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq
• Regular contact with the active members of the Federation in Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Greek, and Cyprus
• Regular contact with the United Nation High Commissioner Refugees, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Turkey and human rights organizations in Turkey
• Travel to Turkey

Publicity Department:


• Regular distribution of weekly Hambastegi in Farsi and English, and the monthly Civil Rights newsletter
• Stabilizing Hambastegi in Farsi and English as a practical publication to be used to introduce international, national, and local campaigns, the federation’s entity, the refugees rules and regulations, membership recruitment, fundraising, website and TV advertising, publicity of the federation’s activities and printing and distribution of 5000 copies of Hambastegi
• Creating the newsletter, production of the TV, and radio programs at the country level in Farsi and local languages
• Production of the international TV and radio program

Public Relation Department:


• Distribution of the announcements and enunciations of the executive secretariat in Farsi and local language at least once a week
• Distribution of Hambastegi weekly and monthly to publishers
• Organizing the presence of the Federation in the local media
• Close contact with the media
• Organizing interviews in regard to the Federation’s Campaigns
• Urgent responses to the events related to the refugees

Financial Affairs and Financial Projects Department:


• Forming teams and organizing daily activities for fundraising, advertising, and organizing rallies and conferences throughout the city
• Producing reports of the financial projects for the federation’s expenses
• Production of items for sale, for example T-shirts, posters, and other materials
• Organizing monthly sponsorship outreach program for the Federation

Campaigns Department:


• Organizing international campaigns and presenting directives for the offices. The campaigns must be coordinated with the person in charge of the arena.
The suggested days for the campaigns are:
March 8th (Women’s Day)
March 17-21st (the International Week Against Racism in Europe)
March 21st (Global Day against Racism)
May 1st (May Day or Labor Day)
June 20th (Global Day for Refugees)
June 26th (support of the victims of torture)
July 20th (Federation Proclamation Day, the year of 1989)
Oct 26th (assassination of Gholam Keshaverz)
Nov 25th (international week against the domestic violence on Women)
Dec 10th (international Human Rights Day)
• Oversee the local campaigns according to the priority of the countries
• Presenting a Symbolic Plan of Action for community outreach in regard to protests and campaigns


Hambastegi Television Department:


• Creating TV programs
• Production of the weekly Federation TV program
• Appointing the TV reporters in different countries and cities in coordination with country’s secretariat
• Reproduction of the Hambastegi TV programs to attract viewers. Producing the programs regarding refugees and their stories and the situation of the refugees and the Federation activities
• Introducing the leaders and the federation activities thought the TV programs

Hambastegi Radio Department:


• Preparing the weekly radio program
• Introducing the campaigns and the Federation activities
• Introducing the federation leaders and the federation activists

Website Department:


• Build the federation website as an accountable and dependable resource to get the news and the reports of the refugees in Farsi, English, and other languages
• Support the federation website in regards to the membership recruitment, fundraising, and responding to complaints
• Advertising the site by linking to other organization websites and being found in the results for internet based search engines
• Coordinating the advertising of the website on the departmental letter heads
• Building links in the local languages

Legal action and confirmation Department (urgent action/ individual legal action):


• Preparing the confirmation form to expedite the confirmation letters
• Organizing the individual campaigns, the individuals urgent issues and coordinating legal consult
• Working with the organizations which are against racisms, fascism, nationalism, religion, and sexism to achieve the federation goals
• Introducing the campaigns to the international media
• Communication with the United Nation and the government authorities
• Participating and speaking at conferences and meeting

International Relations Department:


• Distribution of the enunciations regarding the civil rights issues (coordinating with the Marketing Department)
• Organizing the protest campaigns (coordinating with the Campaign Department)
• Organizing the day of the assassination of Gholam Keshaverz as the day against the Islamic Republic terrorists
• Organizing lectern to convict the Islamic Republic
• Organizing the annual conference regarding the Civil Rights in Iran
• Working with the organization which are against racisms, fascism, Nationalism, religion, and sexism to achieve the federation goals
• Introducing the campaigns to the international media
• Communication with the United Nation and the government authorities
• Participating and speaking at conferences and meetings

Women Refugee Committee Department:


• Reorganizing and restarting the “I am not going back” campaign
• Organizing and forming the women’s committee in other countries
• Organizing and chairing annual conference regarding the women’s asylum seeker situation
• Organizing the women’s committee in Turkey
• Distributing reports and information regarding the women’s asylum seeker issues and events in Turkey (coordinate with the public relation affair office)
• Organizing campaigns regarding women’s issues in the neighboring countries of Iran (coordinate with the campaign department)

Conferences Department:


• Organizing annual conference according to the main principles of the current issues
• Oversee the other departmental conferences

Notes:


• It is the responsibility of each department to present their action plan of performance improvement and process to the executive director of Federation for approval
• Chain of the command, all the departments report to the executive director
• To be recognized as a political and social organization, leaders of the federation must regularly write articles and hold lectures in conferences (minimum of six lecture per year and one article per month)
 

Accomplishments

IFIR’s accomplishments over the years are many. Recent examples are:

International Efforts Against Turkish Government Successful, September 1997: IFIR’s campaign against the Turkish government’s decision to deport 600 asylum seekers succeeded in canceling their deportation orders, gaining transit visas for those refugees who had been deported to Iraq prior to the initiation of the campaign, and gaining exit visas for those being transferred to a safe resettlement country.

The Dutch Government Backs Down, October 1997: On October 20, 1997 a five-member IFIR delegation was invited to speak at a parliamentary hearing about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ report on Iran which effectively deemed Iran a safe country. In the face of strong opposition, including mass demonstrations and a sit-in organized by the IFIR Netherlands Branch, the Ministry called for an end to deportations until further investigations were made into the situation in Iran.

Iranian Refugees in Iraq End Successful Sit-in, September 1998: Faced with local pressure from Iranian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan who had organized a sit-in as well international pressure coordinated by IFIR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) finally addressed the legitimate demands of the refugees. The UNHCR Iraq Branch Office agreed to doubling food rations, providing medical and pharmaceuticals services, expediting the determination procedures and resettling up to 2,000 refugees.

The Anti-Refugee Policies of the German Government is Condemned, September 1998: A protest campaign summoned by the IFIR German Branch and three other organizations was endorsed by more than 200 organizations. More than 30 thousand individuals participated in the actions which took place in 36 cities throughout Germany.

The Minister of Immigration Backs Down, October 14, 1998: The Canadian Minister of Immigration formally opposed many items on the "Not Just Numbers" Legislation, though she had initially supported it. The legislation was to pass in May of this year but failed as a result of national protests organized by the "Campaign Against the Federal Government Attacks on Immigrants and Refugees," initiated by the IFIR Canada Branch.

Iran is Unsafe, Deportation Must End," November 16, 1998: As a result of the IFIR Swedish Branch’s protests, representatives of seven parties in the Swedish parliament signed a recommendation stating that Iran be deemed unsafe and that deportation to Iran be stopped.