Iran Conference

The Iranian Presidential Race:
Key Players, Dynamics, Expectations

A one day conference aiming to provide a picture of the upcoming Iranian presidential elections on 12 June 2009 and its expected outcome Organised by ‘The Democratic Alternative'

Date: Friday 22nd May 2009
Venue: The Foreign Press Association, 11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ

RSVP: democraticalternativeiran@gmail.com

9:00 Registration and Coffee

9:30 Session 1: Opening Remarks - Introducing the players

Chaired by: Nazenin Ansari, President, FPA

Panel:
• Dr. Mehrdad Khonsari, a former Iranian diplomat, Senior Research Consultant at the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies in London
• Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh- Iranian Journalist, broadcaster and Political Commentator for the radio channel Voice of America, Senior writer for Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

10:45 Break with Refreshments

11:00 Session 2: Key Issues of International Concern:
Perspectives and Expectations

Chaired by: Sir Harold Walker, Retired British Senior Diplomat
Panel:
• Dr. Geoffrey Kemp (Director, Regional Strategic Program, Nixon Center Washington, DC) on ‘US/EU Expectations from Iran's New Administration'
• Dr. Mark Fitzpatrick (Senior Fellow For Non-Proliferation, IISS) on ‘Iran's Nuclear File'
• Jonathan S. Paris (Associate Fellow, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation [ICSR], King's College London) on ‘Questions of terrorism and interference in Middle Eastern Affairs'
• Abdullah Homouda, Writer and Political Analyst on Middle Eastern Affairs on ‘Arab Expectations from Iran's New Administration'
• Yossi Mekelberg, Programme Director of International Relations Social Sciences at Regent's College & Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House on ‘Israeli Expectations from Iran's New Administration'

1:00 LUNCH

2:00 Session 3: Key Internal Issues and Candidate's Positions
Chaired by: Amedee Turner QC, Hon MEP
Panel:
• Dr. Hassan Mansoor, (European Center for Advanced International Studies) on ‘The Iranian Economy'
• Dr. Reza Taghizadeh (Professor of Political Science, University of Glasgow) on ‘The Iranian Nuclear file: Internal Perceptions'

3:15 Tea Break

3:30 Session 4: Iran's Society in Flux: Rights, Aspirations and Expectations

Chaired by: William Morris - Secretary General, Next Century Foundation

Panel:
• Nazenin Ansari (Diplomatic Editor of Kayhan London) on ‘Status of Women and Religion'
• Abdullah Mohtadi, Komala Party of Iranian Kuridstan on ‘Ethnic Minorities'
• Potkin Azarmehr, Blogger for Secular Democratic Iran
• Barney Leith, Baha'i Community of the UK on ‘Plight of Religious Minorities' (+speaker TBC)

5:15 Concluding Remarks

Chaired by: Nazenin Ansari, President, FPA

• Dr. Mehrdad Khonsari
• Dr. Ali Reza Nourizadeh