Elearning Promotes Iran’s Civil Awareness
elearning development
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Elearning Promotes Iran’s Civil Awareness
IRAN (June 2010) - Taavana, an elearning institute for Iranian Civil Society, jumpstarted its launch with a boost from the Iranian civic activists. The institute, which is a project of the Center for Liberty in the Middle East (CLIME), provides native democrats elearning online and other interactive learning tools on cyber security, democratic institutions and civic leadership.
The E-courses of Taavana include a civic education curriculum developed by the Albert Shanker Institute and Freedom House and a graduate level leadership advance course from the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.
In addition to e-courses, Tavaana provides case studies of world movements for equality and human rights, video interviews with Iranian and international civic activists, and translations of a public education set of courses, glossaries and dissident writings. Famous Iranian academics and international experts will serve as instructors and trainers for those enrolled.
Tavaana founder and director Mariam Memarsadeghi says that Iranians today have more than ever yearn to be connected to the free world at this kind of set-up. She adds that the project presents a safe space for Iranians to work together with each other and with the most prominent democracy and civil society experts from around the world.
With the elearning online courses providing both self-paced and live training versions, Tavaana is free of charge to all users and is available in English and Persian. Furthermore, it is a complete and comprehensive resource library of Persian and English language on democracy and human rights while discussion boards encourage open dialogue on each learning asset, including Tavaana's media monitor on Iranian civil society. The project will become a construct of this newfound cyber-freedom of expression and connection by offering e-learning online opportunities for Iranian civil society.
Tavaana means "empowered" and "capable" in Persian. It holds a vision for a free and open Iranian society in which each and every Iranian enjoys the full spectrum of civil and political liberties.
CLIME Executive Director Eleana Gordon says that they are excited for the expansion of Taavana on their previous successes using e-learning solutions to train civic activists in the Arab world.
The previously launched Arabic-language Online Activism Institute, a successful project by CLIME, was hailed by Politics Online as one of the “Top Ten Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.”
The internet has become a tool that boosts the appearance of civil awareness. This is bearing fruit in the Iranian society, growing to a rich number of e-communities which are circumventing government censorship to share their ideologies.
###