On Tuesday, June 10, the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran will coordinate an exciting and innovative "Time to Talk to Iran" event, where Members of Congress, celebrities, former officials, and other citizens visiting Capitol Hill will use a row of 60's-era red "hotline" telephones to talk directly to average Iranians in Tehran. The Nobel Women’s Initiative supports the “Time to Talk” event, which will send a message that now is the time for diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran.

“This is precisely the kind of creative citizen diplomacy we need in a time where tensions are running high,” said Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate. “We must send a message to the leaders of both countries that we do not want to see another disastrous war in the Middle East that will result in more suffering among women and children. Military action is not the answer and we demand a negotiated resolution to the standoff.”

Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire suffered tear gas inhalation while participating in a nonviolent protest in Bil'in, a village located near Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank. Maguire was in Bil'in to participate in the third annual International Conference on Non-Violent Popular Struggles. Despite the incident, Maguire remains optimistic about the future of Israel and Palestine. "It was a very inspiring conference and I believe the grassroots nonviolent resistance movement of Palestinians, Israelis and international activists can give hope for the future of Israel and Palestine," said Maguire. More than 300 individuals took part in this year's event, including local Palestinians, Israelis and international dignitaries.

Nobel Women's Initiative Laureate, Shirin Ebadi, has reported an increase in death threats against her and her family. Ebadi has reported death threats before. However, in recent days the threats have escalated. One note left at her office on 3 April said, "your death is near."

On 14 April, Ebadi sent a letter to Iran's police chief requesting immediate inquiry into the threats. According to recent news, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for police protection and an investigation.

The Nobel Women's Initiative condemns these threats. We support our sister Laureate in her pursuit of human rights in Iran and urge the Government of Iran to protect the safety of Shirin Ebadi and her family.

Nobel Women Laureates join calls for an end to Israel's siege of Gaza, end to rocket attacks and a resumption of dialogue

As violence escalates between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza strip, the Nobel Women's Initiative is joining calls for an end to Israel's siege of Gaza, an end to rocket attacks on Israel, implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, and a resumption of dialogue between all Parties. If Israel really wants peace, it must have dialogue with all Parties to the conflict said Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.

The words of a Palestinian participant in Nobel Women's Initiative's May 2007 conference, Women Redefining Peace in the Middle East and Beyond, ring true now more than ever: We are always told we must co-exist.  But how can we co-exist when we do not exist in the first place? If Palestinians are to co-exist with their Israeli neighbors, the siege of Gaza must end. 

In solidarity with the people of Iraq, on 22 and 23 February, Oil Change International, US Labor Against the War and Hands Off Iraqi Oil are organizing an international day of action to demand an end to the military and economic occupation of Iraq.

The on-going war and occupation of Iraq has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, widespread devastation, relentless insecurity and crippling poverty. Foreign oil companies are scrambling to use this opportunity to secure access to massive profits from Iraq's large untapped oil reserves at the expense of the Iraqi people.

The occupation of Iraq serves to protect these interests while US military bases are built nearby to guard the oil fields. As well, the Bush Administration has tried to push the Iraqi Parliament to pass a law that would give foreign oil companies unprecedented control over Iraq's oil resources. The Iraqi cabinet, under pressure from the US, passed this law one year ago on 23 February 2007. The Iraqi Parliament has so far resisted pressure to pass this oil law, but the pressure is by no means over.

The Nobel Women's Initiative is very concerned over the Bush administration's announcement that it will increase sanctions against Iranian banks and designate Iranian groups proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and supporters of terrorism.

Read more about the new measures here.

According to Iranian Laureate Shirin Ebadi, The ratcheting up of US unilateral punitive measures against Iran will only make the situation for political reformists more difficult .The designations could bring a backlash against citizens working for human rights, undermining our efforts for democracy and reform in our country.

UPDATE - Freed by Iran, scholar reunited with her family, Washington Post, 7 September 2007

Haleh Esfandiari free to leave Iran, joins family in Vienna