2008 Poll on Iranian and American Public Opinion



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US-Iran

Search for Common Ground has worked for more than ten years to improve relations between the United States and Iran. We believe that the lack of communication and diplomatic relations has created immense misunderstanding between these two great nations despite their many commonalities and shared interests. In 1996 we began a series of discreet "track 2" meetings between well placed unofficial Iranians and Americans, to explore the possibility of improved relations. When former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's called for a "Dialogue of Civilizations" with the West, and with the United States in particular, we responded by launching our first citizen-to-citizen exchange, and we brought the American national wrestling team to Tehran. The visit sparked a great amount of interest and was referred to in the media as "wrestling diplomacy". Since then, we have organized exchanges in diverse areas of science, medicine, the arts, and the environment. We continue work at two levels: highly visible exchanges between Americans and Iranians in areas where both cultures excel and formal low-key encounters between Americans and Iranians to encourage official contacts and facilitate improved relations.

The Ploughshares Fund, Prospect Hill Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund generously support this program.

Download a Programme Overview (pdf)

Projects for US-Iran
1. Education
2. Events
3. Film
4. Philosophy/Theology Exchanges
5. Environment
6. Astronomy Exchange
7. Wrestling Diplomacy
8. Health
9. 2007 US-Iran Poll
10. Links


1. Education
Student Exchange Coordinators' Exchange and Zirakzadeh-Exploratorium Exchange. The US-Iran Programme facilitated two exchange visits to Iran from April 18-May 2, 2004: a student exchange coordinators' exchange hosted by the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, and a museum exchange between the San Francisco Exploratorium Museum and the Zirakzadeh Science Foundation (ZSF) [more]

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2. Events
The US-Iran Program has taken the initiative to produce, facilitate, and sponsor a number of cultural events in the United States and Iran. These events serve to broaden public awareness of the commonalities between the two countries, as well as enlighten the audiences on the different cultures and traditions. [more]

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3. Film
The US-Iran Program continues to sponsor the exchange of Iranian and American films, producers, directors, and actors. [more]

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4. Philosophy/Theology Exchanges
The perceived differences in philosophy and theology have been a major impetus toward the so-called "Clash of Civilizations" that has been expounded by pundits and scholars. The US-Iran Program has worked to de-mythologize the differences between Eastern and Occidental philosophy and theology. We have facilitated a number of conferences and exchanges searching for common ground on these two emotionally charged and highly effective areas. [more]

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5. Environment
The environment is one of many areas where America and Iran have found common ground. The US-Iran Program has facilitated a number of exchanges among scholars and environmentalists between both countries. These exchanges have not only contributed to the improvement of relations, but have also increased knowledge for both sides on their respective environmental issues - which are fundamentally global issues. [more]

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6. Astronomy Exchange With Iran
Project Starshine 2002: The US-Iran Program has worked to spread the word and encourage Iranian participation in Project Starshine - a private astronomy project that allows students around the world to track Starshine satellites and record observations via the Internet. The most recent satellite to be launched, Starshine 3, is covered with student-built mirrors and is designed to study how solar flares affect the earth's atmosphere. Thousands of students from all over the world requested and received mirror-polishing kits and worked in their classrooms to polish the mirrors that were later mounted on the satellite. Now that the satellite is in orbit, students are able to observe the satellite's movements and study the satellite's data. A number of Iranian student groups are participating and we are ready to assist any organizations or individuals seeking our help with this project. [more]

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7. Wrestling Diplomacy
"Wrestling Diplomacy" - February 17- 20, 1998: Search for Common Ground facilitated the exchange of the American wrestling team which competed in the international Takhti Cup tournament in Iran, where wrestlers from both countries were able to engage each other in sport and competition. This was the first US delegation to Iran since before the Iranian Revolution. [more]

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8. Health
We co-sponsored a videoconference in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences to address mutually beneficial issues related to health. Doctors from both institutions engaged in dialogue about their respective community Healthy Heart Programs. Following this, in April 2007, we worked in partnership with the Institute for Resource and Security Studies to take a Harvard medical delegation to a conference in Isfahan. The group met with numerous Iranian medical authorities and explored opportunities for both short-term and long-term academic cooperation between institutions in Iran and the US. Several areas of potential collaboration were identified, including joint research projects, faculty/student exchanges, and joint distance-learning courses. The visit attracted considerable media attention in Iran.

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9. 2007 US-Iran Poll
Links to a number of organizations, publications, and resources that are involved in Iranian-American relations. [more]

10. Links and Resources
Below you will find links to a number of organizations, publications, and resources that are involved in Iranian-American relations. [more]

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US-Iran Programme
1601 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: +1 (202) 265-4300
Fax: +1 (202) 232-6718
E-mail: sreines@sfcg.org