Afsaneh Khajavi has been an advocate of children's and women’s rights since high school days. She edited and published one of the first newsletters on women’s issues before the Iranian revolution, and with other Iranian feminists she established an organization providing health and educational services to underprivileged women. She immigrated to U.S. in 1983. By profession, she is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Labs focusing on Network Architecture and Advanced Technologies.
Elahe Amani is a peace, gender equality & human rights activist. Elahe has been with Women's Intercultural Network since 1995 in the capacity of Board Chairwoman and currently Chair of the Global Circles of Women's Intercultural Network. Elahe is also a lead trainer on gender, peace building and Mediation with Mediator Beyond Boarders. Most recently in Nov 2015, she was invited to be one of the eight jurors the Court of Women Against War held in Bangalore, India. Professionally, she has been with California State University System for the last 29 years. Elahe taught in the Women Studies Program of CSULB and Fullerton and currently serves as Director of Technology and Deputy Coordinator of Title IX at California State University Fullerton.
Nazanin Amani is a children, women, Human rights and environment protection advocate. She is a member of IPAA (Iranian Persian American Association of Greater Long Beach). Previously, she served on the board of directors for the “Iranian Children Right Society”. She is also a certified Mediator with “Orange County Human Relation” and member of WIN (Women’s Intercultural Network). Professionally, she is the Senior Staff Electronic Design Engineer and Patent holder, working for Infineon Technologies.
Shahla Sepher Bebe has maintained a keen involvement in different groups and organizations dealing with political and social concerns. Shahla co-founded a feminist group in Los Angeles, "The Society of Independent Women” in 1995 and begun to gain more knowledge in the field of Women’s studies and contributed to the activities that was organized for gender-equality. She worked closely with the Iranian Women's Studies Foundation (IWSF) and presented in the 13th annual Conference of IWSF. She presented topics related to women in the Iranian Radio 670 KIRN for 3 years; served as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of “Iranian Artists Visual Arts” from 2009 to 2012 and was the Chairperson of the “Iranian Visual Artists” (IVA). Shahla is member of WIN (Women’s Intercultural Network), WIPI (Women in Photography International), APA (American Photographic Artists), and NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). She believes that the medium of photography creates unique and powerful means to speak about issues that torment or exhilarate her. Shahla is an award-winning photographer, was trained in graphic art, photography and post-production. Her profession and passion is primarily focused on commercial portrait and fine art and her work has been exhibited in art centers in America, Europe and Canada.
Ruja Kia was born in Iran and moved to the US as a teenager, growing up in Albuquerque NM. She holds an Associate degree in Computer Animation, BA in University Studies (gender studies- women of Middle East) from University of New Mexico, and a Master of Public Administration (non-for-profit management global leadership) from Portland State University. She is active in the non for profit fields locally as a volunteer and committee member and hopes to create equal and adequate access to information and resources to all who require it. She is a social justice advocate and civil social activist and organizer working mainly in diaspora.
Negar Vaez was born in Iran. Holds a BA in English translation, MA in Linguistics, and MA in Sociology from Ankara University, Turkey. She has been active in the non for profit fields locally and globally especially in the field of women empowerment and helping children remain in school as a volunteer and committee member. She has been an ethnographic researcher on domestic violence and the social and economic situation of refugees in Turkey.
Pari Mostovoj was born in Iran and came to the United States in 1979. She studied at Moorpark College and CSUN (California State University Northridge). She has worked as a translator for various organizations, such as Javanan magazine and did the translation for the movie "A View from a Grain of Sand" which focused on the plight of Afghan women refugees caught up in the war in Afghanistan.She has been active in the Conejo Valley Democratic Party and in the national grassroots organization "Indivisible" which played an important role in having the Democratic Party regain control of the House of Representatives in 2018. She is also an active environmentalist and has been to Congress in Washington to promote key environmental legislation in Congress. She also worked for the US Department of Agriculture for six years in conducting field surveys with farmers on various issues of interest to Congress.