The Young and Restless—Iranian Youth at the Forefront of Political and Social Change

Young people in Iran, who comprise a disproportionately large part of the country's population, are anxious for political change that promotes a more open society, according to author and journalist Afshin Molavi. At an OSI Forum on October 24, Molavi, a leading expert on Iranian affairs, said that younger Iranians are particularly bitter over efforts by conservative clerics to limit access to information about the outside world.

Molavi's recent book, Persian Pilgrimages, chronicles his visits to shrines around Iran during 1999 and 2000, a trip in which he spoke candidly with Iranians about the country's theocratic government and the nascent political reform movement, the lagging economy, and conflicting attitudes toward the United States. At the Forum he discussed his book and more recent political and social developments in Iran.

Read a full summary of the forum.

This forum was sponsored by OSI's Central Eurasia Project. The project's website, www.eurasianet.org, provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. The website also offers additional features, including newsmaker interviews, book reviews and a discussion forum.