Shirin+Ebadi

Shirin Ebadi was born on June 21, 1947 in Hamadan, Iran. She received her law degree in 3 1/2 years, and then began a six-month apprenticeship with the Department of Justice. She began serving as a judge in March 1969 and while working, received a doctorate with honors in private law from Tehran University in 1971. She is the first woman in Iranian justice history to have served as a judge, and she became President of Bench 24 of the Tehran City Court in 1975. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution occurred and she was dismissed from her post, as it was believed that Islam forbade women to serve as judges. She sent in a request for early retirement which was accepted, and her application for practicing law was turned down. During her period of unemployment, she wrote several books and had a variety of articles published in Iranian journals. However, in 1992, Shirin finally succeeded in obtaining a lawyer's license and opened up her own practice. She is the co-founder of the Association for Support of Children's Rights and the founder of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, in the field of human rights. She was award the prize "for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children." She's the first ever Iranian and the first Muslim woman to have received the prize.
 * Subject Matter Background:**

Iran is the 18th largest country in the world, in terms of area, and is located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait. It has a population of over 74 million, and is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations. Iran has had a strained relationship with the US, ever since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran for almost two years. Iran has been called out for uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Tehran, the city where Shirin spent most of her list, is the capital of Iran and the largest urban area and city in Iran. In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to miss-migration of people from all over Iran and thus, has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions.

As for as instruction goes, it is important that students understand Iran's history and culture. I want students to understand the Islam religion, the history of Iran, and the current conflicts surrounding the country. I believe all of these things are necessary for students to understand why Shirin's accomplishments are so amazing. She is a woman who broke the boundaries surrounding women in Iran, and fought for what she believed in - human rights. I would introduce Iran through a lecture and visual aid, either PowerPoint or Pezi. Students would have guided notes to accompany the lecture, to make sure that students are paying attention and staying engaged with the lecture.
 * Instructional Ideas:**

To introduce Shirin Ebadi, I would have students watch a YouTube video featuring Shirin Ebadi. Studying Iran and Shirin Ebadi would be a great way to bring the United States into the social studies classroom. I think it would be interesting to have students compare civil rights that we have in America, compared to civil rights in Iran. More rights are available in the US, especially for women and children. The Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) has been threatened and many staff members have been forced to resigned because of violence. Shirin herself has been victim of threats, and claimed that her Nobel Peace Prize medal and diploma have been taken from their bank box, along with a ring she received from Germany's association of journalists, and her bank account frozen. The Iranian foreign ministry, however, denies the confiscation. Why do individuals feel threatened by the DHRC and Shirin Ebadi? How was Shirin able to achieve so much, when women's rights are limited in Iran? Why does Shirin continue to practice, knowing that her life could be in danger? Do you admire Shirin? These questions are questions that I would ask my students, which would hopefully probe a meaningful discussion in the classroom. I would also have my students complete a group project. Students would be divided into groups and prompted to find an organization that they feel is important or meaningful - preferably a social justice organization, but I would be flexible. They would complete research in class, and as a group, be responsible for putting together a poster to "advertise" for their chosen organization. They should include information about the organization, what their mission/goals are, why the organization is important, and why others should join or support.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2003/ebadi.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirin_Ebadi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran
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