Firuzeh Mahmoudi — Why Activism is the Same as Breathing

The 1979 Iranian revolution radically shaped who Firuzeh Mahmoudi is today. She grew up witnessing massive rallies, captivated by the excitement, chaos, and hope. Years later, when protests erupted in 2009, Firuzeh — with no prior experience — organized concurrent rallies in 110 cities in support of the Iranian protesters – the largest global day of support for Iran in history. She is now the founder and director of United for Iran, an independent nonprofit based in San Francisco that works for civil liberties in Iran — with a special emphasis on using technology to fight injustice. In this conversation, Branden and Firuzeh talk about how working to advance civil liberties globally by advocating for human rights, supporting civil society, and engaging citizens all over the world can be the most challenging and rewarding work a person can be a part of. More