Jul 8, 2010

Iran Will See the Light of Democracy

Interview with Carl Gershman, NED President

Washington, D.C.

Carl Gershman has been President of the National Endowment for Democracy since 1984.  Mr. Gershman oversees NED’s grant programs in various countries from Africa to the Middle East and Eastern Europe.  Before taking the job at NED, he held various posts at the United Nations, served as the U.S. Representative to the U.N.’s Third Committee that deals with human rights issues, and as Alternate Representative of the U.S. to the U.N. Security Council. NED was formed after Ronald Reagan took office in 1983 to “promote democracy around the world.” NED has not been without controversy. It has critics from both the left and the right who claim that NED supports certain organizations and political parties and candidates with a specific agenda.

At a recent event NED offered the Green Movement in Iran an award. Rooz interviewed Carl Gershman in his office in Washington, DC.

What does NED represent?

We are both a publicly funded and a non–governmental institution. There was a NED act passed in 1983 by the US congress. It represented a desire by the American people to assist people around the world who share our values regarding human freedom and democracy.

In your statement in the NED Annual Report, you speak about the Green Revolution. How is NED helping the Iranian struggle for democracy? Don’t you think that this is not a revolution but rather a movement?

I agree with that. This is obviously not a revolution because the same government is still in power. This is more like the Solidarity movement that arose in Poland in 1980 as a result of the Gdansk strike. It did not bring about democracy and its rise was followed by a period of repression and turmoil. But it was a mass movement, as is the Green Movement, and eventually it did bring about democracy in Poland as I believe the Green Movement will in Iran.

Can you compare the two examples of Poland and Iran?

Of course there are some similarities. Both countries have experienced the rise of mass movements towards democracy, movements seeking to give people a voice, to have dignity. These are movements that are demanding a more open and democratic society.

For the full interview, visit the Rooz Online website :: more