Pen Pal Program Fighting Cultural Misunderstandings Enters Second Year

Nov. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- Doostane Farsi Zabane Man, a pen pal program between Iranian and American students, has entered its second year. Over 50 letters were received, translated, and sent in the first year by youth between the ages of 6 and 18. The goal of the program is to create friendships between these students, who live in societies that are very different but, at the same time, surprisingly similar, and to foster cultural understanding. Doostane Farsi Zabane Man is starting off its second year with ten pairs of students.

In a time when Iran has been labeled part of the "Axis of Evil" and the United States is portrayed by the Iranian government as evil at best, it is important for citizens of the next generation to understand each other as fellow human beings. As Soheil Majidi Zahed, the vice chair of Doostane Farsi Zabane Man's Board of Directors, said, "Our big vision is a day when Iranians and Americans understand each other, a day that there is no talk of war, a day that there are no anti-American slogans in the streets of Tehran, a day that when American news anchors are talking about Iran they are not talking about nuclear bombs but they are talking about what is the best city to visit in Iran and Shiraz wine. That is the big vision; this is what we want to achieve: a day that there is peace between Iran and United States of America."

Doostane Farsi Zabane Man, which means "My Persian-Speaking Friends" in Farsi (Persian), was founded in 2010 by Amy Katuska, a college student from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Students in the program span the United States, coming from Connecticut all the way to California. Most of the Iranian students are from Tehran, though some are from other larger cities.

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Doostane Farsi Zabane Man, also known as My Persian-Speaking Friends or DFZM, fosters cultural understanding and creates friendships between young Iranians and Americans through a pen pal program.