Four Iranian emigrants talk about their homeland one year after the death of Masha Amini, and Laurent Uhres tells us about the inspiration behind his book.

Iran - the situation one year on

Masha Amini died on 16 September 2022, aged just 22 years, in the hands of the morality police in Tehran, Iran. Since then, there's been international coverage of the bravery of other women, and men, in the face of the morality police.

Mass protests, crackdowns, women defying the defined dress code... things seem to have taken an immovable turn towards personal choice for women.

My guests include Vahid Beheshti, an Iranian-born British independent journalist Human Rights Activist, and Director of DorrTV. He went on a 72 day hunger strike camping outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to ask the UK government to proscribe the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) an international terrorist organization, now backed by 125 MPs.

Shabnam Sabzehi is an Iranian-American activist living in Luxembourg since 2014. Shabnam left Iran aged just 17 and has not been able to return since. After Mahsa Amini’s death, Shabnam has been busy amplifying the voices of #WomanLifeFreedom movement. Shabnam is the co-founder of Iranian Diaspora Luxembourg.

Nahid Mohammadi worked in the banking sector in Iran for 14 years and talks to us about that experience. She moved to Luxembourg in 2017 to pursue an MSc at the university here.

Hooman Eslami brings us the Bahai perspective. His family faced discrimination due to their faith. Bahais are not allowed to study in official universities and so have founded their own, unofficial institution, BIHE University, despite government pressure to shut it down.

In 2017, Hooman relocated to Luxembourg to pursue a master's degree, and now PhD at the University of Luxembourg.

All of these guests are putting their own life and their families lives at risk in Iran by speaking out.

"Creative Convergence"

Laurent Uhres is a Luxembourger living in Poland. Throughout his life, Laurent has combined tech knowledge, innovation, education and music in a whole range of careers. This has culminated in his book, Creative Convergence, which delves into the connections between disciplines, demonstrating their interdependence and collective potential for innovation. By examining the fusion of art, science, engineering, and design, the book reveals how interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to remarkable breakthroughs and shape our world. The book presents a rich tapestry of inspiring examples and compelling stories of individuals and teams who have pushed the limits of human knowledge and creativity.

The book was inspired by the "Abstract: The Art of Design" episode on Netflix about and with Neri Oxman. Neri introduces "The Krebs Cycle of Creativity," a concept based on the Krebs cycle in biochemistry. Her cycle provides insights into the interplay of science, engineering, design, and art. You can find his music here:

https://www.instagram.com/laurentcomposer/