Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Promoting Cultural Understanding through Education & Communication
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

About us


Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute is registered as a private nonprofit foundation in the United States. The Institute sponsors activities and programs with a primary focus of preservation, transmission, and instruction of Persian culture as defined below. To execute its mission, the Institute develops initiatives that provide support for partnerships with other nonprofit organizations and institutions such as schools, universities, libraries, museums, and private sector donors.

The expression Roshan literally means clear or bright in Persian. As such, it is closely associated with light and connected to concepts such as clarity, understanding, and authenticity. This word embodies the guiding principle behind Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute's mission of bringing to light the importance of Persian culture and achieving clear understanding through education and community involvement. The Institute’s logo reflects a blooming sun inspired by the Lotus flower motif used at Persepolis (the Achaemenid Empire’s capital, 550-330 B.C.) as well as Shamseh used in Persian-Islamic Architecture. 


Vision


Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute is a nonprofit organization supporting the preservation, transmission, and instruction of Persian culture, as defined below. The Institute is guided by values and principles that uphold a community: fairness, tolerance, respect, and the desire to improve communication and understanding among people of diverse backgrounds. We believe that global peace and harmony among people can, and should be achieved through education, communication and cultural understanding.


Mission


Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute supports cultural and educational activities that bring to light the richness and diversity of Persian culture. Roshan Institute operates through cooperative arrangements with other nonprofit organizations, such as schools, universities, libraries, museums and private sector donors.  We are dedicated to fostering community among Persian people and those interested in Persian cultural heritage.  We encourages intercultural communication and interaction and focus on the following activities:

 

  • Establishing and strengthening Persian Studies Programs at major universities;

  • Awarding Fellowships and Scholarships for Excellence in Persian Studies at cooperating universities;

  • Assisting nonprofit organizations promoting Persian culture, including programs and activities related to influences of Persian culture on other territories (provided that the specific focus remains on Persian culture);

  • Supporting other activities promoting Persian culture, including exhibitions, conferences, art events, seminars, workshops, audiovisual presentations, publications, teaching materials, fellowship awards, websites and other educational and informational programs and materials.

Definition of Culture

 
The word Culture is highly misunderstood. The semantic field for this expression collectively includes but is not limited to:
 
Language : the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of expression.

Arts & Sciences : the most advanced and refined forms of human expression.

Thought : the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them.

Spirituality : the value system transmitted through generations for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and actions.

Social activities : the shared pursuits within a cultural community, demonstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events.

Interaction : the social aspects of human contact, including the give-and-take of socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions.
 

Values

  • We honor the legacy of Persian culture and civilization, broadly defined.
  • We respect the importance of each individual.
  • We value education and youth as pillars of society.
  • We recognize that people are the basic forces of change and improvement.
  • We honor those who understand the privilege of working cooperatively to improve their communities.
  • We respect diversity of cultures and support greater interaction among people.
  • We honor those who participate in acculturation and respect innovative and creative thinking.
  • We value positive assistance and compassionate approach among people.
  • We value the importance of spirituality and honor a non-discriminatory, non-extremist approach to a healthy spiritual, mental, and emotional life.