Rostam Pourzal

Since he retired from business in 2001, Rostam Pourzal has worked full-time in Washington, DC as an independent researcher and organizer for human rights. He holds a graduate degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, where he focused on modernization and social upheaval. He advocates direct and sustained dialog without pre-conditions between Iran and the United States.

Mr. Pourzal visits Iran regularly and has served on the boards of several Iranian-American organizations. He has been interviewed on dozens of well-known broadcasts, including Pacifica Radio, CNN International, Aljazeera, and MSNBC. In 2004, he convinced the Fellowship of Reconciliation to send two goodwill delegations (three dozen American citizens) to Iran. The ground-breaking initiative was widely reported on BBC, CNN, and other world media.