WE CAN NOT REMAIN SILENT 

We have always taken pride in iBRIDGES being a community that welcomes all innovators and entrepreneurs. Our aim has always been to empower participants by exchanging ideas and learning from best practices.

We believe in the future. 

We believe that everyone has the opportunity and responsibility to build a better tomorrow for us all. And with this aspiration in mind, we cannot fathom a future when a brutal regime systematically targets Iranian youth and children and suppresses their opportunities for a prosperous future. 

Yesterday, 16 November 2022, in the city of Izeh in the Iranian province of Khuzestan, a ten-year-old boy was killed by military-grade ammunition; his name was Kian Pirfalak. Kian dreamt of being an innovator and inventor. He had developed and tested a water propeller he planned to submit to Iran’s Khwarizmi Festival of Innovation (https://youtu.be/9dnechYcyoM). With so much ingenuity at such a young age, we are sure Kian would make many significant contributions to his community and country if he had been allowed to live a full life.

Now that is no longer a possibility.

As a community dedicated to establishing a global innovation economy that advances prosperity for all, we stand by the brave Iranian people and courageous Iranian women in their quest for their fundamental human rights. 

We believe that a just and inclusive society that offers equal opportunities to all citizens is essential for innovation to flourish. Thus we unequivocally condemn acts of brutality against Iranian youth, children, and women. 

We invite all members of the global community, particularly innovators and entrepreneurs of all nations, to support the Iranian people in their efforts to achieve a free and just society. 

The iBRIDGES Board