Friday, April 26, 2013

The privilege of giving

The Almanac Magazine | Wednesday April 14, 2013

The privilege of giving

Atherton philanthropist supports range of causes not only with funding, but with time, effort and intensity of purpose

Bita Daryabari begins her biography with an epigraph: “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others — something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.”

Those words by theologian and Nobel laureate Albert Schweitzer are a fitting introduction to what follows: an accounting that is long on substance, because Ms. Daryabari’s giving far exceeds “a little thing.”

During the last decade, the Atherton philanthropist has contributed millions in funding to support a range of causes — from helping Iranian immigrants in the United States and girls and women in the Middle East, to increasing awareness of the contributions to humankind of the Persian culture, to supporting construction of the UCSF Mission Bay Neuroscience Research Building to further the fight against Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

But the monetary contributions are only part of the story. “She’s not like some philanthropists who might put down their money and think they need to make no more effort,” says Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford University, and like Ms. Daryabari, a native of Iran. “She gives of her time and effort” to ensure that the projects she funds are successful in achieving their goals, he adds.

“She’s a very unusual woman of almost infinite goodness and good will, humility and generosity — and that combination is very potent.”

Mr. Milani has a front-row view of the powerful effects of her work. He oversees the Bita Daryabari Endowment in Persian Letters at Stanford, which she established in 2007 and which includes a prize awarded to artists of Iranian ancestry. He also is on the board of the Pars Equality Center, a nonprofit Ms. Daryabari founded in 2010 in Menlo Park to provide legal and social services to Iranian immigrants and to advocate for “more positive perceptions of Persians in the U.S. media,” according to the center’s website.

Fighting misperceptions

A native of Tehran who experienced life in Iran when it was warring with Iraq, Ms. Daryarabi moved to this country as a teenager, in 1985, joining a brother who had already emigrated. She learned early on what it meant to be viewed as “other” by people with no understanding of her culture and native country.

When the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred, the prevailing ignorance about Iranians ramped up suspicion and hostility toward the Persian immigrant community she was a part of, Ms. Daryabari says, planting a seed in her that ultimately would blossom into the Pars Equality Center.

But before any of that, Ms. Daryabari pursued a course along the trajectory of the American Dream: college, career, marriage and children. She earned a degree in computer science from California State University, Hayward, then a master’s degree in telecommunications management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Her career included stints at GammmaLink and MCI Communications.

She married Omid Kordestani, who later became a Google executive, and the couple had two children. When Google went public in 2004, the couple’s fortune was born.

“We decided we should share that with others in our community and elsewhere — the less fortunate,” she says.

Ms. Daryabari has since married Dr. Reza Malek, an interventional neuroscientist, and the couple has had one child. Raising children took her off a career path for a while, but it didn’t slow her down. “I’m an intense person,” she says, which those who know her might consider an understatement. “For me, sitting home doing nothing — I would die.”

She supports many causes — she’s also an arts advocate — but the fruit of her efforts can be seen most dramatically in the work of her two nonprofits and the endowed chair at Stanford.

Unique Zan Foundation

A firm believer in the power of education, Ms. Daryabari began philanthropic work to help women in the Middle East in 2005, then launched the nonprofit Unique Zan Foundation in 2008. (Zan means woman in Farsi and Arabic.)

“Growing up in the Middle East, you see a lot of ... discrimination against women,” she says. When the level of education rises, tolerance of discrimination declines, she adds.

“The way you can educate a region is to educate the women, because women will influence their kids.”

Among the programs she and her foundation have funded are a girls’ school in Kabul, where, she says, the principal goes to school with a gun and a bodyguard because of the danger of educating girls in Afghanistan; and a women’s center in Hebron, on the West Bank.

The school was built in 2009-10, and is run by a local non-governmental organization, she says, adding that more than 120 girls are enrolled.

The women’s center, established in 2008, got off to a slow start, serving fewer than 40 people its first year. “Husbands didn’t like their wives going to the center,” she says. But the facility, which provides children’s day care, offers art courses and training in such marketable skills as hairdressing, candle-making and photography. The husbands now like the program, she says, “because most people who started going to the center three years ago are working and making money.” It’s now serving more than 700 women, and offers micro-loans to help women start their own businesses.

The foundation also supports the building and operation of orphanages and health programs. Those projects, like the school and women’s center, were launched by Ms. Daryabari, then handed to “the local NGOs to take care of them,” she says.

Pars Equality Center

Headquartered in Menlo Park, the Pars Equality Center recently opened locations in San Jose and Los Angeles to serve the largest Iranian immigrant populations in the state, Ms. Daryabari says. She decided to create the center because she saw a lack of support services needed to successfully integrate immigrants into life in the United States.

The center, she notes, is “the only nonprofit organization in the USA helping our community in such matters.” And the services are free. They include legal help for family issues, domestic violence, rent problems, and barriers that refugees face in retrieving their assets because of this country’s sanctions against Iran.

Social services include English language classes, job fairs and mentorship programs.

If the center can’t provide a specific needed service, it has an extensive referral list, Ms. Daryabari says.

Endowment in Persian Letters

With the endowment, Stanford has been able to hire three full-time professors of Persian literature, according to Ms. Daryabari.

Mr. Milani, the director of Iranian studies, says that the idea for the program was launched years ago when he and Ms. Daryabari met for lunch, and she quizzed him about the paltry number of courses and lectures on Persian literature. “I said, we really don’t have the means to do that — we need more money,” Mr. Milani recalls, adding that she responded. “I’ll give you the money.” Within weeks, he says, the endowment arrived.

After the program was in effect for a while, Ms. Daryabari was happy enough with the results to expand the endowment, Mr. Milani said.

A highlight of the program is the annual Bita Prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award to the recipient and a trip to Stanford to lecture — a major undertaking in some cases, because the majority of prize-winners so far live in Iran.

Mr. Milani proudly lists the five winners, the first being Simin Behbahani, “a poet, a remarkable, defiant woman” who is a national icon. The others: “the great fiction writer” Goli Taraghi; Mohamad Shajarian, “one of the greatest vocalists of all time”; filmmaker and playwright Bahram Beyzaei, a scholar of Iranian theater; and architect Hushang Seyhun.

The presence of the prizewinners at the university, he says, allows students and the community to learn about and be enriched by writers and other artists “who have achieved something unusual — truly, the most prominent” of Persian artists.

To learn more about Pars Equality Center, please visit: parsequalitycenter.org

For more information about Unique Zan Foundation, please visit: uniquezanfoundation.org

Friday, February 08, 2013

Pars Equality Center Job Fair article in Higher, the National e-newsletter.

Promising Practice

Pars Equality Center Sponsors Job Fairs in San Jose, CA

January 17, 2013

While the San Jose area tends to outpace other communities in job creation and economic vitality, a heavy focus on high tech jobs can limit low and middle skill opportunities for job seekers with less expertise or who may have recently migrated to the area. One local ethnic community-based organization, Pars Equality Center, decided to find a solution to the challenging job market, offering support to refugee and immigrant job seekers specifically. Pars hosts job fairs to connect eligible job seekers with companies in need of workers at a variety of skill levels.

The first job fair was planned as a “trial run” in June 2012. While this event was focused on working out details in a low risk environment, six attendees landed jobs as a result of the connections they made and both the job seekers and employers urged Pars to host additional events. Accordingly, quarterly job fairs began.

The job fairs have attracted newcomers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. Companies representing a wide cross section of local industries have attended, including construction, retail, car dealerships, gas stations, in-home care, pastry factory, assisted living facilities, hotels and yes, even, high tech. The organization’s fourth job fair is scheduled for this Saturday, February 3. They are expecting 100 job seekers and 15 employers – more than double the number of job seekers and employers at the original event. So far, 42 job seekers have secured a job as a result of participating in the job fairs.

After completing three – almost four—successful job fairs, Pars Equality Center staff offer the following advice for others interesting in creating a similar effort:
1. Plan a trial run with just a few employers and job seekers to work out logistics and other details in a low risk environment.
2. Prepare job seekers ahead of time by sending registered participants a checklist with important job fair tips like what to bring, how to dress, and suggestions for open-ended questions to learn more about companies at the job fair.
3. Use referrals from board members, staff and volunteers to recruit employer representatives to attend event. After first event, ask participating employers to invite others from their own personal networks.

For more information on creating a similar event in your community, visit the Pars Equality Center website, or contact Reza Odabaee at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

——-

Pars Equality Center was established in 2010 as an ethnic community-based organization focusing on the Iranian American community in the San Jose area. In their own words, “Our mission is to offer and solicit social and legal support for all members of the Iranian American community, including refugees, asylees and immigrants. Our goal is to engage all of our community in the effort to learn and defend our rights and responsibilities as members of the American society. We work to create a more just and compassionate community in which Iranians of all cultures and beliefs can participate.”

Bita Daryabari’s Pars Equality Center Plans for Expansion in Los Angeles

To Read This Press Release in The San Francisco Chronicle CLICK HERE

To Read This Press Release in The San Jose Mercury News CLICK HERE

To Read This Press Release in Yahoo! Finance CLICK HERE

———-

LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Philanthropist and entrepreneur Bita Daryabari’s Pars Equality Center (parsequalitycenter.org)—a Bay Area non-profit organization, and the first of its kind, providing social and legal support for all members of the Iranian American community, including refugees, asylees and immigrants—opened its second office in San Jose, California in April 2012, and is currently planning expansion into the Los Angeles market. The LA office is located in Westwood and slated to open on April 1,2013. Pars Equality Center will also host its 3rd Annual Nowruz Gala in honor of the Persian New Year on Saturday, March 9th at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel.

Daryabari, Pars Equality Center (PEC) founder and executive director, says, “We are here to ensure that our community is served in the best way possible, and Pars Equality Center truly blossomed this past year. We continue to introduce new programs in the areas of Social and Legal Services that are improving lives, so we are excited about the prospects for bringing this unique set of services to Los Angeles-based Iranian Americans.”

No stranger to the plight of many Iranian Americans, Daryabari knows first-hand the challenges of arriving as a new émigré to the United States. In 1985, she fled to the U.S. from Iran in the shadow of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis. The Golden Globe-winning feature film “Argo,” directed by Ben Affleck, portrays this tumultuous time.

Daryabari adds, “Over the years, and especially since 9/11, the climate in the U.S. has gotten more challenging for Iranian Americans and Iranian immigrants, and this is why I founded the Pars Equality Center. There is so much misperception in this country about the Persian culture. Firstly, Iranians were not responsible for 9/11, and secondly, the émigrés coming here are doing so because they do not agree with the current politics of our homeland that are so often seen in the news.”

Daryabari is on a two-fold mission of helping educate the public-at-large about the positive contributions that Iranian Americans are making to the country as a whole, while also bringing the Iranian community together. She aims to break down barriers and create a more compassionate community between the many Iranian cultures and beliefs that have settled in the U.S. since it takes a unified and organized community to build and grow together.

Her mission carries through all her philanthropic endeavors. She recently was appointed the International Arts Ambassador to the LA-based charity, Adopt the Arts, which helps keep art education in public elementary schools. Daryabari is working with the organization to ensure that the children are offered programs that will nurture multicultural sensitivity.

In addition, she and her husband are co-sponsors for the San Francisco exhibition of the upcoming Cyrus Cylinder Tour. Recognized as one of the most iconic objects of religious tolerance and multiculturalism, the Cyrus Cylinder (currently housed in the British Museum), will for the very first time, be exhibited in the United States in five major museum venues, starting in March 2013. The Cylinder has, over the centuries, come to symbolize mankind’s first document on human rights.

PEC is known for holding community-wide events, such as job fairs, as well as partnering with local and national community organizations.

PEC has been expanding its reach to the most vulnerable Iranian Americans—Iranians who have recently arrived in the U.S. with few or no financial resources and need support in order to establish themselves in this country.

With the help of Iranian and American volunteers, PEC Social Services range from Mentorship Programs to ESL classes, a computer lab, in-home visits, emergency assistance, and job development services (i.e. soft-skills workshops, resume preparation, job placement, and personal follow-up). A newly established casework system served over 160 newcomer Iranians and their families in the first year alone. In 2012, PEC hosted three Job Fairs that connected more than 200 job seekers with 38 Iranian or American employers, leading to 45 successful job placements, despite the difficult economy.

The Legal Department at PEC focuses upon providing general guidance and research in essentially all areas of the law, such as helping community members navigate through the complicated Iran Transactions Regulations overseen by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC Sanctions), and offering low-income individuals assistance applying for OFAC licenses, as well as tackling complex issues relating to discrimination.

The 3rd Annual Nowruz Gala in honor of the Persian New Year will be held at the Santa Clara Marriott on Saturday, March 9th. Funds raised from this event will fund the ongoing programs and expansion of Pars Equality Center into more U.S. markets. The 2012 event sold out almost a month in advance, and introduced PEC to 600 members of the local Iranian American community with a fantastic night of performance, music and dancing.

Daryabari adds, “We cannot do this alone. It is through education, collaboration and dedication that we can all come together to create a more peaceful and tolerant society.”

More information about Gala sponsorship and tickets can be obtained by contacting Ms. Goli Ghorashi at 650-321-6400 or by Clicking Here

About Pars Equality Center

Founded by Bita Daryabari in 2010, the Pars Equality Center (PEC) is a non-profit organization, and the first of its kind, supporting the full integration of people of Persian (Iranian) origin in the United States. PEC provides social and legal support for all members of the Iranian American community, including refugees, asylees, immigrants and the American-born. The Center advocates for more positive perceptions of Persians in the U.S. media, while offering services and programs that help establish, integrate and support Iranian Americans so that they are able to function responsibly and productively in American society. Daryabari’s aim is to create a more just and compassionate community in which Iranians of all cultures and beliefs can participate.

About Bita Daryabari

In less than a decade, arts advocate and philanthropist Bita Daryabari has emerged as one of the most beloved and cherished leaders of the Iranian American community. From the beginning of her professional life, her work has been accompanied by her avid interest in the world of literature, poetry, paintings and sculpture. She created the Bita Daryabari Endowment in Persian Letters at Stanford University, where The Annual Bita Prize in Literature has become the most coveted prize in the realm of Persian letters. In 2010, she founded Pars Equality Center—the only non-profit providing social and legal services to Iranian emigrants, refugees and asylum seekers—in the Bay Area where she is also the Executive Director. Her Unique Zan Foundation is dedicated to supporting the education of women all over Asia—from building orphanages for Afghan children to schools in the Middle East. Honors include Golden Gate University’s Alumni of the Year Award (2008); PAAIA Philanthropist of the Year Award (2010); United Nations Appreciation Award for Outstanding Leadership, Commitment and Support of the UN and Achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (2011); and Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2012). Bita Daryabari’s multi-faceted philanthropy is founded on her simple idea that creativity is the only way to alleviate suffering and ennoble our minds to better comprehend the human condition.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

First Mentorship Meeting

Growing up, there were people in your life who encouraged you, showed you the ropes, and helped you become the person you are today. They were your family members, a teacher, a coach, a neighbor, a boss, or a family friend; those people were Mentors to you.
 
Now it is time for you to offer your encouragement and share your experiences and knowledge. Do you know what a lasting difference you can make in someone’s life? You, as Mentors are the infrastructure in this evolving process, facilitating another person’s work and life skills preparation.

 
On behalf of all of us at Pars Equality Center, I would like to sincerely thank the future mentors who attended the first Pars Mentorship Program (PMP) meeting on Tuesday January 15th in Sunnyvale.

 
In the next few months as we get the Mentorship program up and running, we will hold more meetings and invite more future mentors to join in this valuable project. If you would like to join us to become involved in this project or become a mentor, please contact us at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 

Your commitment to share with, listen to, and support our mentees, while giving up your precious free time, is priceless.

Many, many thanks to Mr. Naimi and Mr. Golkar for all their hard work, for taking care of all the details, and for bringing the ideas together.

By influencing the condition of one…we influence many.

Thanks again for your support and passion for our community and this noble project.

Sincerely,

Bita Daryabari

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Event Report: Jan. 10, 2013 Panel Discussion on New Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations

On January 10, Pars Equality Center, IABA, PAAIA, Asian Law Caucus and NIAC sponsored a legal panel featuring attorneys Farhad Alavi of Akrivis Law Group, PLLC, Washington, D.C. and Erich Ferrari of Ferrari & Associates, P.C., Washington D.C.

The panel presented critical information relating to the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) and the enforcement of the regulations by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The presentation also included detailed discussion of the recent changes to the regulations that impact many Iranian-Americans.

The number of attendees was very high and the panelists held an informative Q&A session after the presentation with members of the Community.

Pars Equality Center would like to thank all sponsors, participants, Mr. Ferrari and Mr. Alavi, as well as Mimi Farsani, Priority Banking Relationship Manger at Union Bank, for providing refreshments.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Citing Federal Sanctions, TCF Bank in Minnesota Closes Accounts of Iranian Students

January 11, 2013

Iranian American Bar Association
PARS Equality Center
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
For Immediate Release

Citing Federal Sanctions, TCF Bank in Minnesota Closes Accounts of Iranian Students

It has recently come to light that Iranian students have been receiving notifications from banks regarding the closure of their accounts, most recently those attending the University of Minnesota.  According to local news reports, as many as a dozen visiting Iranian students at the University of Minnesota have received such letters from TCF Bank.  The closing of accounts was apparently the result of the Bank’s investigation into transactions that may have violated U.S. sanctions programs.  TCF Bank contends that other students, not just Iranian students, also received such the letters.

U.S. financial institutions have increased both the quantity and the scope of their sanctions compliance policies over the years, in an effort to comply with various U.S. sanctions programs—particularly sanctions imposed against Iran. However, the complexity of these various sanctions programs can lead to confusion and misapplication of the law, as may have happened in the TCF Bank case, or even a conscious decision to shut out account holders deemed to put the bank at risk of sanctions violations.

To that end, it is important for banks such as TCF Bank to note that once Iranian students come to the United States they are no longer deemed to be Iranian by the definition contained in the ITSR.  Instead, they are considered to be U.S. persons, the definition of which includes an individual physically present in the United States.  As such, the maintenance of an account by a U.S. financial institution on behalf of an Iranian student residing in the United States on a student visa is not a prohibited exportation of services to Iran, but rather the provision of services to a U.S. person. Furthermore, although the ITSR does not expressly grant authorization to U.S. financial institutions to open and maintain accounts for Iranian students visiting the U.S. on a student visa, it does in fact authorize transactions ordinarily incident to a licensed transaction. It is not a stretch to consider that maintaining a bank account while attending school in the United States is ordinarily incident to fulfilling the requirements of a student visa. 

The undersigned have begun an investigation into this matter and have been in contact with both the University of Minnesota and TCF Bank.  TCF Bank has confirmed that the investigation into these accounts began because certain transactions were flagged by interdiction software that reviews the text of all incoming wire transfers and account information.  Based on the flagging of certain transactions or accounts by this interdiction software, investigations were initiated by TCF Bank and determinations were made to close some of the accounts at issue.  As a result of the efforts made by the University of Minnesota, TCF Bank is conducting a secondary review of that decision to ensure that their initial risk assessment and decision to close the accounts was correct.

The use of interdiction software to flag suspicious transactions and conduct internal risk assessment analyses are commonplace in the financial services industry. In line with representations made by TCF Bank to members of the undersigned group as well as to the University of Minnesota, the closing of the accounts appears to be the result of an internal risk analysis of its account holders, coupled with a review of those transactions that TCF Bank believed to be suspicious.  U.S. financial institutions are required by law to monitor and report suspicious activity, develop anti-money laundering programs, and implement other risk-based approaches in order to prevent transactions that may run afoul of U.S. banking and sanctions regulations. It is imperative that banks such as TCF conduct secondary high-level reviews subsequent to any initial (and often software-based) interdiction reviews of customer accounts, particularly before taking any drastic action(s) such as closing customer accounts.  This heightened internal scrutiny of these critical decisions will help ensure that the bank actions do not violate either the spirit or letters of any federal laws—ITSR or otherwise. The undersigned recognize that the use of interdiction software is commonplace and that banks have a need to monitor their accounts, however, we also urge banks to perform second-level reviews and careful screening of accounts that are closed as a result of the use of such software, in order to ensure that bank accounts are not improperly closed due to account holders otherwise legal activities—as the closing of bank accounts has serious ramifications. 

We applaud the University of Minnesota for taking a proactive approach in this matter, and will continue to monitor this story and keep the public aware of any new developments.

Sincerely,

Iranian American Bar Association

Pars Equality Center

Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans

No legal advice, express or implied, is intended by this letter

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Jan. 10, 2013 Panel Discussion on The New Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations

The New Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations: How They Affect You and What You Need to Know.

Attend a panel discussion on this important topic and learn how it affects you.

Thursday, January 10, 2013
6:30pm - 8:30 pm
United Way Building Conference Room
1922 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126

Panelists:

FARHAD ALAVI, Akrivis Law Group, PLLC, Washington, D.C.
ERICH FERRARI, Ferrari & Associates, P.C., Washington, D.C.

This past October, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) made sweeping changes to many of the regulations concerning the trade embargo on Iran.

The new provisions in the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR) can significantly impact Iranian Americans who still maintain assets as well as financial and other ties to Iran.

The objective of this presentation is to educate and update the audience on key elements of the ITSR as they affect Iranian Americans, such as their regulations on investment in Iran, asset divestiture and funds transfer, as well as export trade with Iran.

Co-Sponsored by:
PAAIA, NIAC, IABA, Pars Equality Center, Asian Law Caucus

Click To Download Flyer

The 2013 Pars Equality Center Nowruz Gala

We are pleased to announce Pars Equality Center’s 3rd annual Nowruz Gala at 6:00pm at the Marriot Hotel in Santa Clara.

Special Musical Guest: Andy
MC’s: Houshang Touzie - Bita Milanian

To Purchase Tickets Click Here

For tax deductible sponsorship of our event please contact Ms. Goli Ghorashi at 650-321-6400.

Looking forward to celebrating our new year with you.

To Download the 2013 Gala Sponsorship Flyer Please Click Here

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Fourth Pars Equality Center Job Fair

Time: Saturday, February 2, 2013, 11am-1pm        

Location: 1922 The Alameda, San Jose, CA95126;   

Tel. 408-261-6400

Employers are cordially invited to join us for Pars Equality Center’s 4th Job Fair to be held Saturday, February 2, 2013 at United Way Building in San Jose.

This event is designed to bring together employers and more than 50 Iranian New Comers and Job Seekers.

Employer Registration : Click to Download Employer Registration Form

Job Seeker Registration: Click to Download Job Seeker Registration Form

Or Pre- Register by sending email to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)                   

Or call:  650-321-6400
                                                                     
Registration is free of charge and closes on 01/30/2012.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

“THE IRANIAN AMERICANS” Documentary Film premiere

“THE IRANIAN AMERICANS” Documentary Film premiere Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS.

Please join us in watching a new Documentary about Iranian-Americans on your local PBS station this December 18th at 9:30pm.
Iranians have been immigrating to America in small numbers for decades, primarily for education, but 1979 saw massive migration. THE IRANIAN AMERICANS is an emotional account of displacement told by more than 25 Iranians who were uprooted from their home and heritage and built completely new lives in the U.S.
Iranian Americans, also called Persian Americans, who are featured in the documentary come from diverse backgrounds. They are educators, politicians, diplomats, scientists, comedians, bankers and writers, to name a few. 

Trailer: The Iranian Americans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_GWpaV94Q&feature=youtu.be

New! Career Development Workshop Dec. 15, 2012

New! Career Development Workshop
کارگاه آموزشی ارتقای مهارت های شغلی

Learn to build an impressive resume
شیوه نگارش یک رزومه موثر

Learn the best job search methods
بهترین روشهای کاریابی

Learn proper interview skills
ارایه مهارتهای مناسب در مصاحبه شغلی

When: Saturday, December 15, 2012, 11am-2pm
زمان: شنبه پانزدهم دسامبر 2102 ساعت 11 الی 2 بعداز ظهر

Where: United Way Building 1922 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126; Tel. 408-261-6400
مکان: دفتر مرکز برابری پارس واقع در سن خوزه ، ساختمان
United Way Building

We Are on Our Way! Pars 3rd Job Fair Report!

Thanks to everyone for being part of our 3rd Job Fair which was held on Saturday November 10th in San Jose.

During the fair we conducted a short attendee survey and based on the feedback and comments we received, we are definitely on the right track with the Job Fair, and it is being well received as a much needed service for the community. On top of this great feedback, operationally we are getting better and better at it! There is always room for improvement, but it is good to know that on the whole it was a great success.

The attendee numbers we collected that reflect the success of the event are as follows:

- 62 registered and documented job seekers (increase of 25%) attended with 15 individuals who were there as guests.

- 18 Job Providers (increase of 20%) registered and participated in the event, by collecting job seeker resumes for their job openings, as well answering questions, and giving general direction and great advice to a variety of inquiries by the attendees.

Sepehre Amirjahed, Pars Case Manager, said “There is definitely an increase in attendees on both the job seeker as well as employer side, so we are starting to see some good energy and momentum building in this event.”

Part of the overall employment initiatives being undertaken at Pars is our new Mentorship program which is being headed up by Pars volunteer Cyrus Golkar, EVP at Fuzzy Logix, who has managed similar mentorship programs at the corporate level.

Golkar stated, “Mentorship is great opportunity for successful folks in our community to give something back, and this is a very exciting opportunity for those of us who can help those who appreciate a caring guiding hand, and that builds a solid future of community unity and continued success.”

The next Pars Job Fair is set for Saturday February 2nd, 2013 in the same location in the Pars San Jose facility.

To register as an employer or as a job seeker for our February 2md Job Fair, or for any more information about our employment programs, please contact the February Job Fair Manager, Bahman Daryabary .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or call us at: (650) 321-6400

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Mentoring Kick Off Event!

This month Pars Equality Center held an inspiring career mentoring event designed to put some of the amazing expertise that we have available in the Bay Area to help those in need, and help them plan their new and exciting careers.

The mentoring meeting was held on Saturday October 13th, from 11-3pm, at the Pars Equality Center offices in San Jose. 40 attendees registered in advance, however as an indication of how important this new service is becoming, well over 55 attendees came to the preliminary event.

Pars champion and mentoring volunteer Mr. Cyrus Golkar who has graciously agreed to help Pars in the mentoring area signed up 22 attendees, to help them connect with the right mentors with experience in their specialty areas of expertise.

All of the attendees had a wide range of professional experience, technical training, and unique skills, and the overall level of knowledge was very high.

There was overwhelming support by all who attended for continuing the regularly scheduled gatherings and meetings in order to continue to provide this kind of help to each other, as well as learn form each other’s experiences, successes and even failures.

As a good example of the synergy that these kinds of events can create, one attendee who was a sewing expert, offered her expertise and casually suggested that she could even teach a tailoring/sewing class. Immediately 4 hands went up, and the attendees signed up for her sewing and clothing tailoring classes!

As a result, Reza Odabaee, Pars Director of Social Services promised to arrange for the needed space available for this new class in our San Jose facility.

2 former expert mathematics teachers from Iran who also attended, announced their availability to provide top notch tutoring in mathematics to all students interested. Pars will spread the word to local families and those kids needing mathematics tutoring.

November Job Fair

Things are moving along for the upcoming Pars Job Fair to be held from 11am to 2pm on November 10th in San Jose at 1922 The Alameda (United Way Building).

Due to high demand of job seekers, we have increased the number of tables for interviews and candidate evaluations, and have several open slots for employers seeking to attend the event and hire.

To reserve the FREE table for your company and space to interview our outstanding job seekers, please contact the Job Fair manager Sepehre Amirjahed with any questions or call us at: (650) 321-6400 for more information.

Pars Awarded Yahoo! Grant!

On October 18th, 2012, Pars Equality Center was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Yahoo! Employee Foundation.

Bob Upham, the YEF Grants Committee Co-chair made the announcement and congratulated Pars saying, “Congratulations to you and your organization.  YEF salutes all the great work you are doing in your communities.”

Thanks to the efforts of Sy Fahimi and Nader Mehdizadeh, who took the time to submit our application and for their diligent followup.

If you work for a company or your employer has a similar employee foundation and corporate giving program, and you would like to sponsor Pars to apply, let us know by calling us at: (650) 321-6400, or send us an email at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)