People’s organizations can be considered as a hidden system of community health and assistance in solving social problems and issues; organizations that are a network of public participation in addressing their own affairs and comprehensive development; institutions that are vital for democracy in countries and have always been enemies of non-democratic systems. People’s organizations, or simply associations, can be seen as controllers of the performance of governments in order to serve the people and take steps towards the public interest.

These organizations, which are defined as non-governmental, non-profit, non-political, and independent, can be classified based on various approaches. On one hand, based on their membership eligibility, they can be divided into inclusive assemblies and security council assemblies, and the difference lies in the limitation or lack of limitation on the number of members. On the other hand, based on their geographical influence, they can be categorized into national, regional, and international groups; this classification can also be viewed from the perspective of the functions of the assemblies and they can be categorized into cultural, social, educational-research, etc. groups based on their specific tasks.

But how many charities do we have in Iran? According to the announcement of the information center of charities and associations in the country, there are 55,240 charities in the country. This is while in mid-Shahrivar 1400, it was reported that less than half of this number were registered as charities, associations, and organizations in the country. (2) The issue here is that either in less than nine months, the number of charities has doubled, or there is no accurate statistics on this number. The latter, which is the inaccuracy of statistics, was previously announced in a research in the summer of 1398 and by the Hakimran School. (3) And this inaccuracy in statistics is itself a problem and harmful, and leads to various statistical manipulations.

Unfortunately, statistics are a victim of opaque and unmonitored governance; this is especially true in a situation where the eyes of society, namely the media, are not allowed the freedom to see and breathe, and instead of reflecting the truth, they must reflect the desires of the ruling advertising machine. In Iran, it seems that statistical manipulation is a common practice for governments and the state, and it is a method used to solve the problems of the ruling system in Iran. As Dr. Hossein Raghefar, an economist, puts it, governments in Iran “justify their policies with statistics and numbers.” (4)

Another issue is the inactivity of many of these organizations. The numbers vary, but what the head of the General Directorate of Public Participation and Social Capital of the Judiciary said in February 2021 is shocking. According to this government official, only “about thirty percent of registered civil society organizations are active in society, and the rest are inactive.” (5) This means that seventy percent of registered organizations are only names and registration numbers, and probably serve the interests of the registrants, without any actual function in society. This also means that the growth of inactive organizations has been around one and a half years. In the summer of 2019, government officials had stated that thirty-three percent of organizations were inactive or semi-active. (6) This number has now reached seventy percent as of February 2021, and it is unclear what the current situation is. This means that the statistics reported for civil society organizations in Iran are only numbers used for official propaganda and presentation to international organizations, and

The role of active NGOs in solving the country’s problems is insignificant and government officials constantly demand that NGOs participate in addressing social issues and collaborate in solving the country’s problems in official tribunals. On the other hand, there is also the belief that NGOs are a tool for promoting government policies, as seen in the case of a government official asking NGOs to be active in promoting population growth (7) and supporting a controversial government policy that has faced much criticism.

This means that not only is the number of active councils very low, but also those that are active are under pressure to implement government policies. The statistics of all the officials and members of the councils are also available to government security institutions. They are registered and, in fact, have been grappling with the issue of council registration.

Non-governmental organizations in Iran do not have the possibility to operate officially without a license and registration. The official activities of these organizations without a license can lead to charges such as violating Article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code and being accused of conspiring against national security. On the other hand, the registration of these organizations is done by identifying their founders and members by security institutions, and when these institutions feel that the activities of these organizations are not in line with their interests, they take security measures against them. The incident with the officials and members of the Imam Ali Charity is evidence of this claim. Unfortunately, there is a security perspective on the activities of organizations in Iran, and the situation is such that, to quote Leila Arshad (director of the closed “Khorshid” center, which was a center for reducing harm to women in Iran), “you can’t swim with your hands tied.”

Another aspect of the problems with the Semen is related to society. It is not surprising that collective work culture is weak in Iran. We achieve more international titles in individual sports than team sports. Although we say “one hand doesn’t make a sound,” when one hand turns into multiple hands, the flaws of collective work in Iran become evident. We are used to competing with each other from school to adulthood, and our individual projects and collaborations are more successful than group efforts. We must address this weakness in our collective work; of course, this is a trait of authoritarian governments that suppress the collective work culture in their citizens and make them self-centered; meaning that the collective work culture and authoritarianism in Iran have a mutually reinforcing relationship with each other.

However, despite the governmental and cultural challenges, they are still active in Iran; both independent organizations that strive to continue their existence despite all obstacles, and government-affiliated organizations that have found a place for themselves by eliminating others and seek to either improve the image of the government or cover up the ideological and strategic goals of the ruling political system. In any case, these organizations provide an opportunity for civil society, where people can transition from being subjects to citizens and responsibly participate in social matters. This is especially important in Iran, where, according to experts, only a skeleton of civil society remains, and this civil society has become a victim of the ideological resistance against the ruling government. The torch of these organizations’ activities is passed down from one group to another, from one generation to the next, in the face of setbacks, closures, and challenges, in the hopes of moving forward. Sorour Manshizadeh, a member of the board of directors of “Khaneh Khorsh

Notes:

1- Butler, Israel, why are non-governmental organizations vital for democracy?, European Union of Civil Liberties, April 11, 2017.

2- Khan-Mohammadi, Hadi, Study of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Shahid Beheshti School of Governance, Community of Think Tanks, September 13, 2021.

3- The main issues of grassroots organizations (NGOs) in the country, the Shahid Beheshti Leadership School, summer of 1398.

4- Raaghefar: Arguments about bread rationing are not acceptable, Khabar Online, 17 Ordibehesht 1401.

5- Director General of Public Participation of the Judiciary: 30% of civil society organizations are active with a license, ISNA, February 7, 2021.

6- Thirty-three percent of the country’s cement factories are inactive or semi-active, ISNA, August 16, 2019.

7- People’s organizations should become active in promoting population growth in the country, IRNA, 20 Ordibehesht 1401.

8- *: The title of this poem is inspired by Houshang Ebtehaj.

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“Be like a river that, in the descent of the valley, hits its head against the rock, but keeps flowing.”

There is no miracle from the dead, hope is not enough.

“Be alive.”