Objectives

Community Building

PAAIA's community building objectives are to:

build a broad based national grass-roots public affairs organization that truly represents the Iranian American community at large and its interests, with local chapters in major metropolitan areas with relatively large Iranian American populations and a large membership of thousands, if not tens of thousands;
build networks of local and national Iranian American organizations that regularly collaborate on matters of common focus with the goal of advancing the interests of the community at large;
build networks of local and national Iranian American business, political, community, student and thought leaders; and
further empower the Iranian American community in the public arena, expanding opportunities for and encouraging the active participation of increasing numbers of Iranian Americans in the public life of the United States.

PAAIA's image building objectives are to:

celebrate the success of the Iranian American community and project an accurate and positive image of Iranian Americans that truly reflects our values and achievements as one of the most highly accomplished immigrant groups in the United States;
foster greater understanding of the Iranian American community and its Persian heritage through various educational and media outreach strategies aimed at American political, business, community and thought leaders, as well as the American public at large; and
counter and overcome negative media stereotyping of Iranians and Iranian Americans, and to lead, promote and support anti-defamation efforts on behalf of the Iranian American community.

PAAIA will build a public affairs organization that will serve to:

advocate policies and legislation in furtherance of the interests of the Iranian American community and the community at large. It will do so by promoting and supporting active political participation at a grassroots level;
educate the Iranian American community about legislative and policy developments of concern and interest, and support voter registration drives to encourage broad-based community participation;
develop, maintain and strengthen relations with policymakers in both the legislative and the executive branch. It will actively advocate policy positions before law- and policy-makers at local, state, and national levels; and
promote and support both Iranian American and non-Iranian American candidates for public office as well as influential officeholders who are attuned matters of interest to the Iranian American community.