Awaz; A National Model for Public Participation in Culture

According to a reporter from the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), the opening ceremony of the 33rd Book Week was held with the presence of Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance; Ebrahim Heydari, CEO of Iran’s House of Book and Literature and Secretary of the 33rd Book Week; Forough Hashemi, Governor of Awaz County; Seyyed Mousa Ahmadizadeh, Head of the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Awaz County; Rezaei, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance; and Mohammad Hossein Firoozi, Director General of Public Libraries of Fars Province.

The message of Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, on the occasion of the start of Book Week, was read by Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and is as follows:

In the name of God

Note by Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance

On the occasion of the beginning of the 33rd Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the city of Awaz

Cultural justice, more than being a headline in the Ministry of Culture’s grand program, is a necessity for Iran’s cultural future. Cultural justice gains meaning when every Iranian, in every part of this land, has equal opportunity to access knowledge and participate in cultural life. Throughout all the years I held responsibility, this concern guided many decisions and policies. Our firm belief that cultural justice is not merely the distribution of facilities but the distribution of opportunities has guided our actions.

Today, as the 33rd Book Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran begins in Awaz as the Book Capital, the idea of cultural justice has found concrete realization. Awaz, a city in southern Iran, is a place where books have flourished not under the shadow of government support, but in the light of popular will. This city, which has actively participated in the ‘Iran Book Capital’ program since its early years, has, through the continuous efforts of its culture-loving people, managed to present a model of cultural development based on social participation.

Awaz is not just the Book Capital of Iran; it is a city that has shown how culture can be born from the heart of the people. In this city, popular institutions, cultural benefactors, teachers, volunteers, and families have worked side by side, transforming cultural life into a daily routine. Libraries in Awaz are not confined to official buildings; all urban spaces, including clinics, shops, and even jewelry stores, have shelves for books, and people easily read and lend books. Here, books are not on shelves but in circulation, just as knowledge should be.

Since 2016 (1395 in Persian calendar), with the establishment of the Book Capital secretariat in Awaz, a cohesive movement for promoting reading began in this city. From then until today, Awaz has been among the final nominees for Iran’s Book Capital five times, has twice won the title of ‘Book-Friendly City,’ and through the continuation of its cultural activities, has become one of the popular hubs for promoting books in the country. In this city, more than dozens of book clubs are active, and many children, teenagers, and families read books in groups, critique them, and share their reading experiences with others.

What distinguishes Awaz’s experience is the link between civil institutions and social traditions. In Awaz, the concept of ‘Vow of Knowledge’ (Nazar-e Danayi) has become prevalent; benefactors, instead of constructing physical structures, undertake the costs of purchasing books, equipping libraries, or holding cultural programs. Men and women whose professions and positions might at first glance seem unrelated to culture have joined this path to make books and education a shared asset for everyone.

Children and teenagers in this city participate in creative programs such as Hafez-reading, Shahnameh-reading, and storytelling, and it is this new generation that keeps the link between tradition and future alive. This cultural continuity is not the result of top-down policymaking but the product of people’s self-belief; the true meaning of cultural justice.

Cultural justice means that geographical distance does not turn into a knowledge gap. It means that a city in southern Fars can have a share in the production and promotion of culture equal to that of the capital. In such a model, the government acts as a facilitator, not a proprietor; the government paves the way for people to become the main actors of culture. Awaz’s experience has shown that cultural justice is achieved when people consider culture their own and participate in its creation and preservation.

Today, in many cities and villages across Iran, we are witnessing the emergence of such movements; from Khorramshahr to Birjand, from Sanandaj to Talesh. But Awaz holds a special place among these examples, because there, culture has gone beyond a seasonal program and has become a part of social life. Every cultural movement in Awaz is recorded in the people’s memory like a social tradition, and this continuity has turned it into a national model.

This year’s Book Week is an opportunity to recall the role of the people in realizing cultural justice. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, as the policymaking body in this field, considers itself aligned with the cultural society; a society that has risen from distant cities and villages, from schools and libraries, and from small and large homes.

During this week, what should be considered above all is a return to the essence of the book; to the book which, before any other medium, has been the pillar of knowledge and dialogue in Iranian society. In a world where the speed of information sometimes overcomes the depth of thought, the book is an opportunity for pause, for contemplation, and for rebuilding the human connection with oneself and with others. Cultural justice also cannot be achieved without such rethinking; because justice in culture is, first and foremost, justice in thought.

Awaz should be seen not only as a book-reading city but as a symbol of Iran’s cultural future. A future where culture is not a product of decrees but the result of people’s faith in knowledge. Any city that moves with this same belief is, in fact, the Book Capital of Iran; whether it be Awaz, Urmia, Zabol, or Tehran.

I should remind you that in these days, as Iran, after twelve days of imposed resistance, once again moves from the dust and turmoil of war towards calm and contemplation, let us remember that culture and knowledge are the most enduring strongholds of this land. Cultural justice reaches its peak when this spirit of knowledge and participation flows throughout Iran. Book Week, in such days, is not just a celebration of books; it is a tribute to peace, dialogue, and wisdom.