March 15, 2010, Washington, D.C. - We are very pleased to report that the House of Representatives passed the Nowruz resolution (H.Res.267) today by a vote of 384 to 2.

Great gratitude and our warmest thanks to PAAIA Organization to lead this effort

UN names March 21st, International Day of Nowruz

On February 23^rd, the United Nations General Assembly has recognized March 21^st as ‘International Day of Nowruz’. Nowruz is the Persian New Year celebration – a day that not only marks the beginning of the new year but also the beginning of spring (the Vernal Equinox). The proposal to formally recognize Nowruz was submitted to the General Assembly on December 3^rd, 2009 by Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. According to the United Nations press release, “The Assembly called on Member States that celebrate the festival to study its history and traditions with a view to disseminating that knowledge among the international community and organizing annual commemoration events”. The recognition of Nowruz means it will now be included on the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).


	NOWRUZ RESOLUTION MAKES HISTORY March 15, 2010, Washington, D.C. - We are very pleased to report that the House of Representatives passed the Nowruz resolution (H.Res.267) today by a vote of 384 to 2. Great gratitude and our warmest thanks to PAAIA Organization to lead this effort UN names March 21st, International Day of Nowruz On February 23^rd, the United Nations General Assembly has recognized March 21^st as ‘International Day of Nowruz’. Nowruz is the Persian New Year celebration – a day that not only marks the beginning of the new year but also the beginning of spring (the Vernal Equinox). The proposal to formally recognize Nowruz was submitted to the General Assembly on December 3^rd, 2009 by Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. According to the United Nations press release, “The Assembly called on Member States that celebrate the festival to study its history and traditions with a view to disseminating that knowledge among the international community and organizing annual commemoration events”. The recognition of Nowruz means it will now be included on the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).