PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release - October 3, 2003 Contact: Niloofar M. Nouri, 510-848-0264

FIRST IRANIAN WOMAN BICYCLING AROUND THE WORLD PEDALS INTO PERSIAN CENTER

Poupeh Mahdavinader, “Ambassador of Peace”, visits 2029 Durant Avenue in Berkeley, Sunday, Oct. 5th at 6:00 pm Persian Center proudly hosts an evening with Poupeh Mahdavinader (http://www.mahdavinader.com), the 30 year-old Iranian Woman traveling the world on bike and foot, “in the name of love, friendship and global peace.” Having traveled half the globe so far, she will share her stories to date, as well as her plans for the future. The event is co-sponsored by Iranian Student Alliance in
America (http://isaa.berkeley.edu).

With only $350 in her pocket, Poupeh began her journey on March 21st, 2003 (first day of the Persian New Year), with the goal of raising funds for orphaned children and the needy, communicating with other women worldwide and bringing their message to the women in Iran, and observing the manifestations of God in the world. Unable to start her trip from Iran due to the bombing of Iraq at the time, she started her trip from Rome, Italy where representatives from the Vatican greeted her in a gesture of understanding between Islam and Christianity. Her last stop in Europe was the United Kingdom where she shared that, “very honestly, the kindness of all of you who have supported me in Iran and abroad, countrymen or otherwise, has been the single most important source of encouragement for me on this journey.”

Arriving in the United States on July 30, 2003, she was greeted by many people in front of the United Nations in New York. Her travels across the US have brought her to the Bay Area this week, where she was hosted by Payvand Cultural School in Cupertino (http://www.payvand.org), and will be hosted by the Society of Iranian Professionals (www.anjoman.org) on Friday, October 3, 2003 in Sunnyvale. After her visit of the Persian Center in Berkeley this Sunday, she will continue pedaling on to Los Angeles. Poupeh will fly to Japan, New Zealand, China, India, and Oman, with plans to walk through some of these countries and conquering mountains in others. The finale of her trip will take place in Saudi Arabia with a pilgrimage to the holy Muslim city of Mecca.

“ My belief is that on this trip, I have a special mission. Every human being has a mission on this earth, and this is mine,” she said. “Four years ago, I wanted to just travel the world, but realized that what I was doing for the kids in Iran was more important, and maybe I should leave my global travels for the hereafter.” She has been collecting donations throughout her journey for this cause, and accepts contribution to her account as follows:

Wachovia Bank, N.A., U.S.A, Router Number: 061000227, Account Number: 1010087758047, Mahdavinader.

The Persian Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to create an environment in which to conduct social, cultural, educational, and recreational activities designed to strengthen the sense of identity and integrity of all Iranians and Iranian descendants, and to engage individuals interested in or related to Persian community and culture.