Origin Story
JINA Alliance emerged out of the Kurdish slogan "Jin Jiyan Azadi," and the "Woman Life Freedom" movement in Iran, one of the most inspiring and globally recognized democracy and women's rights movements in recent history.
"Jin Jiyan Azadi" is a Kurdish slogan that originates with the Kurdish people, whose women have long stood for fearlessness and bravery in their pursuit of women's rights and freedom from tyranny. This slogan was reborn when the Woman Life Freedom movement erupted in Iran in 2022...
In 2022, two Iranian female journalists dared to expose the death-in-custody of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian, Mahsa Jina Amini, at the hands of the notorious morality police in Iran. Her death was a powerful inflection point, leading tens of thousands of Iranians to protest in the streets, and millions around the world to simultaneously support their calls for freedom and democracy. After four decades of oppression, corruption, economic devastation and gender apartheid at the hands of the Islamic Republic occupying Iran, the Iranian people stood together in the largest protest movement ever seen in modern Iranian history.
Its name became a global phenomenon - Woman. Life. Freedom.
Formerly, JINA Alliance was known as the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran. Today, JINA Alliance honors the bravery of the Iranian people through programs that amplify the voices of the Iranian people as they continue to call for freedom, human rights and democracy. In honor of Woman Life Freedom, our work has expanded to global human rights and democracy causes around the world, because we believe freedom and democracy are best forged through solidarity.
Our logo represents a free woman rising out of Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran.
Our Principles
Collaboration, breadth, impact and expertise.
JINA Alliance abides by several fundamental principles that reflect our mission and guide the scope of our work. These include:
- Collaboration
- We adhere to strong internal team collaboration within our JINA Alliance community. We also specialize in cross-functional international collaboration that finds commonalities between different human rights and democracy causes, and uses these shared values to pursue projects and research rooted in cooperation.
- Breadth
- Our horizon is long and deep. We rely on a wide range of experts on our Advisory Board and within our network. We advocate for a broad range of global issues relating to many geographies.
- Impact
- "Words without actions are the assassins of idealism." ~ Herbert Hoover
- We do not believe in research for the sake of research alone. We strive to fulfill our mandate through informed, expert-driven wisdom that can have a concrete application and carries potential for long-term change.
- Expertise
- Experts are the backbone of our capabilities. Their mastery and deep understanding of issues, and leadership skills sustain the outcomes we pursue. We rely on the expertise of our network and allies because their understanding can see strategies within complex problems and find innovative methods to address critical issues.
Our Team
Thoughtful, committed, united in vision.
JINA Alliance is home to a plentitude of collaborators. Our Core Team developed out of cooperation that began in 2023, then a working group in 2024, which implemented a four-month pilot program before the official launch of JINA Alliance (then known as the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran). The Core Team is drawn from activists, board members of other nonprofits, attorneys, business professionals, students and artists, who contribute a range of insights, and are primarily based in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
The JINA Alliance Board receives counsel from the Core Team as well as the Advisory Board, to ensure decisions are guided by diverse perspectives, are based upon the wisdom of a collective, and for team members develop trust and camaraderie.
Did you know?
Since 2024, JINA Alliance has held dozens of meetings with members of Congress and their staff.
We have provided educational advocacy on specific issues including:
- Support for survivors of political violence such as intentional blinding victims;
- Detailed information on Internet censorship and how VPN functions in Iran;
- The need to incorporate "gender apartheid" into the governmental framework;
- Medical visas for victims of human rights abuses;
- Suppression of human rights activists in Thailand;
- The treatment of refugees in detention centers;
- The need to support political dissidents and artists such as Toomaj Salehi;
- The "TOOMAJ" Act (H.R. 8586);
- Preventing legitimization of the Taliban;
- Denying U.S. visas to human rights abusers within foreign governments; and
- Sanctions against Revolutionary Courts in Iran.
Make a donation today to help us continue our work
JINA Alliance is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization headquartered in the United States, with public charity status approved by the Internal Revenue Service. All donations are tax-deductible. EIN: 99-3176941.
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Contact us
E-mail: info@jinaalliance.org
Instagram: @jina.alliance
Address: 8 The Green, Ste A Dover, DE 19901
Headquartered in Washington, DC.