Our Team


Mahdokht Sanati
President
Mahdokht Sanati holds degrees in early childhood education and social & psychological counseling. In 1994, she co-founded the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child in Iran. As a social activist, she has spearheaded numerous organizations including acting as Director of Organization for Rural Women’s Education in Iran and Director of Association In Support of Children’s Rights in Iran.
Sanati is an award winning writer and translator. Her more recent publications include Women of Shadow & Light and Letters, Writings, and Remembrances, a three-volume work on the life of Sedigheh Dowlatabadi. She was an active member of the Children’s Book Council from 1961-1975. She co-authored the textbook on children’s literature entitled “Gozari Dar Adabeyat-e Koodakan” alongside Lily Ayman and Turan Mirhadi.

Zarin Shaghaghi
Secretary
Zarin Shaghaghi is an academic services specialist at University of California at San Diego. Zarin has been involved with human rights organizations most of her life. Her passion is directed education for all, and especially for children. She believes literacy must be accompanied by learning about humanitarian values. She has been involved with ICRS since 1996 in various capacities.

Keyvan R. Moghadam
Treasurer
Keyvan Moghadam is a research scientist at Facebook. As a humanitarian, Moghadam has always been singularly focused on exploring meaningful ways to give back to his community. His experiences include prestigious roles such as the presidency of the Persian Academic and Cultural Association at USC alongside being the founder MacMaster study group on history.

Zahra Dowlatabadi
Development
Zahra Dowlatabadi is an award-winning animation producer and documentary filmmaker. Past projects for Dowlatabadi include fundraising and delivery of Persian books to Kabul Public Library after Taliban’s burning of children’s books and distribution of textbooks for Afghan girls through the Revolutionary Women of Afghanistan. Additionally she has directed a book drive for Alif Laila: The Storyteller Book Bus after Pakistan’s disastrous earthquake. Dowlatabadi is the co-author of Producing Animation also translated in Chinese and Korean and now in its 2nd edition. She is the recipient of the first Spirit Award from Educators Consortium for Service Learning. Dowlatabadi is passionate about empowering children to become social activists starting from Pre-K through 12th Grade.