Dear President Ahmadinejad and President Obama: Support Generation Y Diplomacy

Check out an interesting open letter, from over at the Huffington Post, by Negar Razavi, a young Iranian-American, to the leaders of the United States and Iran.

"I write to you as an Iranian, as an American, as a young person, and most importantly, as an advocate for dialogue between Iran and the United States....

"You have both publicly stated your support for U.S.-Iran dialogue, and your governments are examining ways to launch such diplomacy. But dialogue between our two countries need not wait until Tehran and Washington sit down at the negotiation table.

"You can begin the process of dialogue by facilitating exchanges between young Americans and Iranians -- those who will gain the most from such interactions, yet have the least knowledge and understanding of the other...

"I have experienced first-hand how rewarding it can be to bring these young people together. In 2004, I co-led a delegation of American students to Iran for a dialogue exchange. The university in Tehran had never hosted Americans before, and the Americans had never traveled to Iran. For some of them, this was their first trip to a Muslim country. The two groups of students debated and discussed issues as diverse and as difficult as Abu Ghraib, terrorism, the role of the media, women's rights and art. On some issues we had clear differences, while on others we found common ground. Ultimately though, the process helped us gain a more nuanced and respectful understanding of the other....

"President Obama and President Ahmadinejad, if you are truly committed to dialogue, allow the young people from your countries to get to know each other. Remove the obstacles that keep them apart. These smart, motivated and innovative young people will find ways to interact, to learn from another, and ultimately to break apart the fear and misunderstandings that have developed between the Iranian and American people."

Check out the whole letter here - it's a fascinating read. Then tell us what you think: does the best chance for U.S.-Iran diplomatic relations lie with our generation?