iTalki Goes Dark in Iran: Language-learners are the latest casualty of sanctions
/By Stephanie Lester, Executive Director
Practicing my Persian under the Si-o-se-pol bridge in Esfahan in 2015
Sanctions are a blunt tool bearing unintended consequences. In Iran, they have taken a severe humanitarian toll, reducing access to medicine, causing rampant inflation and exacerbating poverty.
With negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal currently in flux, the media tends to focus on basic questions like: “will they or won’t they?” reach a deal. But it is worth reflecting on the continued cost of sanctions during this diplomatic impasse.
One especially toxic, but rarely examined byproduct of sanctions merits particular attention. That is the effect they have on reducing intercultural exchange and in amplifying myths and negative perceptions about the “other.” Case-in-point:
On May 25th, a well-known website for language sharing and learning, called iTalki, sent a message to its users in Iran informing them that iTalki will no longer provide service in their region beginning in late June. (1)
iTalki is not the largest, nor the most influential company to adjust its policies due to sanctions, but it is symbolic of the true harm that sanctions can cause to cultural exchange. It is a popular platform for language-learners to find conversation partners or teachers, and many young people in Iran make their livelihoods via this website teaching curious Westerners how to speak Persian. Some iTalki members don’t use the platform for commercial purposes at all, but simply to chat with people in another country, practice their language skills and to share tips and cultural insights.
I’ve used the service for many years and made great friends there. Together, we have not only spoken about cultural topics like food, traditions, music, and travel, but we’ve also discussed our personal lives. I spoke with one woman from Shiraz for over two years; she talked about her attempts to get pregnant; I shared the sadness I experienced after my mother’s stroke.
Conversations like these are important; not just for individual enrichment, but also for their national and international reverberations. Communication between people - particularly when it happens in a shared language - helps dispel misconceptions and improves understanding. When an American iTalki user speaks with her Iranian counterpart, she isn’t just gaining personal knowledge, but also insight that she can share with her community. She may tell family, for instance, that Americans are not “hated” by Iranians. She can explain to friends that her Persian teacher is fluent in a few languages, wears stylish clothing, lives in a vibrant, bustling city, and that her husband is a hipster who runs a tech-startup in Tehran.
Similarly, Iranians can share with their loved ones how American students sympathize with the economic plight that Iranians are experiencing; that Americans are not all war-mongering or fearful.
These exchanges are also crucial to fostering an informed citizenry. A population without such understanding – people who, for example, couldn’t begin to imagine what a typical life is like for someone in Iran – is more vulnerable to political ideologues that can exploit misperceptions and foment arguments for war. Ignorance breeds an environment for conflict, and the most powerful counteracting force against that is knowledge.
And so, when a site like iTalki, which promotes vital cultural exchange, is being shut down in Iran because of sanctions – it is disheartening and concerningly symbolic. “Will they or won’t they” reach a deal? When we have sanctions policies that discourage interaction among people - even the means by which we learn one another’s language - it is no surprise if diplomatic engagement frays too. Ultimately we will find ourselves in a less safe and peaceful world.
(1) The message was sent to users in Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Syria. While sanctions were not explicitly cited, the reasoning was clear given the choice of excluded countries. Due to US “secondary sanctions,” even foreign companies that may technically be able to service sanctioned countries often choose not to in order to avoid the hassle of navigating complex OFAC regulations or losing access to a large market like the US.
