{"id":333287,"date":"2025-06-23T15:23:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=333287"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:52:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T09:52:20","slug":"former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_333288\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-333288\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-333288 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\" alt=\"Former Irish Minister and MEP Jim Higgins addresses an NCRI conference on May 31, 2025\" width=\"1000\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025-750x420.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025-696x390.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-333288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Irish Minister and MEP Jim Higgins addresses an NCRI conference on May 31, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"548\">At the second session of the 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/global-lawmakers-unite-at-free-iran-2025-conference-to-back-regime-change-and-democratic-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Free Iran Conference<\/a> near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins delivered a passionate speech reaffirming his decades-long support for the Iranian Resistance. Drawing from his extensive experience in European politics, Higgins praised the determination of Iranian activists\u2014especially women and youth\u2014and the relentless advocacy of NCRI representatives in Brussels and Strasbourg.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"550\" data-end=\"925\">Higgins commended <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/biography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maryam Rajavi<\/a>\u2019s leadership and her speech at the event, describing it as \u201cin a category all of its own\u201d\u2014a hopeful, clear roadmap for a democratic Iran. Reflecting on global turning points like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime in Syria, he emphasized that history can pivot quickly\u2014if momentum and unity are sustained.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"927\" data-end=\"1390\">He stressed that the downfall of the Iranian regime will come not from foreign military intervention but through the efforts of the Iranian people, supported by international political and moral solidarity. Higgins concluded by urging the international community to ensure any future Iranian democracy includes independent institutions\u2014especially a free media\u2014and reaffirmed the shared goal: not just to gather in Paris, but to celebrate one day in a free Tehran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1392\" data-end=\"1480\"><strong data-start=\"1392\" data-end=\"1471\">Excerpts of Jim Higgin&#8217;s speech follows. Portions have been lightly edited for clarity and flow.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/en_simayazadi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#en_simayazadi<\/a>&#39;s interview with former MEP Jim Higgins and his passionate support of a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FreeIran2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FreeIran2025<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DxQE6kmhp4\">pic.twitter.com\/DxQE6kmhp4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/en_simayazadi\/status\/1931454213785342228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 7, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1743\" data-end=\"1935\">I got involved in this cause, as John Paul mentioned, when I joined the Irish Senate 23 years ago. But I truly engaged when I became a Member of the European Parliament in 2004\u201421 years ago.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2350\" data-end=\"2470\">From the start, one theme that\u2019s been constant is Ashraf\u2014Ashraf 1, Ashraf 2, so-called Camp Liberty, and now Ashraf 3.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2472\" data-end=\"2709\">I want to make a special plea to the Albanian authorities: please ensure the protection of the people of Ashraf. We saw what happened in Iraq when that protection was denied. These are the people keeping the flag of freedom flying.\u00a0They deserve safety, dignity, and recognition for what they represent.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"2785\" data-end=\"2904\">Madam Rajavi, your speeches have always inspired us. But what you delivered today was truly in a category of its own. It was comprehensive, hopeful, determined, and visionary. You laid out a clear policy framework that, once our shared goal is achieved, will serve as the blueprint for a democratic Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3100\" data-end=\"3294\">It reminded me of 1989, when Ireland elected its first female president, Mary Robinson. I remember her inauguration well. She famously said, <em data-start=\"3241\" data-end=\"3292\">\u201cThe hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3296\" data-end=\"3530\">And today\u2019s theme\u2014women leading the revolution\u2014could not be more fitting. From the very first video, to the delegation of young activists, to the women who are driving change on the ground in Iran, this movement is led by women. Led by an extraordinary leader in Maryam Rajavi.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3588\" data-end=\"3711\">Let me turn briefly to strategy. We\u2019ve heard incredible contributions today, and I don\u2019t want to repeat what\u2019s been said. But it\u2019s not enough to have truck drivers striking in isolation. Or teachers, or electricity workers, or other sectors acting alone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"3849\" data-end=\"4013\">What is needed now is coordination. The students, the universities, the academics\u2014everyone must act in concert. Fragmented action won\u2019t cross the finish line. History shows that change can happen suddenly. Think of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Iron Curtain crumbled overnight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4143\" data-end=\"4324\">Or consider Syria\u2014last year, who would have predicted regime change there after the brutality unleashed by Assad: the bombings, the poison gas, the devastation of Homs and Aleppo?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jim Higgins: We must keep the momentum. Support must come through moral backing and sanctions\u2014not intervention. In the end, it\u2019s the people on the ground who make revolution happen. Every true revolution is made by the people.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FreeIran2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FreeIran2025<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dTw9DXrEab\">https:\/\/t.co\/dTw9DXrEab<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iran_policy\/status\/1928877504506323120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4326\" data-end=\"4443\">And yet, within months, it happened. And where is Assad now? He\u2019s a political refugee under Putin\u2019s wing in Moscow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4445\" data-end=\"4529\">Change can happen\u2014quickly. But it requires belief, coordination, and momentum. Our Romanian colleague reminded us of Ceau\u0219escu\u2014he didn\u2019t listen, and he paid the ultimate price.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"4632\" data-end=\"4776\">Outside intervention will not bring change to Iran\u2014not from the U.S., not from the EU, which is still trying to find its footing with Ukraine. What will bring change is support\u2014moral, political, and through sanctions. But ultimately, it must come from within. Every revolution in history has succeeded because the people themselves made it happen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5001\" data-end=\"5028\">Let\u2019s make it happen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5030\" data-end=\"5151\">As someone said earlier, it\u2019s inspiring to be here in Paris. These events are moving, well-organized, and full of hope. But where we really want to be is not in Paris\u2014but in Tehran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5222\" data-end=\"5242\">A free Tehran. A free Iran that finally realizes its enormous potential. We\u2019ve talked about human rights, the Universal Declaration, the importance of an independent judiciary. But one more element must be emphasized unequivocally: A free media.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5491\" data-end=\"5596\">A media that can objectively examine any future democratic government in Iran, and hold it accountable. That\u2019s essential for any functioning democracy. Well done to all involved today.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"5491\" data-end=\"5596\">Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins delivered a passionate speech [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":333288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,5487],"tags":[222],"class_list":["post-333287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-iran-resistance","category-free-iran-global-summit-2025","tag-iranian-resistance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shamsi Saadati\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shamsi Saadati\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shamsi Saadati\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/410cc710e9b11fe1e0140afae956d6e6\"},\"headline\":\"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":836,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Iranian Resistance\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Iran Opposition &amp; Resistance\",\"Free Iran Global Summit 2025\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/\",\"name\":\"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":560,\"caption\":\"Former Irish Minister and MEP Jim Higgins addresses an NCRI conference on May 31, 2025\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"NCRI\",\"description\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"alternateName\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/ncri-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/ncri-logo.jpg\",\"width\":402,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/iran_policy\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/410cc710e9b11fe1e0140afae956d6e6\",\"name\":\"Shamsi Saadati\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shamsi Saadati\"},\"description\":\"Shamsi Saadati is a writer, producer, and political correspondent for the National Council of Resistance of Iran. She has also been a member of the Board of Editors for NCRI-Iran.org for the past 10 years.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/author\\\/shamsi-saadati\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI","description":"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI","og_description":"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/","og_site_name":"NCRI","article_published_time":"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":560,"url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Shamsi Saadati","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@iran_policy","twitter_site":"@iran_policy","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shamsi Saadati","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/"},"author":{"name":"Shamsi Saadati","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/410cc710e9b11fe1e0140afae956d6e6"},"headline":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within","datePublished":"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/"},"wordCount":836,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg","keywords":["Iranian Resistance"],"articleSection":["Iran Opposition &amp; Resistance","Free Iran Global Summit 2025"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/","name":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within - NCRI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-23T14:23:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-10T09:52:20+00:00","description":"At the second session of the 2025 Free Iran Conference near Paris on May 31, former Irish Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jim Higgins","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Former-Irish-Minister-and-MEP-Jim-Higgins-at-NCRI-conference-31052025.jpg","width":1000,"height":560,"caption":"Former Irish Minister and MEP Jim Higgins addresses an NCRI conference on May 31, 2025"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/former-irish-minister-jim-higgins-the-iranian-people-will-make-change-happen-from-within\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Former Irish Minister Jim Higgins: The Iranian People Will Make Change Happen\u2014from Within"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","name":"NCRI","description":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization","name":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","alternateName":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","width":402,"height":100,"caption":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/iran_policy"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/410cc710e9b11fe1e0140afae956d6e6","name":"Shamsi Saadati","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ff30655874a9af9b80fd8207e6c14da44bd022c40adc5558e4ace491fd9d19c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shamsi Saadati"},"description":"Shamsi Saadati is a writer, producer, and political correspondent for the National Council of Resistance of Iran. She has also been a member of the Board of Editors for NCRI-Iran.org for the past 10 years.","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/author\/shamsi-saadati\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}