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Open Routes Research

Co-production · Iranian Association

Peer Support Group Guide for Iranian Diaspora

Client: Iranian Association  ·  2026  ·  Co-production

“In the context of US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Iranian communities needed guidance to establish safe and constructive peer-support spaces”

The challenge

Generic peer-support models did not address the divisive realities of Iranian diaspora communities

Migration, political division, trust, language, cultural expectations and experiences of repression can all affect how peer support works within Iranian communities.

What we did

Persian-speaking contributors co-developed guidance around trust, boundaries and mutual support

Through an ESRC IAA Rapid Response project, we worked with community contributors to explore what culturally grounded peer support could look like and translate this into practical guidance.

What changed

Community groups gained a practical framework for developing their own peer-support spaces

The guide supports groups to think through facilitation, safety, trust, difference and relationships while adapting the approach to their own community context.

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