Peyvand

Peyvand is a non-profit, non-religious, and non-political organization based in the Greater Seattle area. Its mission is to support Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) youth and their families by fostering community connections, educational opportunities, and cultural engagement. The name Peyvand, meaning “union” in Persian, reflects the organization’s emphasis on belonging and collective identity.

Working at the intersection of culture, identity, and community building, Peyvand promotes SWANA arts and heritage through workshops, concerts, film screenings, and public programs. Its activities are designed to connect members of the diaspora with the broader Seattle community, using the arts as a means of expression, understanding, and cultural exchange. The organization highlights the importance of making SWANA cultures more visible and accessible, particularly in spaces where they are often underrepresented.

Peyvand’s core values include knowledge, altruism, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and pride in heritage. It is committed to meaningful representation, scholastic support, mutual aid, and personal development, believing that individuals of all ages should have access to the resources they need to achieve their goals and contribute to their community.

The organization’s origins date to 2011, when the University of Washington’s Near Eastern Languages and Civilization (NELC) program established an advisory board to support its Persian and Iranian Studies Program. This committee organized cultural events and fundraisers before gradually developing into the independent non-profit now known as Peyvand.