Community-Oriented Passive Defense: An Unparalleled Asset for National Resilience

Mohammad Hossein Kafrashi, Director-General of Farhangian University’s Central Security Office, highlighted the importance of instilling a culture of people-centered passive defense among student-teachers.

 

Defining passive defense as measures—apart from the use of arms—employing engineering and managerial solutions to reduce vulnerability, he argued its maximum effectiveness comes when "people" are core participants.

Kafrashi explained that in times of crisis, all societal groups—from students and teachers to doctors and merchants—must become the first effective line of defense through awareness and basic skill training, covering everything from safe sheltering to secure concealment and location selection.

Labeling teachers as the “silent soldiers” of passive defense, he described three key roles for student-teachers: disseminating simple passive defense concepts in schools, serving as trusted advisors through crisis psychology, and modeling resilience. He concluded by urging student-teachers to recognize their profound responsibility to develop a knowledgeable, resilient nation.