Secretary-General and Staff

Secretary-General

Bonian Golmohammadi

Secretary-General

Bonian Golmohammadi was elected Secretary-General of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) in August 2009. Previously, Mr. Golmohammadi served as Secretary-General of the United Nations Association (UNA) of Sweden for eight years. Under his leadership, UNA-Sweden increased its budget from $1 million to $5 million, and expanded its staff from 10 to 30 full-time employees. A new cooperation fund with the corporate sector was set up, which involves multinational companies in long-term partnership ventures. During his tenure, Mr. Golmohammadi introduced several new programmatic initiatives, such as a bilateral international project in more than ten countries including China, Georgia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The projects ranged on issues from the Millennium Development Goals, conflict prevention, human rights and organizational capacity building.

In addition to programmatic initiatives, Mr. Golmohammadi guided UNA-Sweden to increase its marketing and public relations capacity. As a result, UNA-Sweden was awarded a Gold Medal at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2009 for True Evidence of War, a media campaign to support war victims of Georgia. UNA Sweden won a gold medal at the EuroBest Advertising Awards in 2009 as well as several PR, advertising and marketing awards in Sweden. UNA Sweden now has over 110 local chapters all over Sweden and more than 100 national organizations as members.

Since 2005, Mr. Golmohammadi has served as President of the UNA Europe Network, coordinating United Nations Associations from all over Europe. He has served or is serving on various advisory boards for Swedish Ministers for Development, international development corporations, UN entities, and civil society organizations. Prior to joining UNA-Sweden, Mr. Golmohammadi worked with consultancy and private businesses in Sweden and the Czech Republic, including developing a national globalization project for high schools, working with publishing as well as project management.

Mr. Golmohammadi earned a degree in Political Science, and has studied International Law, Human Rights and Philosophy, from Stockholm and Uppsala Universities.

Staff and Associates

Allen Abi-Yaghi

Finance and Administration Officer

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Allen Abi-Yaghi is the Finance and Administration Officer at the World Federation of UN Associations. He joined the WFUNA team in January 2007, and has since greatly enjoyed the opportunity to combine his professional experience in Finance, his academic background in International Relations, and his passion for interacting with persons in a multi-cultural setting. Allen holds a Certificate in Inter-Cultural Relations, a Bachelor of Science in International Business, and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations with concentrations in Conflict Resolution and the Middle East. He has contributed to developing Inter-Cultural Relations curriculum for his alma mater, and has years of experience servicing domestic and international Hedge Funds for a New York based Investment Bank with a particular focus on emerging markets.

Julia Diegel

Development Associate

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Julia Diegel is the current Development Associate at WFUNA. She is responsible for all development and fundraising activities at WFUNA. She holds a degree in French and in Public Policy- focus on conflict resolution- from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Julia has previous experience in fundraising through the Development Office at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She also brings with her extensive travel experience.

Kimberely Hall Cheng

Digital Media and Education Officer

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Kimberely Hall Cheng is the Digital Media and Education Officer at WFUNA. Along with Wiebke Harms, Kimberely is responsible for developing and implementing WFUNA's educational training programs. She also enjoys developing innovative digital media solutions for WFUNA's online presence. Kimberely brings with her experience in social media and content management, digital communications, and curriculum development. She holds a M.A. in Korean Studies from Yonsei University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Calvin College.

Wiebke Harms

Human Rights Education Program Officer

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Wiebke Harms is the Human Rights Education Program Officer at the WFUNA office in Geneva. She is responsible for the implementation of WFUNA’s educational programs, the development of information and educational materials, as well as the strengthening of WFUNA’s links with relevant actors in Geneva. Wiebke has several years of experience in the management and monitoring of humanitarian and development projects in the areas of education and health in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea and has worked for human rights training programs in Geneva. She holds a M.A. in International Relations from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and in International Humanitarian Action from Uppsala University.

Eui Yun Kim

Youth Program Associate

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Eui Yun is the Youth Program Associate at the WFUNA office in New York. He is responsible for devising and implementing youth programs as well as strengthening the youth network. Eui Yun was formerly a member of the Youth Advisory Group and was heavily involved in WFUNA's youth programming in the past, including his national UNA, UNA-ROK, and Model UN activities. Eui Yun's ties with WFUNA started in 2009 as the youth representative for the Korean delegation at the 39th Plenary Meeting in Seoul. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Kyunghee University with a focus on International Law and regionalism.

Irene Martinetti

Director of Programs

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Irene Martinetti is the Director of Programs of the World Federation of UN Associations Office in Geneva. She is responsible for human rights programs, UN affairs, membership coordination, and the overall management of the Geneva office. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, and a B.A. and M.A. in East Asian Studies from Ca’ Foscari University, Italy. Her previous work experiences include employment as Senior Research Associate at the Center for UN Reform in New York and as Business Development Associate for Panalpina China Ltd, and internships with BBC Beijing and UNDP. She is fluent in English, French and Mandarin Chinese and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Fruzsina Molnar Straus

Communications and Programme Officer

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Fruzsina Molnar Straus is the Communications and Programme Officer at WFUNA’s New York Office. She holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Seton Hall University and a B.A. in Political Science from Hunter College, New York. Fruzsina joined WFUNA in 2004 and has recently returned as a staff member after a year’s leave of absence. Fruzsina is responsible for UN affairs, partnerships, member support, and program planning. She is the Editor of ACRONYM, WFUNA’s series publication on United Nations topics. Prior to joining WFUNA, Fruzsina worked as a Marketing Assistant for an international company in New York, and in University Administration at the Central European University in Hungary, her country of origin.

Consultants and Fellows

Hans Fridlund

Human Rights Education Fellow

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Hans Fridlund is a 2013 Human Rights Education Fellow at the World Federation of UN Associations in Geneva. He joined WFUNA in September 2012 and this summer, he will assist the Human Rights Education Program Officer with the implementation of WFUNA’s educational programs. He developed a strong interest for human rights and volunteered at the local UNA Chapter in Halmstad and has participated in different education programs arranged by UNA Sweden. Hans studied political science with a specialization in political communication at University of Halmstad, Sweden and University of Sussex, UK.

Vincent Fuentes

Education Fellow

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Vincent Fuentes is a 2013 Education Fellow at the World Federation of UN Associations in the New York office and will be assisting with the Advanced Training programs this summer. He first interned with WFUNA as their Development Coordinator in 2010. Vince holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University, and a MA in Diplomacy and International Relations from the Whitehead School at Seton Hall University. Vince returns to the WFUNA team after a stint in health care marketing while volunteering for a variety of local and global non-profits in his hometown of Chicago.

Senior Advisers

Joe Haddad

Senior Adviser

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Joe Haddad is the Volunteer Coordinator and Special Adviser to WFUNA. Mr. Haddad manages WFUNA’s Kiosk and volunteers. He instructs WFUNA’s volunteers in their duties, advises on merchandise-related purchases at the Kiosk and helps to connect WFUNA's volunteers to the United Nations.

Mr. Haddad is a specialist in venture capital, private equities, international financial developments and policy analysis. He is fluent in five languages and offers a free Arabic language course to WFUNA staff, interns, and volunteers. Mr. Haddad is the president of several private enterprises in the United States. In Germany, in addition to having led his own company, he was the vice president of The German-Lebanese cultural club, where he helped advance bilateral relations. He also helped in organizing major cultural events such as the three-day “Vielvoelkerstadt Hamburg,” and moderated several inter-confessional and intercultural meetings.

Sang Yule Kim

Senior Adviser

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Dr. Sang Yule (Samuel) Kim is a Senior Adviser at WFUNA, advising the Secretary-General and his staff on both fundraising and programmatic matters. Dr. Kim is a tenured professor of English at Sookmyung Women's University, with specialties in the Modern American novel, postcolonial studies, and studies in globalization.

Dr. Kim most recently served as the President of the Korean Association of Foreign Student Administrators and the Korean Association of the Deans of International Affairs, as well as the Dean of the Office of External Relations of Sookmyung Women's University from 2008-2012. Dr. Kim serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including the American Studies Association, the American Novel Association, and the Criticism and Theory Society of Korea, with several publications, articles, and translations under his name, including Beyond Violence(2008), Orientalism and Edward Said (Valerie Kennedy, 2011), and "Rediscovering Richard Wright as a S(p)ecular Intellectual" (2009.8). He is the recipient of the Distinguished Academic Book Award from the Ministry of Culture and the University Distinguished Research Professor award. Dr. Kim holds a Ph.D from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and was a Fulbright Research Fellow of English at both SUNY Buffalo and the University of California, Berkeley.

Interns

Alessia Barachetti - Geneva
Kamilla Molina - New York
Sunny Moon - New York
Lena Stiller - Geneva