Rudolf Messinger
So beautiful your words cher Joseph about our wonderful Manou.
As a most magnificent giving , caring and wise human being you will always remain in our hearts cher Manou.
4563876539 hugs,
Rudolf
Kul Gautam
Thanks, dear Joseph, for sharing your very touching recollection of Manou - his defense of National Officers, how he quit smoking and his many other merits and qualities.
He was truly a very special person and professional. May he rest in eternal peace.
Bilgé Ögün Bassani
Bilge
Joseph Acar
I join our colleagues in mourning Manou’s passing. Manou as the Director of Personnel was my supervisor. He was and will remain in my memory as a down to earth, caring, compassionate and fair person who would go out of his way to support and aid colleagues in difficulties. He let us the specialists do our work as long as what we proposed responded fairly and effectively to the needs of our colleagues in order to best serve UNICEF beneficiaries in the field. He was quick to absorb and react to the policies and actions we recommended. He did that always in a gentle and colegial way infusing in us a sense of confidence and gratification in our mission.
One event remains vivid in my memory. It was some 35 years ago when Manou and me attended the annual meeting of all heads of HR in the UN system including the specialized agencies. Manou did not want to attend but on my insistence he came to the meeting. And thank God he came because unexpectedly the head of FAO HR raised a matter which was not on the agenda and that was about the National Officers category created by UNICEF, then later adopted by the subsidiary organs of the UN. FAO was against the continuation of the NOs because it was creating pressure from their field offices to establish the same category of staff. They unleashed a strong criticism of such category of staff arguing that the IP staff are covering the technical professional work required in the field and there was no need for this new category of local staff.
Joseph Acar
I join our colleagues in mourning Manou’s passing. Manou as the Director of Personnel was my supervisor. He was and will remain in my memory as a down to earth, caring, compassionate and fair person who would go out of his way to support and aid colleagues in difficulties. He let us the specialists do our work as long as what we proposed responded fairly and effectively to the needs of our colleagues in order to best serve UNICEF beneficiaries in the field. He was quick to absorb and react to the policies and actions we recommended. He did that always in a gentle and colegial way infusing in us a sense of confidence and gratification in our mission.
One event remains vivid in my memory. It was some 35 years ago when Manou and me attended the annual meeting of all heads of HR in the UN system including the specialized agencies. Manou did not want to attend but on my insistence he came to the meeting. And thank God he came because unexpectedly the head of FAO HR raised a matter which was not on the agenda and that was about the National Officers category created by UNICEF, then later adopted by the subsidiary organs of the UN. FAO was against the continuation of the NOs because it was creating pressure from their field offices to establish the same category of staff. They unleashed a strong criticism of such category of staff arguing that the IP staff are covering the technical professional work required in the field and there was no need for this new category of local staff.
Manou charged like a lion (his name ASSADI sounds in Arabic as "MY LION") and went through the history of creating NOs in UNICEF and their incredible professional work which contributed greatly to UNICEF mission at the local level. The meeting took note of his remarks. Few years later the specialized agencies started the NO category in the field.
We became through the years close friends and confided to each other on our encounters and our high and painful moments in life. Manou was a spiritual person who believed in God. A subject which nowadays is becoming somewhat of a taboo! He was fascinated by soufisme and he prayed and mediated. In this context, I will share a personal amazing event which he recounted to me. Many years ago he was a heavy smoker and did not know how to get rid of this unhealthy habit.
We became through the years close friends and confided to each other on our encounters and our high and painful moments in life. Manou was a spiritual person who believed in God. A subject which nowadays is becoming somewhat of a taboo! He was fascinated by soufisme and he prayed and mediated. In this context, I will share a personal amazing event which he recounted to me. Many years ago he was a heavy smoker and did not know how to get rid of this unhealthy habit.
One day in a trip to Geneva, he was advised to see an old Jewish sage who could help him to quit smoking. So he did go to either Lausanne or Zurich (i do not recall exactly the place) to meet that sage. Manou described to him his ailment and the sage old man told him he could help him. He touched him for a moment and told him he will quit smoking. And indeed from that moment on, he did not touch a cigarette for the rest of his life!
Manou was a very private person who spoke rarely about his family. However, on the rare occasions he did, it was clear that the main impetus behind his worthwhile journey in life were his beloved wife Farideh and his two sons Abdi and Ardeshir whom he spoke about very proudly and affectionately.
Thank you, Manou, for the brotherly love, advice and support you gave me throughout the years. May Our Merciful and Loving God bless your soul to rest in eternal peace.
Adieu our beloved Manou...
Joseph
Manou was a very private person who spoke rarely about his family. However, on the rare occasions he did, it was clear that the main impetus behind his worthwhile journey in life were his beloved wife Farideh and his two sons Abdi and Ardeshir whom he spoke about very proudly and affectionately.
Thank you, Manou, for the brotherly love, advice and support you gave me throughout the years. May Our Merciful and Loving God bless your soul to rest in eternal peace.
Adieu our beloved Manou...
Joseph
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