Manouchehr Assadi-Baiki 1933- 2019 - Habib Hammam
It is with great sadness that I advise of the passing of our friend and colleague Manou Assadi in Tehran early this morning. He had been fighting a prostate cancer and had gone to Tehran in the Spring to see members of his family.
There was a relapse after which he was not able to travel. The last time I spoke to him he told me that he has had a good life and was contented. He recalled good times as a friend and mentioned several UNICEF colleagues. He passed on peacefully with Farideh by his side.
As some of you know, Manou started with UNICEF in Tehran as General Service staff and later as a National Officer before he took his first international posting in Nigeria.
As some of you know, Manou started with UNICEF in Tehran as General Service staff and later as a National Officer before he took his first international posting in Nigeria.
He was UNICEF Representative in Pakistan before he came to NYHQ. He was Director of the Division Programm Field Services and then Director of the Division of Personnel, before taking early retirement.
Manou always had developing countries whose children we were serving at the core of his convictions and he consistently represented the views of the field, Regional Directors and Representatives, to Headquarters and to the Executive Director. He used to say that his business was “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”. He never failed to plug away, faithfully representing the field as far as possible, while recognizing that sometimes HQ has to deal with other realities represented by Donors and the Governments on our Executive Board. Manou felt strongly that Programmes should emanate from the field and became labeled as “the old guard” when HQ inspired initiatives took the lead, prompting country programmes to follow, good as these were.
Manou always had developing countries whose children we were serving at the core of his convictions and he consistently represented the views of the field, Regional Directors and Representatives, to Headquarters and to the Executive Director. He used to say that his business was “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”. He never failed to plug away, faithfully representing the field as far as possible, while recognizing that sometimes HQ has to deal with other realities represented by Donors and the Governments on our Executive Board. Manou felt strongly that Programmes should emanate from the field and became labeled as “the old guard” when HQ inspired initiatives took the lead, prompting country programmes to follow, good as these were.
As Director of Personnel Manou always sought to motivate staff and be fair in all decisions. He never failed to tell Front Office when some of its decisions did not conform to rules and procedures or were not exactly fair. But above all, Manou was a humanist. He believed in the people of UNICEF and listened to their advice and needs, at the same time imparting simple honest common sense advice, sometimes drawing on Persian philosophy and literature in which he was well versed. In Persian, his full name “Manouchehr” means face of heaven.
Sometimes people speak of the giants of UNICEF. Manou was a giant of a human being, and he was my friend.
Manou is survived by his wife Farideh and his sons Abdi and Ardeshir. Messges to his family may be sent to Abdi at abdiassadi@gmail.com. If you copy to me at hhammam@hotmail.com, I will collect these for the family.
Habib Hammam
26.10.2019
MY FRIEND MANOU ASSADI-BAIKI - Fouad Kronfol
This is a personal and heartfelt tribute to the one who was the oldest and longest friend and colleague I have had in our respective careers with UNICEF.
Manou and I went back to almost sixty years of friendship starting with our beginnings as young and junior staff in UNICEF, he in Tehran and I in Beirut. Over this period there have been many permutations in our respective lives, travels and careers, but we maintained that closeness throughout.
Funny, but I met his wife Farideh before actually meeting Manou; she was visiting Beirut and we met at a dinner party at mutual friends of the Iranian Embassy. I knew of course of Manou but was delighted to meet Farideh first and to learn more about her husband.
Manou was a couple of years older and he joined UNICEF one year before me, in 1958. When we met at a regional event in Beirut around 1960, we immediately bonded as we learned the commonalities in our respective lives; we were both from Iran (though I was born there I had a Lebanese passport), both had attended the American University in Beirut; both had studied in the field of agriculture; both had started in UNICEF in the General Service category (there were no alternatives for local staff at the time); both occupied programme and supply posts; both dealt with certain countries in our respective area offices (he covered Iraq and Iran, while I covered Jordan and Saudi Arabia); both of us were pushing for better recognition and remuneration for professional work done by nationals (we became known as the "Young Turks"), until UNICEF finally agreed to the establishment of the National Officer category in mid-1960's and we both got promoted to the new level along with a number of colleagues in other offices; both of us furthered our professional careers during the tenures of Maurice Pate and Henry Labouisse. While many consider the 1980's as UNICEF's "golden years", by the time Jim Grant took office in 1980, Manou and I had over twenty years of experience in the Organization.
It is interesting how our two careers took off also with a lot of commonality; Manou's first international post was in Nigeria, a year or so before I transferred to Cairo; his first Representative post was not long in coming when he went to Pakistan, while I was appointed to Sudan, both of us among the youngest in UNICEF at the time. When I became Chief MidEast section in Programme Division and then went to Viet Nam as Representative, Manou transferred to NYHQ and became Director of Programme Field Services Division. Soon after that Jim Grant transferred me back to NYHQ as Chief of Africa Section and I worked under the direct supervision of Manou. In fact, while I was not too happy to return to NY, the most positive aspect of the post was the prospect of working together with Manou. His support and backstopping was essential in the major developments that emanated from that period in relation to UNICEF and its operations in Africa.
Manou then became Director of Personnel and was instrumental in me getting the post of Deputy Director of Programme Division, and thereafter that of Manager of the new "Bamako Initiative" Unit at HQ. When Manou retired in 1989, I took over DOP from him and thus followed in his footsteps in this major change in our professional work, ie. from programming to operations and management. When Manou came back briefly to HQ to help with the 1990 World Summit of Children, we continued our friendship and professional relations. I was indebted to him for the outstanding work he did in transforming DOP to become one of the best run divisions at NYHQ at the time. This, I believe, was probably one of his most important contributions to the overall development of UNICEF .
But Manou was not only an able manager and leader; he maintained throughout his career a steadfast concern for the UNICEF field establishment and the support it needed from HQ; he was always keenly aware of the need for increased staff and at higher levels from developing countries; he pushed for and got UNICEF to improve its gender balance (as DOP Director he set up the first task force...chaired by Eimi Watanabe...to analyse and develop an organization-wide plan to increase women in professional posts to one third of the total, an objective which was achieved during his tenure); he mentored and helped numerous younger staff members in his two positions as Director of Programme Field Services and of Personnel.
Then there is the personal side of Manou; my wife Nadia always maintained that Manou was one of the handsomest and most elegant men in UNICEF, and together with his wife Farideh, made one of the best looking couples in UNICEF. Manou loved and was very good at cooking and most dinners at the Assadi's enabled their guests to taste his exploits in the kitchen. He was a fun loving person, with a wonderful sense of humour. He was able to diffuse a tense moment with some totally anodyne remark...I remember many a time when we came out of long and tortuous meetings in HQ and Manou would tell me, "lets go to the men's room and do something really important !!!"
After retirement Manou took a special interest in gardening. I remember when we stayed with them at their Bethesda home how he took great pride in showing me around the garden and explaining to me the different flowers and trees he was growing.....grinning that after all both of us studied agriculture !
Rounding out his character was the erudite Manou who loved and was eloquent in reciting Persian poetry. In Washington he joined a group of Iranians who met regularly to read and discuss poetry by Hafiz, Saadi, Khayyam and other noteworthy Persian poets. He told me that these sessions relaxed him enormously and furthered his knowledge of his national culture. Another activity that was important in his life was yoga and meditation which he did together with Farideh.
These and many other aspects of our long standing friendship are deeply etched into my memory. I cherish them dearly as elements of our close relationship over almost six decades.
I pray that God may bless his Soul and that he rests in Eternal Peace. Amen.
Remembering Manou Assadi - Shahnaz Kianian
I first met Manou in September 1978 when I was posted to New York as a junior programme officer in Programme Division. He was then the Deputy Director of PD and a strong advocate of UNICEF’s work in the field to improve well being of children and women. Until his retirement in 1990, I worked with him directly or indirectly in one capacity or other. Over the years I also developed a friendship with him and Farideh, his wonderful wife. We had many talks about our common Iranian heritage and what was happening back in our country.
Manou was larger than life! His presence was felt wherever he was. He was charismatic and had a lively personality that captured one’s attention immediately.
He was an inspirational and natural leader. His experiences working in Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan before coming to New York bestowed upon him the wisdom and pragmatism required to lead a large team effectively. His tenures as Director of Division of Programme Field Services and then Division of Personnel were outstanding.
He was passionate about UNICEF’s mission and gave the best of himself to fulfill it. He used to say that as UNICEF we are a “ handful of people with handful of money,” but with a sense of mission, unparalleled commitment and sound programme strategies we can make a difference in children’s and women’s lives.
He was a professional par excellence. He had mastery of his work, was smart and quick. He was a no nonsense person who could size up situations and people fast and would cut through nonsense. He ran the two divisions he led like a Swiss clock.
He had a high level of integrity and strove for what was just and equitable.
He was courageous and outspoken. He fought for what he believed in, he defended the rights of staff and had no fear in standing up against his seniors when the situation warranted it.
He was compassionate and caring. He had a big heart and helped colleagues, staff and friends in many ways. He was one of the most popular Directors that I knew in my UNICEF career.
He was a mentor to many of us. He shared the lessons he had learnt and was a good listener who helped one arrive at the right decision and course of action.
He was a pillar of strength and support. One could count on his wisdom, pragmatism and sound advice. One could also count on what he said as he would keep his words.
He was an early advocate of work-life balance at UNICEF. I remember of him saying to many of us “love thyself”. I always admired him for his ability to switch off most of the time when he left the office.
He was fun-loving and enjoyed putting his culinary skills to work. He and his wife Farideh were gracious hosts welcoming colleagues of many ranks to their home.
Manou loved Iran and its people. He was a patriot in the best sense of the word. In retirement he visited Iran regularly to spend time with family and friends.
The world is a better place because Manou was a part of it. I am ever so grateful to have known him.
May his soul rest in eternal peace in the country in which he was born and passed away.
Shahnaz Kianian-Firouzgar
28 October 2019
Adieu, our beloved Manou - 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.
Sometimes people speak of the giants of UNICEF. Manou was a giant of a human being, and he was my friend.
Manou is survived by his wife Farideh and his sons Abdi and Ardeshir. Messges to his family may be sent to Abdi at abdiassadi@gmail.com. If you copy to me at hhammam@hotmail.com, I will collect these for the family.
Habib Hammam
26.10.2019
MY FRIEND MANOU ASSADI-BAIKI - Fouad Kronfol
This is a personal and heartfelt tribute to the one who was the oldest and longest friend and colleague I have had in our respective careers with UNICEF.
Manou and I went back to almost sixty years of friendship starting with our beginnings as young and junior staff in UNICEF, he in Tehran and I in Beirut. Over this period there have been many permutations in our respective lives, travels and careers, but we maintained that closeness throughout.
Funny, but I met his wife Farideh before actually meeting Manou; she was visiting Beirut and we met at a dinner party at mutual friends of the Iranian Embassy. I knew of course of Manou but was delighted to meet Farideh first and to learn more about her husband.
Manou was a couple of years older and he joined UNICEF one year before me, in 1958. When we met at a regional event in Beirut around 1960, we immediately bonded as we learned the commonalities in our respective lives; we were both from Iran (though I was born there I had a Lebanese passport), both had attended the American University in Beirut; both had studied in the field of agriculture; both had started in UNICEF in the General Service category (there were no alternatives for local staff at the time); both occupied programme and supply posts; both dealt with certain countries in our respective area offices (he covered Iraq and Iran, while I covered Jordan and Saudi Arabia); both of us were pushing for better recognition and remuneration for professional work done by nationals (we became known as the "Young Turks"), until UNICEF finally agreed to the establishment of the National Officer category in mid-1960's and we both got promoted to the new level along with a number of colleagues in other offices; both of us furthered our professional careers during the tenures of Maurice Pate and Henry Labouisse. While many consider the 1980's as UNICEF's "golden years", by the time Jim Grant took office in 1980, Manou and I had over twenty years of experience in the Organization.
It is interesting how our two careers took off also with a lot of commonality; Manou's first international post was in Nigeria, a year or so before I transferred to Cairo; his first Representative post was not long in coming when he went to Pakistan, while I was appointed to Sudan, both of us among the youngest in UNICEF at the time. When I became Chief MidEast section in Programme Division and then went to Viet Nam as Representative, Manou transferred to NYHQ and became Director of Programme Field Services Division. Soon after that Jim Grant transferred me back to NYHQ as Chief of Africa Section and I worked under the direct supervision of Manou. In fact, while I was not too happy to return to NY, the most positive aspect of the post was the prospect of working together with Manou. His support and backstopping was essential in the major developments that emanated from that period in relation to UNICEF and its operations in Africa.
Manou then became Director of Personnel and was instrumental in me getting the post of Deputy Director of Programme Division, and thereafter that of Manager of the new "Bamako Initiative" Unit at HQ. When Manou retired in 1989, I took over DOP from him and thus followed in his footsteps in this major change in our professional work, ie. from programming to operations and management. When Manou came back briefly to HQ to help with the 1990 World Summit of Children, we continued our friendship and professional relations. I was indebted to him for the outstanding work he did in transforming DOP to become one of the best run divisions at NYHQ at the time. This, I believe, was probably one of his most important contributions to the overall development of UNICEF .
But Manou was not only an able manager and leader; he maintained throughout his career a steadfast concern for the UNICEF field establishment and the support it needed from HQ; he was always keenly aware of the need for increased staff and at higher levels from developing countries; he pushed for and got UNICEF to improve its gender balance (as DOP Director he set up the first task force...chaired by Eimi Watanabe...to analyse and develop an organization-wide plan to increase women in professional posts to one third of the total, an objective which was achieved during his tenure); he mentored and helped numerous younger staff members in his two positions as Director of Programme Field Services and of Personnel.
Then there is the personal side of Manou; my wife Nadia always maintained that Manou was one of the handsomest and most elegant men in UNICEF, and together with his wife Farideh, made one of the best looking couples in UNICEF. Manou loved and was very good at cooking and most dinners at the Assadi's enabled their guests to taste his exploits in the kitchen. He was a fun loving person, with a wonderful sense of humour. He was able to diffuse a tense moment with some totally anodyne remark...I remember many a time when we came out of long and tortuous meetings in HQ and Manou would tell me, "lets go to the men's room and do something really important !!!"
After retirement Manou took a special interest in gardening. I remember when we stayed with them at their Bethesda home how he took great pride in showing me around the garden and explaining to me the different flowers and trees he was growing.....grinning that after all both of us studied agriculture !
Rounding out his character was the erudite Manou who loved and was eloquent in reciting Persian poetry. In Washington he joined a group of Iranians who met regularly to read and discuss poetry by Hafiz, Saadi, Khayyam and other noteworthy Persian poets. He told me that these sessions relaxed him enormously and furthered his knowledge of his national culture. Another activity that was important in his life was yoga and meditation which he did together with Farideh.
These and many other aspects of our long standing friendship are deeply etched into my memory. I cherish them dearly as elements of our close relationship over almost six decades.
I pray that God may bless his Soul and that he rests in Eternal Peace. Amen.
Remembering Manou Assadi - Shahnaz Kianian
I first met Manou in September 1978 when I was posted to New York as a junior programme officer in Programme Division. He was then the Deputy Director of PD and a strong advocate of UNICEF’s work in the field to improve well being of children and women. Until his retirement in 1990, I worked with him directly or indirectly in one capacity or other. Over the years I also developed a friendship with him and Farideh, his wonderful wife. We had many talks about our common Iranian heritage and what was happening back in our country.
Manou was larger than life! His presence was felt wherever he was. He was charismatic and had a lively personality that captured one’s attention immediately.
He was an inspirational and natural leader. His experiences working in Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan before coming to New York bestowed upon him the wisdom and pragmatism required to lead a large team effectively. His tenures as Director of Division of Programme Field Services and then Division of Personnel were outstanding.
He was passionate about UNICEF’s mission and gave the best of himself to fulfill it. He used to say that as UNICEF we are a “ handful of people with handful of money,” but with a sense of mission, unparalleled commitment and sound programme strategies we can make a difference in children’s and women’s lives.
He was a professional par excellence. He had mastery of his work, was smart and quick. He was a no nonsense person who could size up situations and people fast and would cut through nonsense. He ran the two divisions he led like a Swiss clock.
He had a high level of integrity and strove for what was just and equitable.
He was courageous and outspoken. He fought for what he believed in, he defended the rights of staff and had no fear in standing up against his seniors when the situation warranted it.
He was compassionate and caring. He had a big heart and helped colleagues, staff and friends in many ways. He was one of the most popular Directors that I knew in my UNICEF career.
He was a mentor to many of us. He shared the lessons he had learnt and was a good listener who helped one arrive at the right decision and course of action.
He was a pillar of strength and support. One could count on his wisdom, pragmatism and sound advice. One could also count on what he said as he would keep his words.
He was an early advocate of work-life balance at UNICEF. I remember of him saying to many of us “love thyself”. I always admired him for his ability to switch off most of the time when he left the office.
He was fun-loving and enjoyed putting his culinary skills to work. He and his wife Farideh were gracious hosts welcoming colleagues of many ranks to their home.
Manou loved Iran and its people. He was a patriot in the best sense of the word. In retirement he visited Iran regularly to spend time with family and friends.
The world is a better place because Manou was a part of it. I am ever so grateful to have known him.
May his soul rest in eternal peace in the country in which he was born and passed away.
Shahnaz Kianian-Firouzgar
28 October 2019
Adieu, our beloved Manou - 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
I have sent a private message to Assadi family, but Joseph's tribute resonated strongly to my sense of essential being of Manou, with whom I shared the Sufi connection, I want to add how much I respected him.
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
Baquer Namazi
Dear Steve and Tom
I heard the sad news of passing away of a very dear friend, a wonderful colleague and an outstanding humanitarian.
Manou and I became friends and got to work together when he was national officer in Tehran.
I cannot find words to express my grief.
Shahnaz has said all I could have said, much better than I could
I want to add Manou was able to cope with crisis and disasters with a very calm spirit, which brought peace of mind and strengthened the coping capacity of the UNICEF team responding to difficult situations.
I have been able to speak to his wife, Fariedeh, who is facing the tragedy bravely.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
God bless all friends of our departed one
Baquer
Mehr Khan-Williams
Dear Habib, Fouad, Shahnaz and other friends and colleagues of Manou
I too am deeply shocked and grieved to learn of Manou’s passing . I have no words to add to what you all have written about him to express all that Manou was to UNICEF And more. I want to acknowledge my lifelong debt to him.
May his soul rest in eternal peace. My deep sympathy and condolences to his family.
Bijaya
Yoshi Uramoto
Thanks Steve. You have described the Manou I know well.
Yoshi
Steve Umemoto
Manou is indeed one of us that will long be remembered in the hearts of so many. I first encountered him as UNICEF Representative in Pakistan in the mid 1970s.
He struck me as a forthright and engaging personality ... but that was only a part of who Manou was and what it contributed to the mission of UNICEF. Manou knew and identified fully with the mission of UNICEF. But rather than focus on his own position and career, he seemed to recognize that teamwork and empowered team members was really what it was all about.
Although I never had the good fortune to serve together with Manou in any post, we met occasionally and over the years I have increasingly appreciated his great contribution to UNICEF, particularly in his support, guidance and enouragement of countless colleagues throughout the organization. He facilitated a young planning officer's move from Pakistan to headquarters.
We convinced the organization to welcome back to UNICEF a compatriate who himself had a major impact on the organization's engagement with child rights. The ripples of Manou's vision, mentoring and encouraging will be felt in UNICEF for years to come.
He is greatly missed, but long remembered.
Steve Umemoto
Yoshi Uramoto
Thanks Steve. You have described the Manou I know well.
Yoshi
Jack Ling
My condolences to his family. He was a sterling fighter for children.
Jack
Eimi Watanabe
I join other colleagues in expressing my deep sadness with Manou’s passing. It is comforting to read Habib’s account that he died in peace.
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
Bilgé Ögün Bassani
Bilge
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.
Rudolf MessingerKul 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.
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
Baquer Namazi
Dear Steve and Tom
I heard the sad news of passing away of a very dear friend, a wonderful colleague and an outstanding humanitarian.
Manou and I became friends and got to work together when he was national officer in Tehran.
I cannot find words to express my grief.
Shahnaz has said all I could have said, much better than I could
I want to add Manou was able to cope with crisis and disasters with a very calm spirit, which brought peace of mind and strengthened the coping capacity of the UNICEF team responding to difficult situations.
I have been able to speak to his wife, Fariedeh, who is facing the tragedy bravely.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
God bless all friends of our departed one
Baquer
it is with deep sadness and some shock that I learned about the death of Manou Assadi. While we maintained contact over the years since he retired, I did not know he was seriously ill.
Manou was indeed one of UNICEF’s greats. He had a very strong commitment and passion for UNICEF’s mission and he served as mentor to many of us, his junior colleagues.
I travelled with him to Pakistan with Jim Grant, after Afghan refugees first flooded into Peshawar. The camps in Peshawar were grim but Jim’s energy and compassion was equaled by Manou’s. Only Manou’s also reflected his feelings for the unfolding tragedy, and his deep personal knowledge of Pakistan and of the wider region of which he himself was a part.
He was also a great human being. Very thoughtful and empathetic to everyone including his colleagues and friends. I knew I could count on Manou for support. And he was always there for me. In fact, he was the principal witness when John and I got married and he gently guided everyone, including the Mullah, on some aspects of the ceremony.
He was deeply spiritual and philosophical about life, introducing me among others to the work, philosophy and life of J. Krishnamurti, which I have benefitted from.
He was a good friend. He will be deeply missed.
Mehr
Shahida Azfar
I too am deeply shocked and grieved to learn of Manou’s passing . I have no words to add to what you all have written about him to express all that Manou was to UNICEF And more. I want to acknowledge my lifelong debt to him.
He recruited me in UNICEF as a national officer in Pakistan in 1975 and mentored and guided me as my Rep to help me find my bearing in UNICEF . At a time when UNICEF Pakistan was dominated by men who had been there for ages and were not Welcoming women Manou made sure the few of us who were there had his full support. He sent many of us for training overseas and encouraged our full participation and contributions.
His strategic vision , leadership qualities and interpersonal skills were par excellence and won him many friends in Pakistan in government and outside who remember him most fondly to this day Never the one to shy away from difficult situations he managed a very cantankerous staff association and individual staff both national and International most skillfully. Having recruited a particularly nasty senior national he convinced him to resign before he left and even drafted his resignation letter , not wanting to pass on the problem to his successor.
I also had the good fortune of working with Manou as Director Program Division when I moved to Hq as Program officer in Africa Section under Fouad’s leadership. With Fouad and Manou, the Africa Section went from strength to strength tackling complex emergency countries in Africa suffering simultaneously from war, drought , famine and economic, political and social breakdowns .There too one saw the breath and depth of Manou’s professional and personal numerous qualities with support to staff and stand up to seniors whenever needed .
Last but not least one was able to enjoy friendship with both Manou and his beautiful wife Farideh and enjoy their hospitality both in Islamabad and NewYork . With Manou and Farideh , Fouad and Nadia, Habib and Hanan , Shahnaz , Nuhad and some other chosen ones from time to time we had a culinary group which regularly explored different cuisines of New York fabulous restaurants organized by the national . That was the fun part of hq assignment which was envied by all not part of it!!!
Manou was larger than life as we all know and will continue to live in our hearts and thoughts for ever more!! May he rest in eternal peace and enjoy the fruits of
heaven . My heartfelt condolences to Farideh, Abdi and Ardeshir and
Warmest regards to the wonderful UNICEF colleagues.
Shahida
James Mayrides
Manou was indeed one of our UNICEF Giants. I had the pleasure of working with him closely while in HQ Africa Section during the early 1980's. He was very approachable and very easy to work under. Very intelligent and knowledgeable about our work. He was a fair boss, gentle but firm and always willing to help everyone. I can only mirror the note provided by Fuad Kronfol.
I was coaching my sons in little league baseball in Pennsylvania. Manou allowed me to leave an hour early twice a week to get an earlier train to be able to coach. When I reached 8 hours of early departures, I deducted a day of annual leave. He was generous to everyone and managed all of the division very well. He was always extremely supportive.
In 1984 I transferred to Nairobi as DRD. Manou provided so much clarity and support to the ESARO region as Director of Personnel. We had an excellent, but tough corps of Reps in the region and I often found myself in the middle between his office and theirs. Manou made all of our tasks much easier. He had a tough but gentle way of negotiating and was always so supportive. We often ended up with a decision that neither end was fully agreeable with; but it was always a workable, and possibly a Solomonic approach. However, we never did end up with half a baby, thanks to his patience and good nature and professional/human approach.
After retirement, we often met in the original "wawig" reunions (pre-XUNICEF). Also, I spent a wonderful weekend at his home in Maryland with David Haxton and Shob Jhie, where his culinary arts were in evidence. The story-telling that weekend was epic.
In 1987, I was called often in Nairobi at 2:00 AM on a Saturday. Probably, someone at a late Friday meeting asked a question about the region and was told to call Mayrides. The time difference of 8 hours never figured into the discussion. Thus bothered, I sent a telex to HQ suggesting 3 criteria for 2:00 AM calls. 1) I had perished and was being informed of my death benefits; 2) I was fired; 3) I was promoted. Manou's unique sense of humor enabled him to call me one Saturday morning at 2:00 AM. He seemed to grin over the phone line as he told me that he had met one of my criteria. I was to be appointed Representative to Bolivia where I spent 5 wonderful years. He retired shortly after, but the time I spent working with him and being his friend,is priceless!
He will be missed and I join many in grieving at his departure while rejoicing with his life and his contribution to the children of the world. Rest in peace dear friend, safari salama, buen viaje, bon voyage.
Jim Mayrides
Thorndale, Pa.
Kul Gautam
Shahnaz, Fouad, and Habib have beautifully captured the essence of Manou Assadi - as a warm human being, an erudite professional, a caring mentor and a helpful friend to a whole generation of UNICEF staffers and leaders. As Habib reminded us, as Director of Programme Field Services and Director of DOP Manou considered one of his principal tasks: “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”.
When I first joined UNICEF in 1973, as Assistant Programme Officer, fresh from Princeton University en route to Indochina, Manou was one of the first senior staff members to impart a thorough briefing to me at UNICEF HQ in the Alcoa Building in New York. That was undoubtedly the very best briefing and orientation I had in my whole UNICEF career.
He was an exceptional Director of Personnel. Many consider being the Director of Personnel or HR as the most difficult and thankless job in UNICEF. But Manou turned that job into one that earned the gratitude of almost everybody - even those who did not get the job or promotion they felt they deserved or desired! He had a unique knack for winning people's heart with his impeccable professionalism, genuine empathy and a great sense of humour. As Shahnaz remarked, he was probably the most popular Director of Personnel in UNICEF ever.
May his soul rest in eternal peace, and his human and professional qualities continue to inspire us all.
======================
Kul Chandra Gautam
Mary Racelis
It was Manou who recruited me to UNICEF -- and introduced me to some of the best years of my life. We met at a UNICEF meeting in Asia in 1977, where I had been invited from the Philippine academic scene to make a presentation on non-formal education and women-in-development issues. He subsequently sent me a letter in his own handwriting inquiring whether I might be interested in joining UNICEF.
Initially I replied that I had too many commitments in Manila even to think of leaving the country. But after a one-month consultancy in New York later in the year working with John Donahue to help write the Urban paper for the 1978 Board, Manou's persistence worked. A year later I joined UNICEF in New York as a senior adviser on family and child welfare with Manou as one of my Programme Division supervisors.
He helped me steer through the highs and lows of defending the document I prepared as my first assignment: the Programme directive on "Female Circumcision.". That same valuable support extended to other controversial topics given me in the next three years, notably the issue of women not only as mothers but as persons in multiple roles.When I moved on to become ESARO regional director in Nairobi, I could always count on Manou's advice when facing tricky situations at UNICEF HQ in relation to field concerns.
Manou was a truly special person known for his personable management style and keen political sense of how to maneuver in office and external conflicts. He was a major figure in UNICEF as well as in my own life's trajectory. For that, I will always be grateful.
To Farideh, Abdi and Ardeshir, our appreciation also goes to you for being the loving family that enabled him to render extraordinary service both to us as staff as well as to the world's children. Thank you.
Rest in peace, my friend..
Mary
Momtazul Karim
Read with much interest Mary Raceli’s remembrance on how Manou Asaadi touched her entire UNICEF career. Manou was revered and loved in the field by all whether or not any had direct contact or crossed one’s path one way or other. May he rest in eternal peace.
Jim Mohan
Manou was a wonderful human being of great personal charm and competence. his professional contributions to the mission of Unicef were immense on many levels throughout his extraordinary career. It was a rewarding pleasure and inspiration to be with him. I particularly remember when late in our careers our paths crossed while we were on mission to Bhopal, India. His legendary warmth, hospitality and culinary skills were clearly evident when he invited me to stay in his apartment, prepare meals for me, give me advice on health issues and enjoy his sense of laughter. He treated me like a younger brother. He enriched my life. May he Rest In Peace in his homeland and may god bless his soul.
I also had the good fortune of working with Manou as Director Program Division when I moved to Hq as Program officer in Africa Section under Fouad’s leadership. With Fouad and Manou, the Africa Section went from strength to strength tackling complex emergency countries in Africa suffering simultaneously from war, drought , famine and economic, political and social breakdowns .There too one saw the breath and depth of Manou’s professional and personal numerous qualities with support to staff and stand up to seniors whenever needed .
Last but not least one was able to enjoy friendship with both Manou and his beautiful wife Farideh and enjoy their hospitality both in Islamabad and NewYork . With Manou and Farideh , Fouad and Nadia, Habib and Hanan , Shahnaz , Nuhad and some other chosen ones from time to time we had a culinary group which regularly explored different cuisines of New York fabulous restaurants organized by the national . That was the fun part of hq assignment which was envied by all not part of it!!!
Manou was larger than life as we all know and will continue to live in our hearts and thoughts for ever more!! May he rest in eternal peace and enjoy the fruits of
heaven . My heartfelt condolences to Farideh, Abdi and Ardeshir and
Warmest regards to the wonderful UNICEF colleagues.
Shahida
James Mayrides
Manou was indeed one of our UNICEF Giants. I had the pleasure of working with him closely while in HQ Africa Section during the early 1980's. He was very approachable and very easy to work under. Very intelligent and knowledgeable about our work. He was a fair boss, gentle but firm and always willing to help everyone. I can only mirror the note provided by Fuad Kronfol.
I was coaching my sons in little league baseball in Pennsylvania. Manou allowed me to leave an hour early twice a week to get an earlier train to be able to coach. When I reached 8 hours of early departures, I deducted a day of annual leave. He was generous to everyone and managed all of the division very well. He was always extremely supportive.
In 1984 I transferred to Nairobi as DRD. Manou provided so much clarity and support to the ESARO region as Director of Personnel. We had an excellent, but tough corps of Reps in the region and I often found myself in the middle between his office and theirs. Manou made all of our tasks much easier. He had a tough but gentle way of negotiating and was always so supportive. We often ended up with a decision that neither end was fully agreeable with; but it was always a workable, and possibly a Solomonic approach. However, we never did end up with half a baby, thanks to his patience and good nature and professional/human approach.
After retirement, we often met in the original "wawig" reunions (pre-XUNICEF). Also, I spent a wonderful weekend at his home in Maryland with David Haxton and Shob Jhie, where his culinary arts were in evidence. The story-telling that weekend was epic.
In 1987, I was called often in Nairobi at 2:00 AM on a Saturday. Probably, someone at a late Friday meeting asked a question about the region and was told to call Mayrides. The time difference of 8 hours never figured into the discussion. Thus bothered, I sent a telex to HQ suggesting 3 criteria for 2:00 AM calls. 1) I had perished and was being informed of my death benefits; 2) I was fired; 3) I was promoted. Manou's unique sense of humor enabled him to call me one Saturday morning at 2:00 AM. He seemed to grin over the phone line as he told me that he had met one of my criteria. I was to be appointed Representative to Bolivia where I spent 5 wonderful years. He retired shortly after, but the time I spent working with him and being his friend,is priceless!
He will be missed and I join many in grieving at his departure while rejoicing with his life and his contribution to the children of the world. Rest in peace dear friend, safari salama, buen viaje, bon voyage.
Jim Mayrides
Thorndale, Pa.
Kul Gautam
Shahnaz, Fouad, and Habib have beautifully captured the essence of Manou Assadi - as a warm human being, an erudite professional, a caring mentor and a helpful friend to a whole generation of UNICEF staffers and leaders. As Habib reminded us, as Director of Programme Field Services and Director of DOP Manou considered one of his principal tasks: “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”.
When I first joined UNICEF in 1973, as Assistant Programme Officer, fresh from Princeton University en route to Indochina, Manou was one of the first senior staff members to impart a thorough briefing to me at UNICEF HQ in the Alcoa Building in New York. That was undoubtedly the very best briefing and orientation I had in my whole UNICEF career.
He was an exceptional Director of Personnel. Many consider being the Director of Personnel or HR as the most difficult and thankless job in UNICEF. But Manou turned that job into one that earned the gratitude of almost everybody - even those who did not get the job or promotion they felt they deserved or desired! He had a unique knack for winning people's heart with his impeccable professionalism, genuine empathy and a great sense of humour. As Shahnaz remarked, he was probably the most popular Director of Personnel in UNICEF ever.
May his soul rest in eternal peace, and his human and professional qualities continue to inspire us all.
======================
Kul Chandra Gautam
Mary Racelis
It was Manou who recruited me to UNICEF -- and introduced me to some of the best years of my life. We met at a UNICEF meeting in Asia in 1977, where I had been invited from the Philippine academic scene to make a presentation on non-formal education and women-in-development issues. He subsequently sent me a letter in his own handwriting inquiring whether I might be interested in joining UNICEF.
Initially I replied that I had too many commitments in Manila even to think of leaving the country. But after a one-month consultancy in New York later in the year working with John Donahue to help write the Urban paper for the 1978 Board, Manou's persistence worked. A year later I joined UNICEF in New York as a senior adviser on family and child welfare with Manou as one of my Programme Division supervisors.
He helped me steer through the highs and lows of defending the document I prepared as my first assignment: the Programme directive on "Female Circumcision.". That same valuable support extended to other controversial topics given me in the next three years, notably the issue of women not only as mothers but as persons in multiple roles.When I moved on to become ESARO regional director in Nairobi, I could always count on Manou's advice when facing tricky situations at UNICEF HQ in relation to field concerns.
Manou was a truly special person known for his personable management style and keen political sense of how to maneuver in office and external conflicts. He was a major figure in UNICEF as well as in my own life's trajectory. For that, I will always be grateful.
To Farideh, Abdi and Ardeshir, our appreciation also goes to you for being the loving family that enabled him to render extraordinary service both to us as staff as well as to the world's children. Thank you.
Rest in peace, my friend..
Mary
Momtazul Karim
Read with much interest Mary Raceli’s remembrance on how Manou Asaadi touched her entire UNICEF career. Manou was revered and loved in the field by all whether or not any had direct contact or crossed one’s path one way or other. May he rest in eternal peace.
Momtazul.
Manou was a wonderful human being of great personal charm and competence. his professional contributions to the mission of Unicef were immense on many levels throughout his extraordinary career. It was a rewarding pleasure and inspiration to be with him. I particularly remember when late in our careers our paths crossed while we were on mission to Bhopal, India. His legendary warmth, hospitality and culinary skills were clearly evident when he invited me to stay in his apartment, prepare meals for me, give me advice on health issues and enjoy his sense of laughter. He treated me like a younger brother. He enriched my life. May he Rest In Peace in his homeland and may god bless his soul.
Jim Mohan
Global Staff Association
Dear colleagues,
It is with great sadness that I announce the passing away of Manouchehr (Manou) Assadi, our former colleague and friend on 26 October 2019. Manou passed away peacefully in Tehran, where he had been visiting family, with his wife Farideh by his side.
Manou started with UNICEF in Tehran as General Service staff in May 1958. He moved on to become a National officer before he took up his first international posting in Nairobi. He served in several capacities throughout his career as Director of Programme Field Services and as Director of the Division of Personnel in New York Headquarters as Representative in Pakistan, Georgia, and with assignments in Cambodia, Mongolia, Oman, Thailand, Zanzibar and India. Manou took a separation after his assignment in Georgia and re-joined as an advisor to the Patna and Bhopal offices in India from April 1998 to May 1994.
Manou always had the needs of children in developing countries in his heart and he consistently represented the views of the field to Headquarters and to the Executive Director. As his close friend Habib Hammam says, Manou used to say that his business was “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”. According to Habib, Manou felt strongly that Programmes should emanate from the field and became labelled as “the old guard” when HQ inspired initiatives took the lead. As Director of Personnel Manou was an inspiring leader and was fair in his decisions and never shied away from speaking up when decisions at the senior level did not conform to rules and procedures or were not exactly fair.
As another colleague and friend, Fouad Kronfol recollects, Manou was one of the pioneers in pushing for gender balance in UNICEF as the Director of Personnel. He set up the first task force that was chaired by Eimi Watanabe to develop an organization-wide plan to increase women in professional posts. He was also a mentor to many younger staff members during his tenure at Headquarters as Director of Programme Field Services and Personnel.
Staff around the world, including many former colleagues remember Mario for his kindness and generosity, his fearlessness and courage, and his passionate commitment to realizing the rights and well being of children and families wherever he served. He is remembered fondly by many as one of the giants of UNICEF and as a revered friend and colleague.
Manou is survived by his wife Farideh and his sons Abdi and Ardeshir. Colleagues and friends who wish to express their personal condolences to the family may send to his son Abdi at abdiassadi@gmail.com.
Please join me in wishing Manou’s family comfort and strength during this time of loss. We will miss Manou, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all.
Kind regards,
Schola
Schola Madowo
Chairperson, Global Staff Association (GSA)
UNICEF, New York
Marta Mauras
Dear Farideh and family,
Bijaya Mallapaty
I join colleagues and friends in mourning Manou Assadi's passing. I remember his visits to Africa and his affable personality. Friends and colleagues have already said much about him - his contributions to UNICEF at all levels will be his everlasting legacy.
Global Staff Association
IN MEMORIAM
Manoutchehr (Manou) Assadi-Baiki 1933-2019
Former Director of Personnel and Director of Programmes
Former Representative, Pakistan, Georgia
Dear colleagues,
It is with great sadness that I announce the passing away of Manouchehr (Manou) Assadi, our former colleague and friend on 26 October 2019. Manou passed away peacefully in Tehran, where he had been visiting family, with his wife Farideh by his side.
Manou started with UNICEF in Tehran as General Service staff in May 1958. He moved on to become a National officer before he took up his first international posting in Nairobi. He served in several capacities throughout his career as Director of Programme Field Services and as Director of the Division of Personnel in New York Headquarters as Representative in Pakistan, Georgia, and with assignments in Cambodia, Mongolia, Oman, Thailand, Zanzibar and India. Manou took a separation after his assignment in Georgia and re-joined as an advisor to the Patna and Bhopal offices in India from April 1998 to May 1994.
Manou always had the needs of children in developing countries in his heart and he consistently represented the views of the field to Headquarters and to the Executive Director. As his close friend Habib Hammam says, Manou used to say that his business was “to keep the smell of the field in the nose of headquarters”. According to Habib, Manou felt strongly that Programmes should emanate from the field and became labelled as “the old guard” when HQ inspired initiatives took the lead. As Director of Personnel Manou was an inspiring leader and was fair in his decisions and never shied away from speaking up when decisions at the senior level did not conform to rules and procedures or were not exactly fair.
As another colleague and friend, Fouad Kronfol recollects, Manou was one of the pioneers in pushing for gender balance in UNICEF as the Director of Personnel. He set up the first task force that was chaired by Eimi Watanabe to develop an organization-wide plan to increase women in professional posts. He was also a mentor to many younger staff members during his tenure at Headquarters as Director of Programme Field Services and Personnel.
Staff around the world, including many former colleagues remember Mario for his kindness and generosity, his fearlessness and courage, and his passionate commitment to realizing the rights and well being of children and families wherever he served. He is remembered fondly by many as one of the giants of UNICEF and as a revered friend and colleague.
Manou is survived by his wife Farideh and his sons Abdi and Ardeshir. Colleagues and friends who wish to express their personal condolences to the family may send to his son Abdi at abdiassadi@gmail.com.
Please join me in wishing Manou’s family comfort and strength during this time of loss. We will miss Manou, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all.
Kind regards,
Schola
Schola Madowo
Chairperson, Global Staff Association (GSA)
UNICEF, New York
Marta Mauras
Dear Farideh and family,
Like many others, I have the fondest memory of our colleague, friend and soft-spoken leader Manou Assadi who has left with us a trail of humanity, peace and intelligence.
I share the sentiment and the joy of having met and worked with Manou, expressed in Fouad´s beautiful letter.
This is my little bit. While I was the young first-time Representative of UNICEF in Mozambique (and I know Manou had to do with my appointment), in the middle of one of the cruelest wars in history, I was informed by the Ministry of FFAA that they had received denunciations about my and UNICEF alleged collaboration with RENAMO, the rebels supported by South Africa, a very dangerous accusation indeed. They gave me time to prove this was not the case.
I returned home thinking, I have to call Manou immediately. Manou listened carefully, and what he said took me aback.
He asked me Are you afraid? He thought of me before I did!!!!! He forced me to think deeply about me as a person, my daughter, my staff.
I said NO and he added What do you need? The auditor, I said. And the next day Johanna Filp flew to Maputo.
Farideh dear, all my love and sentiment.
Marta Maurás
Bijaya Mallapaty
I join colleagues and friends in mourning Manou Assadi's passing. I remember his visits to Africa and his affable personality. Friends and colleagues have already said much about him - his contributions to UNICEF at all levels will be his everlasting legacy.
May his soul rest in eternal peace. My deep sympathy and condolences to his family.
Bijaya
Yoshi Uramoto
Thanks Steve. You have described the Manou I know well.
To me, above all the contribution he made to Unicef and for children, he was a good man! He was kind, considerate and human .... he makes me proud that we worked for Unicef!
Thank you Manou! You can rest in peace now as you have done your work on earth!
Thank you Manou! You can rest in peace now as you have done your work on earth!
Yoshi
Steve Umemoto
Manou is indeed one of us that will long be remembered in the hearts of so many. I first encountered him as UNICEF Representative in Pakistan in the mid 1970s.
He struck me as a forthright and engaging personality ... but that was only a part of who Manou was and what it contributed to the mission of UNICEF. Manou knew and identified fully with the mission of UNICEF. But rather than focus on his own position and career, he seemed to recognize that teamwork and empowered team members was really what it was all about.
Although I never had the good fortune to serve together with Manou in any post, we met occasionally and over the years I have increasingly appreciated his great contribution to UNICEF, particularly in his support, guidance and enouragement of countless colleagues throughout the organization. He facilitated a young planning officer's move from Pakistan to headquarters.
We convinced the organization to welcome back to UNICEF a compatriate who himself had a major impact on the organization's engagement with child rights. The ripples of Manou's vision, mentoring and encouraging will be felt in UNICEF for years to come.
He is greatly missed, but long remembered.
Steve Umemoto
Yoshi Uramoto
Thanks Steve. You have described the Manou I know well.
To me, above all the contribution he made to Unicef and for children, he was a good man! He was kind, considerate and human .... he makes me proud that we worked for Unicef!
Thank you Manou! You can rest in peace now as you have done your work on earth!
Thank you Manou! You can rest in peace now as you have done your work on earth!
Yoshi
Jack Ling
My condolences to his family. He was a sterling fighter for children.
Jack
Eimi Watanabe
I join other colleagues in expressing my deep sadness with Manou’s passing. It is comforting to read Habib’s account that he died in peace.
Eimi
Victor Soler-Sala
Appreciate your kindness.
Best,
Abdi
Dear Manou's family,
We cannot find the words to convey to you our sadness of your painful loss.
We share with you this moment of grief and send our loving empathy and Spanish abrazos to all of you.
Rohini de Silva
Manou was my first HR director in NY. A highly principled person who did not fear to stand up for just interpretation of the rules while not being bureaucratic. It was a pleasure to work for him. May he have eternal rest.
Rohini de silva
Padmini
So sorry to learn of Manou's passing. I recall with gratitude his backstopping me when I was in Addis going through the traumatic years of conflict and famine. He was then the Director of DoP. We had difficult staff related decisions to be made, not least of all the sudden burgeoning of the numbers from 30 to 100, due to the sudden influx of funds [so many individuals in different countries reacted to TV coverage of the famine, and to BandAid's song, "Do they know it's Christmas"!].
As others have mentioned, I recall too his warm personality and his humanity.
My condolences to all his family.
Niloufar Pourzand
Dear all, as his compatriot, let me add my bit: as an Iranian Unicef staff member, I was particularly proud of him, saw him as a role model and had the good fortunate of meeting him during a couple of his trips to Iran and one as our OIC in the late 80s. He left a lasting impression on me with his professionalism, kindness and spirituality. I remember he spoke about the benefits of yoga, the negative impact of black tea (and would just add a drop to hot water) and we shared in our interest of Pakistan, where I had lived with my Iranian diplomat parents as a child and his friendship with the Bhutto family. We would exchange Nowrouz greetings for some time after his retirement and I would continue to ask about his wellbeing from common friends like dear Shahnaz...until this sad news came our way.
As is written also on my beloved mother’s tombstone in Toronto in Farsi script:
Hargez namirad an ke delash zendeh shod be eshgh.
Never dies he/she whose heart has opened up to love.
May he Rest In Peace, Niloufar
Vandana Agarwal
Very sorry to hear this sad news. May God bless his soul rest in peace. My sincere condolences to his family and friends/ colleagues.
I was fortunate to work with him in 2003 in Madhya Pradesh Bhopal , where he was deployed for three months, everyone was touched by his sensitivity for the welfare of the staff. We all benefitted from his vast experience and guidance.
Vandana
Alan Everest
It is difficult to add to what others have said so well about Manou. To the newcomer to UNICEF he was a reassuring mentor. Subsequently, whatever your omissions or successes, you could be utterly certain of a wise, balanced, and entirely professional response. Every member of staff and every organisation needs such a person. We were so fortunate in that! May he rest in peace!
AlanE
Isabelle Austin
Joining Alan and all....I have great memories of Manou's support and guidance when I met him first as a very junior rookie long long ago!
Rest in Peace, Manou
Isabelle
Scholastica Kimaryo
Schola
Ali Asghar
Very sorry to hear this sad news. May God bless his soul rest in peace. My sincere condolences to his family and friends/colleagues
Ali
Rob Fuderich
I did not know Manou as well as others. I had a trip out to Georgia as a Regional something or other...but we had big problems. I was there and I met with Manou. A retiree who came out to try to resolve a problem. I will never forget our weekend out of Tbilisi...a combination of development tourism (ok, we were tourists) problem solving, humour, wisdom. I feel blessed that I had time to experience his insight and vast understanding of people and the dynamics of UNICEF. May he Rest In Peace and may all of us who knew him take the wisdom he passed on and move it forward.
Rob
Nick Alipui
Dear Friends:
May Manou's memory be kept alive through our experiences of his wonderful human nature and all the lives he touched and inspired inside and outside UNICEF in his time. May He Rest in Eternal Glory.
All best wishes........ Nicholas Alipui M.D.
Karin Sham Poo
I saw this sad news yesterday. Thanks for attaching the beautiful tributes. Manou and I did not work together long like you, Fouad and many others, but we became very close the few years we did. When I became the Deputy Executive Director in 1987, Personnel Division (which became the Division of Human Resources) was one of the many areas reporting to me. Under Manou’s very able leadership many Human Resources polices were developed and/or changed in so many constructive and positive ways, never forgetting that the vast majority of UNICEF staff were in the field.
My thoughts and prayers go to his wife, sons and the rest of the family.
Warm regards
Karin
Sona Lakhanpal
Truly sorry to hear this very sad news. I very much enjoyed working with Mr. Assadi. May he Rest in Peace.
Kind regards to all
Rudolf Hoffmann
So sorry to read these sad news.
I remember the days when we met with Manou and I can confirm that his style of management as Director of Programme as well as Director of DOP was exemplary....keeping promises, insisting on justice and defending those who lived up to the values of the organisation. Very much missing his analysis, friendship and jokes.
Kindly share these lines with his family.
Rudolf
Shamsul Farooq
So deeply saddened with the news of Manou's death- real loss of another Unicef "great".
Though I did not work with Manou in any specic duty stations, our path crossed quite regularly. I had the fortune of meeting him and interacting with him on numerous occasions. So deeply touched by his true professionalism and humanity with great sense of humour.
You and Fouad portrayed personal reflections on Manou's personality touching on various aspects of his life which are so true. He will be dearly missed by us all.
May God rest him in eternal peace. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the grieving family.
Shamsul
Basim Kawash
Very sad indeed. RIP
Warmest
Basim
Shahnaz Kianian
This is an awful news! My heart is broken and I can’t believe he is gone. I did not know he was seriously ill.
Shahida Azfar
I too am deeply shocked and grieved to know that we have lost Manou. I too had no idea that he had any serious illness and had not been in touch with for a while . When I asked him to join our reunions he mentioned the problems with his knees .
I too will look for photos and write about him ! May he rest in eternal peace
Shahida
Shahnaz Kianian
Manou was larger than life with big presence in every sense of the word. He was a wonderful human being, full of life, courage and generosity. He lived by his principles and fought for what he believed in. He left a mark wherever he worked and touched many lives. He was a true UNICEF giant!
I will look to see if I find any pictures of him or articles. And I will write longer about him.
Right now i am terribly shocked and mourn the passing away of a wonderful colleague, mentor and friend whom I respected and admired. A light has gone out of my life!
May he rest in eternal peace,
Respectfully,
Shahnaz
Mandeep O'Brien
I am very sorry to hear this sad news.
My sincere condolences to you, Habib and to the entire UNICEF family on this huge loss.
I also received a message from Hannan and Saad. I just got in touch with Reza Hosseini. We both spoke to Mr. Assadi’s wife Farideh.
Alas I am flying out to Turkey in a few hours for a UNCT retreat. But my Deputy Gilles and Ops Manager Sana will kindly represent UNICEF at the funeral tomorrow, along with Reza.
I hope you are well.
With my heartfelt condolences,
Mandeep
Anthony Kennedy
I am floored. I did not know of Manou’s death.
Manou was the UNICEF Representative in Pakistan when I moved from working on issues of children in slums and squatter settlements from headquarters to being a genuine UNICEF field person. We quickly became friends and that friendship became ever closer over my years with UNICEF. A superb member of UNICEF, Manou gave me excellent advice on a great many occasions during 25 years.
Umberto Cancellieri
My thoughts go to Manou Assadi. A great leader who contributed a lot to our organisation. RIP Manou and than you.
Umberto
Gianni Murzi
I’m terribly sorry for the passing away of Manou Assadi. I met him in the late 80’s when I was with the Italian government. Manou interviewed me when Mr Grant asked me to join UNICEF in 1988.
RIP
Best regards, Gianni
Niloufar Pourzand
Oh very sad news about Mr. Assadi! He was a wonderful person and senior colleagu
Sandra Haji-Ahmed
Thank you very much for informing us of the very sad news of Manou's passing. He was a real leader who had a human touch. He will be missed by all. I have reached out to his son with a message of condolence.
Warm regards,
Sandra
Carlos Santos-Tejada
I would say that Manou’s tenure particularly at DHR could be labeled as “Human Resources with a human face”
RIP
Samuel Frederick
Dear Habib , Fouad et al
So sad to hear of the passing of Manou . I served indirectly under Manou’s leadership when he was Director of DoP . He was a frank and straightforward person imbued with wisdom ,integrity and empathy. A big loss to the ex UNICEF fraternity . My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time .
May the Almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.
Madan Arora
Really a GREAT LOSS of our MOST FRIENDLY COLLEAGUE - May the departed soul rest in Peace and May God bless all the family members and friends the strength to bear this ir-repairable loss -amen,best regards, madan arora orlando florida
Victor Soler-Sala
Dear Victor,
Thank you kindly for your email and reaching out to us. I have forwarded your email to my mother and brother.
Thank you kindly for your email and reaching out to us. I have forwarded your email to my mother and brother.
Appreciate your kindness.
Best,
Abdi
Dear Manou's family,
We cannot find the words to convey to you our sadness of your painful loss.
We share with you this moment of grief and send our loving empathy and Spanish abrazos to all of you.
Victor and family from Spain
Rohini de Silva
Manou was my first HR director in NY. A highly principled person who did not fear to stand up for just interpretation of the rules while not being bureaucratic. It was a pleasure to work for him. May he have eternal rest.
Rohini de silva
Padmini
So sorry to learn of Manou's passing. I recall with gratitude his backstopping me when I was in Addis going through the traumatic years of conflict and famine. He was then the Director of DoP. We had difficult staff related decisions to be made, not least of all the sudden burgeoning of the numbers from 30 to 100, due to the sudden influx of funds [so many individuals in different countries reacted to TV coverage of the famine, and to BandAid's song, "Do they know it's Christmas"!].
As others have mentioned, I recall too his warm personality and his humanity.
My condolences to all his family.
Niloufar Pourzand
Dear all, as his compatriot, let me add my bit: as an Iranian Unicef staff member, I was particularly proud of him, saw him as a role model and had the good fortunate of meeting him during a couple of his trips to Iran and one as our OIC in the late 80s. He left a lasting impression on me with his professionalism, kindness and spirituality. I remember he spoke about the benefits of yoga, the negative impact of black tea (and would just add a drop to hot water) and we shared in our interest of Pakistan, where I had lived with my Iranian diplomat parents as a child and his friendship with the Bhutto family. We would exchange Nowrouz greetings for some time after his retirement and I would continue to ask about his wellbeing from common friends like dear Shahnaz...until this sad news came our way.
As is written also on my beloved mother’s tombstone in Toronto in Farsi script:
Hargez namirad an ke delash zendeh shod be eshgh.
Never dies he/she whose heart has opened up to love.
May he Rest In Peace, Niloufar
Vandana Agarwal
Very sorry to hear this sad news. May God bless his soul rest in peace. My sincere condolences to his family and friends/ colleagues.
I was fortunate to work with him in 2003 in Madhya Pradesh Bhopal , where he was deployed for three months, everyone was touched by his sensitivity for the welfare of the staff. We all benefitted from his vast experience and guidance.
Vandana
Alan Everest
It is difficult to add to what others have said so well about Manou. To the newcomer to UNICEF he was a reassuring mentor. Subsequently, whatever your omissions or successes, you could be utterly certain of a wise, balanced, and entirely professional response. Every member of staff and every organisation needs such a person. We were so fortunate in that! May he rest in peace!
AlanE
Isabelle Austin
Joining Alan and all....I have great memories of Manou's support and guidance when I met him first as a very junior rookie long long ago!
Rest in Peace, Manou
Isabelle
Scholastica Kimaryo
Schola
Ali Asghar
Very sorry to hear this sad news. May God bless his soul rest in peace. My sincere condolences to his family and friends/colleagues
Ali
Rob Fuderich
I did not know Manou as well as others. I had a trip out to Georgia as a Regional something or other...but we had big problems. I was there and I met with Manou. A retiree who came out to try to resolve a problem. I will never forget our weekend out of Tbilisi...a combination of development tourism (ok, we were tourists) problem solving, humour, wisdom. I feel blessed that I had time to experience his insight and vast understanding of people and the dynamics of UNICEF. May he Rest In Peace and may all of us who knew him take the wisdom he passed on and move it forward.
Rob
Nick Alipui
Dear Friends:
May Manou's memory be kept alive through our experiences of his wonderful human nature and all the lives he touched and inspired inside and outside UNICEF in his time. May He Rest in Eternal Glory.
All best wishes........ Nicholas Alipui M.D.
Karin Sham Poo
I saw this sad news yesterday. Thanks for attaching the beautiful tributes. Manou and I did not work together long like you, Fouad and many others, but we became very close the few years we did. When I became the Deputy Executive Director in 1987, Personnel Division (which became the Division of Human Resources) was one of the many areas reporting to me. Under Manou’s very able leadership many Human Resources polices were developed and/or changed in so many constructive and positive ways, never forgetting that the vast majority of UNICEF staff were in the field.
My thoughts and prayers go to his wife, sons and the rest of the family.
Warm regards
Karin
Sona Lakhanpal
Truly sorry to hear this very sad news. I very much enjoyed working with Mr. Assadi. May he Rest in Peace.
Kind regards to all
Sona/Ajay
Rudolf Hoffmann
So sorry to read these sad news.
I remember the days when we met with Manou and I can confirm that his style of management as Director of Programme as well as Director of DOP was exemplary....keeping promises, insisting on justice and defending those who lived up to the values of the organisation. Very much missing his analysis, friendship and jokes.
Kindly share these lines with his family.
Rudolf
Shamsul Farooq
So deeply saddened with the news of Manou's death- real loss of another Unicef "great".
Though I did not work with Manou in any specic duty stations, our path crossed quite regularly. I had the fortune of meeting him and interacting with him on numerous occasions. So deeply touched by his true professionalism and humanity with great sense of humour.
You and Fouad portrayed personal reflections on Manou's personality touching on various aspects of his life which are so true. He will be dearly missed by us all.
May God rest him in eternal peace. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the grieving family.
Shamsul
Basim Kawash
Very sad indeed. RIP
Warmest
Basim
Shahnaz Kianian
This is an awful news! My heart is broken and I can’t believe he is gone. I did not know he was seriously ill.
Shahida Azfar
I too am deeply shocked and grieved to know that we have lost Manou. I too had no idea that he had any serious illness and had not been in touch with for a while . When I asked him to join our reunions he mentioned the problems with his knees .
I too will look for photos and write about him ! May he rest in eternal peace
Shahida
Shahnaz Kianian
Manou was larger than life with big presence in every sense of the word. He was a wonderful human being, full of life, courage and generosity. He lived by his principles and fought for what he believed in. He left a mark wherever he worked and touched many lives. He was a true UNICEF giant!
I will look to see if I find any pictures of him or articles. And I will write longer about him.
Right now i am terribly shocked and mourn the passing away of a wonderful colleague, mentor and friend whom I respected and admired. A light has gone out of my life!
May he rest in eternal peace,
Respectfully,
Shahnaz
Mandeep O'Brien
I am very sorry to hear this sad news.
My sincere condolences to you, Habib and to the entire UNICEF family on this huge loss.
I also received a message from Hannan and Saad. I just got in touch with Reza Hosseini. We both spoke to Mr. Assadi’s wife Farideh.
Alas I am flying out to Turkey in a few hours for a UNCT retreat. But my Deputy Gilles and Ops Manager Sana will kindly represent UNICEF at the funeral tomorrow, along with Reza.
I hope you are well.
With my heartfelt condolences,
Mandeep
Anthony Kennedy
I am floored. I did not know of Manou’s death.
Manou was the UNICEF Representative in Pakistan when I moved from working on issues of children in slums and squatter settlements from headquarters to being a genuine UNICEF field person. We quickly became friends and that friendship became ever closer over my years with UNICEF. A superb member of UNICEF, Manou gave me excellent advice on a great many occasions during 25 years.
Umberto Cancellieri
My thoughts go to Manou Assadi. A great leader who contributed a lot to our organisation. RIP Manou and than you.
Umberto
Gianni Murzi
I’m terribly sorry for the passing away of Manou Assadi. I met him in the late 80’s when I was with the Italian government. Manou interviewed me when Mr Grant asked me to join UNICEF in 1988.
RIP
Best regards, Gianni
Niloufar Pourzand
Oh very sad news about Mr. Assadi! He was a wonderful person and senior colleagu
Sandra Haji-Ahmed
Thank you very much for informing us of the very sad news of Manou's passing. He was a real leader who had a human touch. He will be missed by all. I have reached out to his son with a message of condolence.
Warm regards,
Sandra
Carlos Santos-Tejada
I would say that Manou’s tenure particularly at DHR could be labeled as “Human Resources with a human face”
RIP
Samuel Frederick
Dear Habib , Fouad et al
So sad to hear of the passing of Manou . I served indirectly under Manou’s leadership when he was Director of DoP . He was a frank and straightforward person imbued with wisdom ,integrity and empathy. A big loss to the ex UNICEF fraternity . My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time .
May the Almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.
Madan Arora
Really a GREAT LOSS of our MOST FRIENDLY COLLEAGUE - May the departed soul rest in Peace and May God bless all the family members and friends the strength to bear this ir-repairable loss -amen,best regards, madan arora orlando florida
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