Farah Karimi
Executive Director of Oxfam Novib (Iran/Netherlands)
Iran
Since February 2008 Farah Karimi has been the Executive Director of Oxfam Novib and member of the Oxfam International Board. Oxfam Novib has been active in promoting quality education for over 50 years. Currently it has innovative education programs throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East especially in conflict-affected countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, Mali and the Sudan
In 2009 and 2010, Farah Karimi was Chair of the SHO (Samenwerkende Hulp Organisaties), a coalition of 10 Dutch NGOs working together on humanitarian aid. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of VPRO (a Dutch broadcasting organization) and the Board of Trustees of IDH (Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative).
Oxfam is running a campaign with partners and allies in 45 countries to enhance food security for all in a resource-constrained world (”Grow”) and a global campaign around tax justice in order to ensure sufficient funding for quality education.
Farah Karimi has ample experience in the field of international co-operation and human rights. She came to Europe as a political refugee from Iran in 1983. In the Netherlands she studied Policy and Governance of International Organizations, and has been a member for the Green Left of the Lower House of Parliament for more than eight years, where she has focused on development co-operation, foreign affairs, defense and European affairs.
In 2007 Farah Karimi was involved in the capacity building of the Afghan parliament, as a consultant for the UN organization UNDP.
As a Governor she was active on the Advisory Board of the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World. Between 2006 and 2007 she was member of the Board of Parliamentarians for Global Action in New York.
Farah Karimi has written two books:
Slagveld Afghanistan (Battlefield Afghanistan, 2006) and Het geheim van het vuur (The Secret of Fire, 2005) – together with Chris Keulemans.
Check out Oxfam Novib’s film on education at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=5zQnzNkilj0&NR=1