:: The FES-Team in Washington, DC - March 2007

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 :: To read more about the FES-Team in DC click here

Almut Wieland-Karimi is Executive Director
almut [at] fesdc.org

Dr. Almut Wieland-Karimi joined the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Washington in 2006 as the Representative to the U.S. and Canada. Between 2002 and 2005, she served as Director of the FES in Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to that, she served in Berlin and Bonn as a Desk Officer in the FES Middle East department and the Asia department following one year as a project assistant in the FES Office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Focusing on the political role of religious leaders in the Afghanistan conflict she received her Ph.D. from the Humboldt University Berlin in 1997. During that time she received a scholarship from the FES. From 1995 to 1996 she worked as a research associate at the Center for Modern Oriental Studies in Berlin. She studied Middle Eastern and Oriental Studies in Bonn and Cairo and graduated from the University of Bonn in 1992 after writing her thesis on popular Islam and religious movements in Egypt.

Director Wieland-Karimi is an expert on South Asia and the Middle East, especially development policies, conflict transformation and the role of civil society. She is fluent in English and Persian and proficient in Spanish, French and Arabic.

 

Monika Parson is Financial Officer
m.parson [at] fesdc.org

Monika Parson joined the FES as Financial Officer in December 2002. Previously, she has worked for the Marsh McLennan Companies in Washington, DC. Prior to coming to the United States, she has worked for the state government of North Rhine Westphalia in Düsseldorf for eleven years. Monika has also lived and worked in cities such as Tokyo, Stockholm, and London for several years.

Michael Czogalla is Program Officer
m.czogalla [at] fesdc.org

Programs on Religious Politics & Political Religion, Energy Policies, and other transatlantic issues.

Michael Czogalla joined the Washington office of the FES in October 2004. He is originally from Magdeburg, Germany and received his M.A. in American Studies, German Studies, and Political Science focusing on international relations and cultural studies from Leipzig University, Germany. Michael has taught German Studies at the University of Lincoln, Nebraska and published the book: "Behind the Laughter" - Die Simpsons im Kontext der amerikanischen Populärkultur. He has also edited FES publications and written/edited articles on various subjects.

Knut Panknin is Program Officer
k.panknin [at] fesdc.org

Programs on Promoting Democracy & Transforming Conflicts, Labor Relations, and other transatlantic issues.

Knut Panknin joined the FES as a Program Officer in June 2004. He received his M.A. in political science - focusing on U.S. foreign and domestic policy, linguistics, and philosophy from the Georg August University in Goettingen, Germany. Prior to his position at the FES, he worked in a European study program at the Center for European and North American Studies at the University of Goettingen.