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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (49134)	9/23/2005 12:45:52 AM
From: JD	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

A life well lived: In Memoriam Ron St. John 1959-2005 (a former classmate at the U of A): "Ron St. John didn't consider living outside the Green Zone in Baghdad risk taking. The Arcadia High School graduate preferred on the ground, personal outreach to the flash of politicians when it came to Iraq. Ron didn't make speeches or issue news releases about his dangerous travails. Instead, he worked tirelessly with dozens of young Iraqis in a Baghdad office, putting in 10- to 12-hour days to make sure our experiment in democracy building in the Middle East succeeds... ...So when the call came last week that Ron had died, I immediately assumed a bomb had finally gotten too close. But it appears Ron died from natural causes in Amman, Jordan, where he was working with the United Nations..." azcentral.com ---------------------------------------------- The International Republican Institute (IRI) was saddened to learn of the death of former colleague and friend Ron St. John, of Tucson, Arizona. Ron passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 4, in Amman, Jordan, at the age of 46. Ron joined IRI in 1998 as the resident program officer in Romania. Ron implemented a variety of programs focusing on reform and played a key role in helping to bring greater transparency to government. In February 2001, Ron became IRI's resident program director in Serbia. During his tenure in Belgrade, Ron strengthened IRI's political party and government communications program and developed an innovative program to assist local governments in their efforts to manage resources, initiate reforms, and empower citizens. In March 2002, Ron moved to Bratislava, Slovakia, where he became the director of IRI's 15-country Regional Program for Central and Eastern Europe. Ron oversaw and implemented a diverse program that provided training for up-and-coming political leaders, promoted reform policies in political parties, and fostered stronger ties between political parties and civil society. In November and December 2003, Ron went to Baghdad as an IRI consultant, co-leading an IRI-National Democratic Institute assessment team to determine the needs of the interim Iraqi Governing Council and write an IRI political party assessment. These assessments documented the damage left by 30 years of tyranny under Saddam Hussein and laid out a road map for how IRI and its partners could begin assisting Iraqis in the challenge of building a new, democratic Iraq. In January 2004, Ron was named the resident program director for IRI in Iraq, spending the next year-and-a-half overseeing the largest program in the Institute's history. Leading a multi-national team, Ron helped develop and implement programs to strengthen Iraq's nascent governing institutions and to help train political parties, civil society organizations, women and minority groups to play their roles in the new Iraq. Following the historic January 2005 elections, Ron led IRI's efforts to train newly elected members of the National Assembly and help develop the capacity of the legislative staff. Throughout his tenure in Iraq, Ron was passionately committed to the cause of building democracy and a firm believer that Iraq's transition ultimately will succeed. Ron's quiet dedication and determination won him the trust of Iraqis from all walks of life and all areas of the country. After leaving IRI in June 2005, Ron chose to continue his focus on Iraq by taking a position with the United Nations (UN) in Amman. He spent what were to be his final months leading the UN's efforts on Iraqi national reconciliation and the constitution. Ron's life exemplified public service. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uruguay, taught at the University College of Belize and served on the boards of directors of the Tucson Children's Museum, the Arizona Human Rights Fund, the Tucson Volunteer Center, the Greater Tucson United Way Policy Commission and the (Arizona) Governor's Commission to Encourage Volunteerism and the Growing Smarter Commission. Ron leaves behind a legacy of changed societies. His commitment and compassion touched countless lives in his native Arizona, in Latin America, in Central Europe and the Middle East. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ron's family.