Our Team

Founder and President

Amir Abbas Fakhravar, (Siavash) is an Iranian jailed dissident, award winning writer, blogger, and the recipient of the prestigious Annie Taylor Journalism Award. He is the Secretary General of the Confederation of Iranian Students and President of the Iranian Freedom Institute in Washington, D.C. Currently, Fakhravar serves as Research Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at the Center for the Study of Culture and Security at The Institute of World Politics.

Fakhravar was born on July 6, 1975 in the capital city of Tehran. He was arrested for his writings and his criticism to the Islamic Republic at the age of 17 when he was still in high school. Fakhravar spent over five years in jail and suffered brutal torture in jail. His treatments in the Islamic Republic jails have been described as first known example of "white torture" in Iran by Amnesty International. According to Amnesty International, the cells had no windows, and everything was entirely colored creamy white. The meal was white rice on a white paper plate. If he wanted to use the toilet, he had to put a white slip of paper under the door of the cell to alert guards who reportedly had footwear designed to muffle any sound. Fakhravar was forbidden to talk to anyone.

Chairman

Craig Snider is the Director for the David Horowitz Freedom Center-Philadelphia. Among its key objectives are Academic Reform of Higher Education, and defense of free speech on university campuses, and in the culture at large.

Mr. Snider is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Policy Practice and Research; board member of the Jewish Publishing Group in Philadelphia, a member of AIPAC’s Leadership Council, and a member of the Union League in Philadelphia.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Arts in history and film, Craig also holds an MBA degree from Wharton Graduate School of Management.

Honorary Chairman

Arzhang Davoodi, teacher, poet, writer and political prisoner faces "Execution" on his court hearing on August 28, 2012, on the new charge of "Enmity against Allah" (Moharebeh) as a result of his peaceful political activism according to Amnesty International's statement, August 23, 2012. Arzhang has been imprisoned for nine years since October 2003, and still has 16 more years to serve for his opposition to the Islamic Republic and his life long fight for Freedom and Democracy.

He is the Secretary General of "Iranian Freedom Movement" and co-founder of "Confederation of Iranian Students." He was in 74 days of hunger strike in Rajaee-Shahr Prison in summer 2010. January 24, 2011, Arzhang Davoodi send a message to the participants of the Iran Democratic Transition Conference, organized by The Institute of World Politics (IWP) and Confederation of Iranian Students at The George Washington University and United States Congress. Arzhang was transferred to Section 209 of Tehran's Evin Prison on June 27, 2012 where he has been tortured up to now.
United States Congressional Research Service (CRS) recognized Arzhang Davoodi as CIS overall leader on it's report by Dr. Kenneth Katzman. Iran: US Concerns and Policy Responses.

Executive Director

J. Michael Waller, professor of public diplomacy and political warfare at the Institute of World Politics. He served on the White House Task Force on Central America, and has been a consultant to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US Information Agency, the US Agency for International Development, the Office of the Secretary of Defense in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the US Army.

Professor Waller is Vice President for Information Operations of the Center for Security Policy. He is a frequent lecturer and instructor in psychological and information operations for the US military and the intelligence community. Dr. Waller holds the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair in International Communication, and directs the Institute's graduate programs on public diplomacy and political warfare. He is also Chairman of the IWP Military Education Committee.

Richard Perle

Richard Perle is an American political advisor, consultant, and lobbyist who began his career in government, a senior staff member to Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson on the Senate Armed Services Committee in the 1970’s. Later he was heavily involved with the Reagan administration and served as the assistant Secretary of Defense and also worked on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee from 1987 to 2004. Richard Perle served as chairman of the Defense Policy Board, assistant secretary of defense for international security policy, and a staff member to Senator Henry Jackson (D-Wash.). Mr. Perle is coauthor of An End to Evil (Random House, 2003) and author of Hard Line, a political novel. He codirected the American Enterprise Institute's Commission on Future Defenses.

Manda Shahbazi

Manda Shahbazi was born in Tehran, Iran. She is an L.A. based entrepreneur, political advisor and philanthropist. Her father,Yadollah Shahbazi, is a Harvard graduate lawyer and prominent businessman who served as the Iranian Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Amir Abbas Hoveida during the twilight of the Shah. For Iran trivia fans, Mr. Shahbazi launched a shipping company together with Iranian and Israeli investors.

Manda Shahbazi graduated high school from Chateau Brillantnont in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1978.

Ms. Shahbazi received a master degree in management and finance from the "Ecole Superior de Commerce de Nice" and a bachelor degree from "Grande Ecole De Commerce de Paris." In May 2003, she joined Private Label Industries, manufacturing of private label apparel, PLI design and development and manufacturing garments in both woven and knit fabrications. Ms. Shahbazi served this company as VP in European marketing and financial strategist. In September 2003 she joined the Board of Directors of United First Investment LLC, an Arizona Corporation.

Ali P. Salehi

Ali P. Salehi was born in Tehran, Iran and is graduate of the Technological Institution of Tehran. Mr. Salehi served as a Chief Operation Officer for the city of Tehran from 1982-1986, however left Iran seven years after the Islamic Revolution.

Ali Salehi was a member of executive Committee for Iran Democratic Transition Conference (IDTC) January 2011 and June 2011. IDTC takes a pragmatic approach to exploring the prospects of political change in Iran and paving the way for the establishment of a secular, pluralistic, democratic government in Iran.

This conference is sponsored by The Institute of World Politics, a Graduate School for National Security and International Affairs, and will be held from January 22-24 of 2011 at The George Washington University and at the Congress of the United States of America.

Nina Cunningham

Nina Cunningham, Ph.D. President/CEO of Quidlibet Research, Inc.

Dr. Cunningham has an M.S. in Library & Information Science, a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Specializing in strategic management, she has used her strengths to develop quality management programs and teach professional responsibility.

Prior to starting Quidlibet Research, Inc., Dr. Cunningham served as a management analyst with the federal courts, and owned a legal and business information brokerage service.