Andrea Parhamovich
Andrea Suzanne Parhamovich (June 16, 1978 – January 17, 2007) was a National Democratic Institute employee who was killed in Baghdad, Iraq when her convoy was ambushed as she was returning from teaching a class on democracy.[1]
Career
Parhamovich was born in Perry, Ohio. She was a graduate of Ohio's Marietta College. She developed her career in political communication with the Massachusetts Governor's office, and the International Republican Institute in Iraq before joining the NDI staff in 2006.[2][3]
After her death in Baghdad, she was the subject of the book I Lost My Love in Baghdad: A Modern War Story, written by her fiancé, Newsweek reporter Michael Hastings.[4]
Commemoration
The General Assembly of Vermont passed a resolution commemorating Parhamovich's actions in Iraq.[3] Magdy Martinez, Executive Head, United Nations Democracy Fund in a message of condolences described Parhamovich's legacy: "The murderers who ended her life and the lives of her guards also knew this very well and wanted probably to kill the freedom Andrea represents when using their tools of assassins against her."[5]
The Andi Foundation was established in her honor to provide financial assistance for college scholarships and access to internship opportunities in politics and media.[6][7] The Foundation also runs the Andi Leadership Institute, which provides DC-based leadership training each summer for women in conflict areas around the world.