The Bureau

IFLRY's executive board (called Bureau) is responsible for the management of the association and for the control of all assets. It meets at least six times a year. It is elected every two years at the General Assembly. The current board was elected at the General Assembly in Sarajevo, in November 2007.

Visit the Bureau Members' blog for more information about their work

Bureau members

Paola Silva (President)

Paola Silva is a Colombian political scientist. She has been involved in youth participation and politics since she was at high school when she was elected as student representative for Directive Council at her school. After that she has been involved in youth organizations and campaigns to promote youth participation and also youth involvement on politics.

Since 2001, she has been member of UCJD and as International Officer she had the opportunity to attend several IFLRY events. She was elected as IFLRY vice president for the period 2003-2005 and she was reelected for the period 2005-2007. In 2007, and at the same assembly that Federation was celebrating its 60th anniversary, she was elected President, becoming the first non-European holding this position in the history of IFLRY.

In her professional work she works as a researcher in a Colombian NGO with topics related with public policies about youth, peace and human rights issues. Right now she is working with several projects to involve young people in the process of reintegration, reconciliation and construction of post-conflict society in Colombia. She likes to dance and to read.

Contact Info

gsm: +573158500064
skype: paola.iflry
e-mail: paola@iflry.org

Calle 119 # 50-50 int. 1 apto 303
Bogotá
COLOMBIA

Bart Woord (Secretary General)

Bart is 25 years old and lives in Brussels, while rounding up his MA programme in International Relations and International Organizations at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He has been involved in political work for several years, mostly as International Officer and Vice President of the Jonge Democraten, one of the two Dutch liberal youth organizations. Before, he took up numerous positions and responsibilities in different political and non-political organizations.

As deputy president of the organization, Bart is involved in every facet of the day-to-day work of IFLRY. He is also in charge of the Membership and Communications departments, and is the IFLRY representative for Western Europe as well as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine which he coordinates together with IFLRY VP Jelena Spasovic.

Contact Info

gsm: +31615624560
e-mail: bart@iflry.org

Chris Gallaway (Treasurer)

Chris Gallaway is a leader, innovator and strategist within the Democratic Party in the United States. Chris has worked in professional politics since 1998, serving in roles with the Kansas Democratic Party and as a Vice President of the grassroots consuling firm FieldWorks.

In 2004, Chris led a diverse coalition of youth groups to form the Young Voter Alliance. The Alliance was an historic coordinated campaign that turned out thousands of young voters in the first step toward making young people a viable and reliable voting block for the Democratic Party.

Prior to his work as a professional political operative, Chris ran for the Kansas House of Representatives at age 19. He was soundly defeated, but after the campaign was asked to take over the leadership of his county party. Chris has since served in Democratic Party and Young Democrats leadership positions at the local, state, regional and national levels, including as board member of the historic coalition of progressive organizations formed for the 2004 election cycle, America Votes.

Chris enjoys deciphering data issues within campaigns and has earned a reputation for his in-depth solutions and strategic targeting. He and his wife Allison have a cocker-spaniel named Jake and live in Washington, DC.

Contact Info

gsm: +1 202 445 3858
e-mail: chris@iflry.org
instant messenger: chrisgallaway (skype/aim/yahoo)

22 N St NW
Washington DC 20001
UNITED STATES

Ahissata Camara (Vice-President)

Ahissata Camara comes from Abidjan in Ivory Coast and have been active in Ivorian politics for several years, notably as president and founder of FAL and as a board member of RJR and OALY. She has a degree in business management from AGITEL University in Abidjan.

With FAL Ahissata has since 2000 been responsible for a long-running awareness raising campaign aimed at youth and women covering issues such as the right to vote, the right to citizenship - which is unfortunately sometimes denied to people of the "wrong" ethnic group, the problems of forced marriage and genital mutilation.

Ahissata has worked as a project leader in Ivory Coast for SILC, the Swedish International Liberal Centre on projects entitled "Training of Female Leaders" and "Good Governance and the Identification Process"

Contact Info

e-mail: aicha@iflry.org

Frederik Ferié (Vice-President)

Frederik was born in the small city of Georgsmarienhütte in the north-west of Germany. As the cities name unspeakable for most non-Germans and way to long for any immigration form he decided to find a new home for himself.

During the last couple of years Frederik has studied Business Administration at Münster University, Germany and Tel Aviv University, Israel and now is about to obtain his degree as a Diplom Kaufmann (German M.Sc.), majoring in Marketing, International Management as well as Production- and Supply-Chain Management.

In his free time Frederik loves to travel - especially in the Near and Middle East and enjoys learning languages. If you ever want to send him a birthday present, a bottle of single malt Scotch is more than welcome - also when it's not his birthday.

Contact Info

gsm: +491776147475
e-mail: frederik@iflry.org

Holunderstr. 1
49124 Georgsmarienhütte
GERMANY

Jan Argy Y. Tolentino (Vice-President)

Jan-Argy Tolentino is currently Secretary-General of the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia or YLDA and seved as Secretary General of the Filipino liberal Youth organization Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas (KALIPI). He served as Political Affairs Officer for the Commission on Appointments in the Philippine Congress and he is a part-time faculty of the Department of Political Science & Public Administration at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Drawing from his immense experience and knowledge on youth concerns, he has been a constant speaker and facilitator on various seminars on politics. He has a degree on Political Science with specialization on Public Administration from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Contact info

Gsm: +639175262749 / +639284843868
Email: janargy@iflry.org
Personal Email: jr_pilipino@yahoo.com.com

4525-B Pag-Asa St., Sta Mesa
Manila 1016 Philippines