Nov 16, 2011

News

NED mourns the loss of Fred Iklé

The Board and staff of the National Endowment for Democracy were deeply saddened by the death of Fred Iklé on November 10, 2011. Dr. Iklé served the maximum term of nine years on the NED Board of Directors (1992-2001), and provided indispensable guidance as the Board specialist for Asia. Dr. Iklé, along with fellow Board member Stephen Solarz, played a key role in encouraging the Endowment to find ways to work in North Korea. Thanks largely to his vision, North Korea is now one of NED’s top priorities in Asia. Dr. Iklé was awarded NED’s Democracy Service Medal in 2001.

“Fred Iklé was a man of great wisdom, deeply knowledgeable about history and international politics and unwaveringly devoted to the NED’s mission of supporting freedom and advancing democracy,” said NED president Carl Gershman. “He combined a rare ability to think strategically about world politics while at the same time appreciating the daily struggles of activists fighting at the grassroots for democratic change. He played an important role as a NED Board member and will be sorely missed and long remembered.”