Growing up in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, I personally witnessed the positive impact of the United Nations Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. The words of resolution 598 became engraved in my heart. I dreamed of being part of the Mecca of peace—the United Nations.
In the aftermath of war, I yearned to discover more about the outside world. In high school, I learned about the dial-up modem; it was my gateway to global exploration. With the help of the Internet and technology, I gained unparalleled access to a mesmerizing virtual universe where I could share ideas and information with new friends from all over the world.
By freeing myself from the constraints of physical borders and political divides, technology revealed itself to me as a powerful tool in shaping the future of our civilization. I knew that it would play an integral role in my career.
After studying software engineering and obtaining a master’s degree in IT management, I decided to follow my childhood dream, by embarking on an internship at UNHQ. Afterwards, I successfully passed the UN Young Junior Professional exam and obtained a second master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies.
This myriad of experiences showed me how interwoven politics and diplomacy are with technology. It has brought me to where I am today—working for UN Peacekeeping to leverage data for evidence-based planning, analysis, and decision-making. I believe data is the seventh official UN language and we all need to speak data! I have worked as a data, information and knowledge specialist in UNDP, UN/OICT, UNDSS and UN peacekeeping.
Email: bodjnoud@un.org