(Washington, D.C., October 4, 2022): Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) is pleased to announce the expansion of DAWN's Board with the election of an activist and expert in democracy promotion in North Africa, Mongi Dhaouadi.
"Mongi Dhaouadi brings to the Board an expertise in promoting democracy in the North Africa region, as well as the civil rights of Muslims in the United States," said Sarah Leah Whitson. Executive Director of DAWN. "He will help amplify DAWN's message by adding a democratic activist voice from the region."
Mongi Dhaouadi currently serves as the Executive Director of the Libyan American Alliance (LAA) and the president of the Tunisian United Network (TUN). Both LAA and TUN are leading voices for democracy, human rights, and good governance in Libya and Tunisia, respectively.
Previously, Dhaouadi served as the Executive Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations in Connecticut where he conducted civil rights workshops on Knowing Your Rights, Islamophobia and the Muslim experience before and after 9/11. He has participated in and led several media campaigns and press conferences on issues concerning the Muslim community ranging from discrimination cases to advocating for the change of racial profiling laws in the state of Connecticut.
After moving to Washington DC, Dhaouadi worked as the Senior Program Officer at the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID). For four years, he oversaw CSID'S advocacy work for freedom, democracy, and good governance in the MENA region, with a special focus on Tunisia.
Dhaouadi was born and raised in Tunisia and moved to the US when he was 19 to study Electrical Engineering.
"The DAWN team has already established itself as an important voice in democracy promotion and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa," Dhaouadi said. "I hope that my experience and expertise in democracy promotion in North Africa will help to expand DAWN's mission of promoting democratic change in the entire MENA region."
Jamal Khashoggi helped found DAWN in 2018. The organization was relaunched in September 2020 under the leadership of its new Executive Director, Sarah Leah Whitson, who is also a member of its board. DAWN's other board members include two of the founders of the organization, Nihad Awad and Dr. Esam Omeish; Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman' law professor Sahar Aziz' expert international human rights lawyer Reed Brody; CEO and founder of Memria Louis Bickford' and former Human Rights Watch Development Director, Michele Alexander.
DAWN is a nonprofit organization that promotes democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for all of the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa and advocates for U.S. policies that align with these goals.
