Mostafa Fouad
Brussels
Summary
I am a dedicated human rights advocate, legal expert, and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience advancing civic space and defending human rights across the MENA region. I specialize in program management, leading advocacy campaigns, and supporting civil society initiatives. I’ve built regional networks, mentored teams, and delivered impactful training sessions. My work in research, legal analysis, and strategic litigation has driven meaningful policy change. I’m well-versed in MEL practices and international law. I thrive under pressure, solving complex challenges and collaborating with diverse stakeholders. I am passionate about fostering inclusive development and empowering marginalized communities.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Director
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
Brussels
08.2024 - Current
- Develop and execute the organization’s strategic vision, ensuring alignment with HuMENA’s mission and goals.
- Oversee daily operations, manage senior staff, and implement policies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
- Manage budgets, oversee grant applications, and secure funding to ensure financial sustainability.
- Supervise the design and implementation of impactful programs, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
- Act as the organization's primary spokesperson, promoting HuMENA’s mission through public engagement and media relations.
- Collaborate with the Board of Directors, ensuring effective governance, and reporting on organizational progress.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders, donors, and other civil society organizations.
- Ensure legal and regulatory compliance while implementing strategies to mitigate organizational risks.
Consultant & Trainer
Independent
01.2014 - Current
- Supported local and regional NGOs, INGOs, and donor agencies across the MENA region, contributing to positive social impact through multisectoral interventions. Areas of expertise include countering hate speech, promoting sustainable development, and advancing civic engagement and effective advocacy.
- Delivered training programs and provided strategic guidance on social entrepreneurship, human rights, democratic governance, and civil society reinforcement.
- Experienced in diaspora engagement, exile networking, and community mobilization to drive collective action and policy change. Proficient in fostering partnerships through networking and coalition-building, while applying monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to assess and enhance program impact.
Human Rights Lawyer, Legal Researcher, and Legal Advisor
01.2014 - Current
- Provide legal counsel and representation to clients who have experienced human rights violations, ensuring their rights are upheld, and justice is pursued through appropriate legal channels
- Prepare and present cases before courts, tribunals, and relevant international bodies to seek redress for human rights abuses
- Develop and implement legal strategies to advocate for the protection and promotion of human rights in various contexts
- Collaborate with human rights organizations, NGOs, and civil society groups to influence policy changes, legislative reforms, and systemic improvements
- Conduct thorough legal research to analyze human rights issues, relevant laws, and precedents to strengthen cases and advocacy efforts
- Compile comprehensive documentation of human rights abuses, including collecting evidence, testimonies, and other relevant information
- Monitor and assess the compliance of governmental bodies, institutions, and private entities with international human rights standards and treaties
- Engage in human rights litigation with an international focus, addressing cross-border violations and working towards global justice
- Collaborate with legal professionals, advocacy groups, and experts in related fields to share knowledge, resources, and best practices in human rights law
- Build networks and partnerships to enhance the impact of collective efforts in advancing human rights
Head of Programs
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
04.2018 - 08.2024
- Collaborate with the executive team to develop and refine the organization's programmatic strategy, ensuring alignment with the mission and vision
- Identify emerging trends, needs, and opportunities within the target communities and translate them into innovative program ideas
- Design, develop, and launch new programs in response to identified needs, ensuring they are evidence-based, sustainable, and effective
- Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to the program team, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning
- Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and facilitate professional development opportunities for team members
- Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of all program activities, ensuring timelines, budgets, and deliverables are met
- Monitor program performance and outcomes, collecting data and feedback to measure success and identify areas for improvement
- Cultivate and maintain strategic partnerships with other nonprofit organizations, government agencies, community groups, and relevant stakeholders
- Work closely with the development team to identify funding opportunities, prepare grant proposals, and engage in donor cultivation efforts to secure funding for program initiatives
Legal Researcher
Global Freedom of Expression Project-Columbia University in the City of New York
01.2020 - 05.2021
- Surveyed jurisprudence from MENA, critically review exemplary cases, engaged in comparative analysis, and aimed to identify national, regional, and global trends
Executive Director
Heliopolis Center for Political Development and Human Rights Research
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Report to and work closely with the Board of Directors to seek their involvement in policy decisions and fundraising and to increase the overall visibility of the organization
- Supervise and collaborate with organization staff
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Planning and operation of the annual budget
- Serve as the organization's primary spokesperson to the organization's constituents, the media, and the general public
- Establish and maintain relationships with various organizations and utilize those relationships to enhance the organization's mission strategically
- Engage in fundraising and developing other revenues
- Oversee marketing and other communications efforts
- Oversee organization Board and committee meetings
- Establishing employment and administrative policies and procedures for all functions and the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit
- Review and approve contracts for services
- Other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors
Education
BS - Law
Ain Shams University
Cairo01.2013
Skills
- Communication
- Interpersonal Skills
- Teamwork
- Active Listening
- Research and Analysis
- Leadership and Management
- Organizational Skills
- Multitasking
- Prioritization
- Working Under Pressure
- Public Speaking
- Advocacy
- Fundraising
- Reporting
- Legal Expertise (International Law, Human Rights Monitoring)
- Training and Capacity Building
- Attention to Detail
- Persuasion and Negotiation
- Experience with NHRIs
Affiliations
- Treasurer, Speak Up organization
- Board Member, MENA Network for Countering Hate Speech
- Innovation for Change Network - MENA Hub
Publications
- The Road to Exile: Paths of Identity and the Search for Homeland
- Rethinking Activism in Lebanon: In the Era of Socioeconomic Collapse of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Partners in Repression: Judicial harassment faced by the human rights defenders in Egypt
- MENA Diaspora Paving Road to Justice: What Is Strategic Litigation and Why It Matters
- MENA Diaspora Engagement: The Change Mantra
- "Advocacy in Exile" - Guidebook
Training And Professional Development
- Fellowship, EU advocacy, and supporting CSOs and HRDs, EuroMed Rights, Brussels, 12/01/23, Current
- Training on networking and coalition building focused on the freedom of peaceful assembly, CIVICUS, Tanzania, 08/01/23
- Fellowship, effective advocacy, integrated security, and resilience for HRDs, Centre of Victims of Torture-USA, 01/01/21, 03/01/22
- TOT of 'Planning and management of human rights campaign in a legal framework', CIVICUS, Uganda, 01/01/18
- TOT of 'Project Management', Swiss Embassy, Cairo, 01/01/17
- TOT of 'Campaigns Strategy', New Tactics Organization, 01/01/16
- TOT of 'Drafting of public policy papers', Cevro Czech Institute, Zanzibar, 01/01/16
- TOT of 'Management of NGOs', Swiss Embassy, Cairo, 01/01/16
- 'Certified Legal Researcher', law and society research unit, the American University of Cairo, 01/01/14
- TOT of 'Introduction to Politics and Human Rights', Egyptian Democratic Institute, 01/01/11
Languages
Arabic
First Language
English
Advanced (C1)
C1
Turkish
Intermediate (B1)
B1
Websites
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Executive Director
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
08.2024 - Current
Legal Researcher
Global Freedom of Expression Project-Columbia University in the City of New York
01.2020 - 05.2021
Head of Programs
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
04.2018 - 08.2024
Executive Director
Heliopolis Center for Political Development and Human Rights Research
01.2015 - 01.2017
Consultant & Trainer
Independent
01.2014 - Current
Human Rights Lawyer, Legal Researcher, and Legal Advisor
01.2014 - Current
BS - Law
Ain Shams University
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