Ms. Dounia Benslimane currently works as an independent culture consultant in Casablanca, Morocco. Prior to this role, she was a founder and served first as the Executive Director and then as the Head of Partnership and Development for Racines Association, a non-profit that aimed to boost development and democracy through culture and cultural programming. The organization was dissolved by the Moroccan government because of its work to promote democracy. A trained medical professional, Ms. Benslimane has committed her career to development and democracy-building and plans to use her time as a Humphrey Fellow to improve her capacity and skills in this area. She hopes to engage with professionals in the human rights field, and learn innovative and unconventional models for advocating for human rights and social justice. Alongside her many years of professional experience, Ms. Benslimane holds a medical degree from Hassan II University of Casablanca, and an associate degree in Cultural Project Management from Marcel Hicter Association in Brussels, Belgium.