Haneen Abu Al Neel is the program associate at Democracy Fund, an independent foundation working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. Haneen supports the Digital Democracy team, an initiative that aims to promote and protect civic space and rights online through the frameworks of equitable digital civic infrastructure and digital civil and human rights. Like other parts of Democracy Fund, the Digital Democracy Initiative is committed to building an inclusive and multiracial democracy in the United States.
Haneen brings in expertise from the international relations and democracy building space at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). At NED, she worked with civil society partners in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine on democratic values such as youth debates, social accountability, transparency, good governance, independent media, free & fair elections, and other issues. Prior to the NED, she was a diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator at American University building a restorative justice initative under its Inclusive Exellence strategic plan. Haneen also dovetailed her passion for movement building and civil rights by researching human rights narratives during the Arab Spring, futurism in the Arab world, and civil war. Finally, she worked directly with Syrian displaced populations in Jordan on economic empowerment tools like starting small businesses and social integration with host communities.
Haneen earned her BA in leadership studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies from University of Richmond. During her time at University of Richmond, she also participated in an international honors program examining the history and politics of human rights in Nepal, Jordan, USA, and Chile. Finally, she earned her MA in ethics, peace, and human rights from American University in Washington, D.C. Whenever possible, Haneen volunteers at the Arab American Association of NY (AAANY) in NYC and the Arab American Foundation in D.C.