Zineb - Morocco

Zineb is a go-getter with seemingly endless energy, passion, and initiative. One of my favorite exchanges with her involved her apologizing for being "too pushy and too persistent." She is indeed persistent, and is incredibly effective because of her drive. Zineb is from Morocco, but we met for the first time at a conference in Ghana, where she was presenting about the organizations she founded, The Transnational Initiative Countering Violent Extremism (TICVE) and The Peacebuilding Network. Later, we met again in Nigeria when she was helping us develop a regional youth network to counter violent extremism among Lake Chad Basin countries. With minimal direction or assistance, she hit the ground running identifying partners and participants in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, and Niger. Let me tell you, these are not the world's garden spots! Yet Zineb was willing and eager to head into the unknown and pound the pavement to find the right people for our network. In addition to being impressively independent and proactive, Zineb is an expert connector. Somehow, she can always manage to walk into a new place, gain trust, make friends, and identify key people to advance her efforts. While some people struggle to be both persistent and kind, Zineb manages to be enthusiastic, positive, and friendly in the face of obstacles. Her hard work and dedication spring from her deep concern for others and drive to make the world a better place. 

"I would like to tell Americans one thing: Keep your values and your freedoms. Protect the values of American freedom and human dignity for all. When I was in the U.S., American people welcomed me in their universities and their houses with their families and gave me opportunities as a young Muslim woman. American people contributed very positively to who I am today."