Dr. Walaa Gad Al-Karim works as a resettlement and social participation officer in the local development program in Upper Egypt. He worked for 15 years in the field of community participation, social considerations and program management in a number of development projects, civil society organizations in Egypt and public utility organizations. He received a doctorate degree from the University of Ain Shams in Egypt, and he is a graduate of the International Visitor for Leadership Program on Transparency in Local and Federal Institutions in the United States. He is a researcher and writer on social development issues, human rights-based approach and reform of local management systems and support of decentralization.