Student Profile: Ciara Moezidis, MTS '24
"At HDS, I'm gaining critical thinking skills and qualitative understanding of religion and politics. And understanding religion in a more holistic manner has been eye-opening with regards to becoming a better leader."
As an undergraduate at Santa Clara University, Ciara Moezidis, MTS '24, was intent on addressing matters of US domestic politics. It wasn't until she wrote her thesis on Baha'i persecution that Moezidis recognized how intrigued she was by international human rights work. Growing up in a family with ties to several faiths, Moezidis reflects on how this "melting pot of cultures" influenced her academic career: "I felt called to focus on ethnoreligious minorities, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa."
Now at HDS, Moezidis studies ethnoreligious persecution, apartheid, and genocide in the Middle East and North Africa. She is also one of more than 25 students enrolled in the Religion and Public Life certificate program (CRPL). "CRPL has been an avenue to take what I've learned and apply it in a practical setting," Moezidis says, adding, "RPL staff have been incredible in helping me think through the theoretical nuances of my degree in an applied manner." It was Susie Hayward, M Div '07, associate director of the Religious Literacy and the Professions Initiative, who told Moezidis about an internship opportunity with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Moezidis was selected for the internship, ultimately working on a report that was presented to the UN Human Rights Council, including research on Baha'i treatment in Iran, Yemen, Egypt, and Qatar. The internship solidified Moezidis's aspiration to advocate for those who are persecuted because of their identities.
Moezidis is also involved in HDS's Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative, which examines the profound ways that religion can promote or hinder justice and peace. Through the initiative's focus on Israel/Palestine, students gain an understanding of the political, religious, and social elements of this region while building professional skills in conflict transformation. Moezidis was part of a select group of students who enrolled in "Learning in Context: Narratives of Displacement and Belonging in Israel/ Palestine," a course which culminated in a two-week field experience in Israel and the West Bank. "During the trip, we met with around 30 organizations and individuals to hear from different voices, all of which centered peace," she shares. "Many people look the other way when it comes to Israel/Palestine because it is such a complicated space. Having the chance to learn on the ground is a serious privilege." Following the trip, Moezidis interned as a human rights fellow at the Carter Center's field office in Ramallah.
In fall 2022, Moezidis will begin a dual degree at The Fletcher School at Tufts University to pursue a master of arts in law and diplomacy. She expects that her studies at Tufts will nicely complement her education at HDS. Ultimately, Moezidis says, her education will empower her to take on the vital work of advocating for human rights, highlighting atrocities around the world, and lobbying the US government to use its power to help promote a just world for all.
—by Sarah Rubin