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Mariam Abuhaideri | Pune, India
MA Candidate (BC11) | Class of 1983 LEAD Fellowship recipient
An interest in human rights and a keen desire to break the mold were what propelled Mariam Abuhaideri to study at SAIS. Although relatively fresh out of the University of West Georgia, Mariam has found opportunities to work, intern and conduct research at Connecting, an organization that addresses the rise of youth suicides in India and at Nonviolence International in Thailand, Burma and Washington D.C. She also conducted independent research on the social transformations in Iran.
Currently she is an intern at the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development (CCSDD) in Bologna.
Her degree in journalism and global studies with a focus on human rights and conflict prevention informed and shaped Mariam's desire to empower the youth. Growing up in India she experienced and decided to overcome a cultural norm, which did not encourage women to educate themselves beyond a first-college degree-in fact she hopes to set an example for young women back home.
"I'm the only girl in my community who dreamed of attending a prestigious graduate school, despite all the cultural and economic challenges. Now that I am here I feel I've set a standard for girls in my community and hopefully also in other developing countries that where there is a will, there is a way," says Mariam.
Mariam maintains strong ties to her Iranian and Indian roots, where she wants to work eventually, either in media, development or government. "I want to work with the youth so they can understand the world and their role in it-to create a better world. Like Mahatma Gandhi envisioned, it's up to us to be the change we want to see in the world."
SAIS's ability to attract students from different backgrounds was a crucial draw for Mariam. "I've learned so much from my classmates; the dialogue has introduced me to regions I hadn't gotten to know before starting at SAIS. Diversity is crucial for me and SAIS has done a fair job of representing most regions," she asserts.
Degree: University of West Georgia, B.A.
Major: Journalism and Global Studies
Languages: English, Hindi, Persian (native), Urdu (fluent)
SAIS area of concentration: International Relations
Other interests: Iran, India, violence prevention, poverty reduction, human rights, inter-civilization dialogue, international law, youth empowerment, human media, development, natural resource and environmental conservation
By Bianca Silva
M.A. Candidate (BC11)
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