2024-25 MA in International Peacebuilding Students

Students have been selected for our highly competitive MA in International Peacebuilding for 2024-25. The program is a one-year, residential, 36-credit, master’s degree program where students develop interreligious literacy and acquire constructive conflict intervention skills through a combination of service-learning, traditional courses, experiential courses, and project-based learning. Below are the profiles of our incoming class, which will begin studies in August. Welcome! 

Abdullahi Jalloh
Country of Origin: Sierra Leone
Religious Identity: Muslim

Abdullahi is a businessman, philanthropist, human rights activist, and youth leader. Since 2019, he has served as the Deputy District Youth Chairman of the Falaba District Youth Council. He holds an MA in Telecommunications Systems and a BA from Universite Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, making him multilingual in English, French, and Portuguese. Abdullahi has served various institutions in various capacities among them. He is the CEO of Rise Up Falaba District Organization – a community-based organization in Falaba district that advocates for development, peace, and social cohesion. He previously worked as a human rights activist working with the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) as a human rights monitor and was part of a small group that wrote the constitution of Democracy Sierra Leone – a coalition of CSO’s sponsored by National Democratic Institute (NDI) in 2005. Abdullahi is happily married with a son and a daughter.

Dereje Effa
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Religious Identity: Christian

Dereje is married and has three children. He is from Ethiopia, a country located in the Horn of East Africa. Dereje holds an MA in Leadership and Management and a BA in Management Information Systems. His career journey and competencies include roles such as school teacher, leadership development program team leader, manager of program training, leadership and management consultant, curriculum developer, mentor and coach, resource mobilizer, and educational resource developer. He has served as a board chairperson and ambassador for humanitarian organizations. Dereje has written books on academic and spiritual topics and has appeared on TV. Dereje aspires to build an institution for peacebuilding focusing on religious and development organizations.

Theophilus Tettey
Country of Origin: Ghana
Religious Identity: Christian

Theophilus is a Christian missionary from Global Revival Ministries and a leader who is passionate about advocating for peace in the body of Christ and the nation of Ghana. He is enthusiastic and industrious and has had a noteworthy achievement in positively impacting areas grappling with conflict in his home country. He coordinates programs that provide valuable tools to individuals affected by conflicts in regions of Ghana. He holds a Diploma Certificate in Practical Christian Studies from Global Revival School of Ministries and a BA in Economics and Information Studies from the University of Ghana. Theophilus regards the MAP program at HIU as a career-enhancing program. He believes it will empower him with the knowledge to participate in the peacebuilding process in the regions of Ghana affected by conflicts.

Justine Auma
Country of Origin: Uganda
Religious Identity: Christian

Justine is a biomedical engineer with a background in clinical medicine and community health, currently working with the city of Mbale. She is also an Interfaith expert and a KAICIID fellow, having attained an International Fellowship in Interreligious and Intercultural dialogue. She is based in St. Austin's Catholic church in Mbale city where she coordinates interfaith activities. Justine is also a strong advocate of social cohesion in a multicultural society where she uses music and arts to promote peace and tolerance, especially among the youth and children. She has pioneered grassroots initiatives geared towards promoting unity among religious leaders from the different religious sects in rural communities. She is passionate about promoting peace through dialogue at all levels of life.

Hina Khan
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Religious Identity: Muslim

Hina is a Pakistani-Canadian strategy and policy professional with diverse experience working on initiatives in the public, private, and development sectors. Hina has led projects with various government institutions in Pakistan on human rights, and youth development, as well as on investment-focused global engagements. Most recently, she has helped set up public policy and climate change initiatives at a renowned university in Lahore. Since 2020 Hina has run a philanthropic trust founded on the principles of Saint Ali Bin Usman Hajveri to provide humanitarian relief to marginalized people. Guided by traditions of Sufism, the organization attempts to serve a small community of people with purity of intention, love, and affection. Hina holds a BSc. (Hons.) degree in Quantitative Economics and Mathematics from the University of Toronto.

Getu Gebeto
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Religious Identity: Christian

Getu is married and has four children (two boys and two girls). He has several years of work experience in various organizations (public, private, and nongovernmental) in the areas of organizational leadership and human resources management. Moreover, he has been serving as a Volunteer Strategic Partnership Director of the African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (ALARM) in Ethiopia since April 2023. Getu is highly interested in promoting interreligious dialogue to ensure peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and beyond. To this end, he has participated in various interreligious dialogue workshops in Ethiopia that were organized by the Ministry of Peace and Interreligious Council of Ethiopia. He holds an MA in Public Administration, a BA in Management, a Postgraduate Diploma from Maastricht School of Management, and different professional certificates.

Masriany Sihite
Country of Origin: Indonesia
Religious Identity: Christian

Masriany goes by Mazmur. She is from Indonesia and lives in Jakarta. Indonesia is a diverse country with many tribes, and she is proud to be Batak. Reading and traveling are her hobbies. She also loves making friends and discussing various topics with many people. Mazmur has five sisters, one brother, eight nephews, and two nieces. She is single and lives alone in a small house within walking distance from her office. She serves as a pastor at the HKBP Church, a Lutheran church. Since 2014, she has been working with the Rawinala Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating and caring for children with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment (MDVI). Mazmur is excited to join this community and looks forward to learning and growing together with all of her peers.

Hannah Belsky
Country of Origin: USA
Religious Identity: Jewish

Hannah has long identified as a peacebuilder and border crosser. She can’t wait to develop new skills through MAP to help foster dialogue and social change within and beyond her own Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as advocate for justice and understanding in the U.S. and globally. She has an eclectic background that has included: working with Israelis and Palestinians (and living in Jerusalem), supporting refugees in the U.S., leading outdoor experiential education programs for struggling youth, connecting university students around the world in cross-cultural dialogue online, and fostering learning and teamwork in organizations. Who knows what the future brings?! A mom of two young girls (and her dog Millie!), Hannah lives 10 minutes from the HIU campus. She can’t wait to take her MAP friends on local adventures and help the group build connections with Hartford-area communities.

Balqis Moussa
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Religious Identity: Muslim

As an English major, Balqis pursued an intercultural academic career which has broadened her perspective on dialogue, interfaith reconciliation, and tolerance. There was no better opportunity for her to enhance her skills for peacebuilding than engaging in thought-provoking workshops that helped deepen her understanding of human interactions. Participating in local social initiatives that aimed at empowering youth has motivated her and played a significant role in her professional career as an English teacher. Her short yet inspiring teaching journey enabled her to take part, together with her students, in peace-oriented projects that have nurtured in them the fundamental human values of tolerance, love, and respect. All these life experiences shaped Balqis’ understanding of peacebuilding and motivated her to join the MAP program, which will provide her with an unparalleled chance to be part of an all-embracing intercultural community.

Janet Quansah
Country of Origin: Ghana
Religious Identity: Muslim

Janet is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to develop new skills through MAP, which she believes will significantly enhance her ability to foster meaningful dialogue and drive impactful social change both within the Ghanaian community and on a global scale. Her dedication to promoting peace has led her to collaborate with numerous organizations in Ghana, where she has worked tirelessly to advocate for harmony and understanding. This important mission has afforded her the privilege of traveling to various countries, where she has had the honor of delivering speeches on peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Janet is really excited and looks forward to contributing to and growing with the dynamic HIU community.