In this episode, we meet Social Impact Pioneer Maaria Mozaffar — a legislative attorney, human rights policy strategist, and author of inclusive policy. Maaria’s life work proves that lasting change begins not with slogans, but with courage and conversation. From writing inclusive laws to confronting systemic inequity, Maaria’s journey reveals how anyone — yes, anyone — can participate in reshaping the policies that define our lives.
Across today’s headlines, and the headlines of inequality the dehumanisation of communities through policy and enforcement is very much a reality. Maaria joins us to untangle that thread and to ask — what does justice look like when we centre humanity, empathy, and inclusion in our laws?
An attorney, mediator, and author, Maaria Mozaffar has been advancing equity since the early 2000s, drafting groundbreaking legislation such as the Inclusive Athletic Attire Act, Faith Behind Bars, and resolutions against cross-cultural bullying and hate crimes. Her legal models have been replicated nationwide, proving that human-centred policymaking is not just possible — it’s powerful.
In conversation, Maaria explains that real reform starts with writing the code itself. She shares how individuals — not just elected officials — can influence the legislative process: learning, listening, and mediating to find common ground. “It’s not politics,” she says. “It’s about refusing to allow any community to be dehumanised.”
From her early days in law school during 9/11 — when she witnessed civil liberties eroding in real time — to her current work mediating conflicts and drafting inclusive laws, Maaria’s career bridges law and humanity. Through stories of legislation that began at kitchen tables and ended in state law, she offers both moral clarity and practical steps for creating accountability, transparency, and dignity in policy.
This is a conversation about courage, systems, and the belief that transformation is possible if we’re willing to engage.
So, what does it mean to write laws that protect rather than punish — to legislate with empathy?
Join us for this hopeful episode as Maaria Mozaffar shares how to turn disillusionment into action, and how each of us can shape a more just and humane society.
Links:
Maariamozaffar.com
Inclusive Athletic Attire Act: https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/publicacts/view/102-0051
Faith Behind Bars: https://ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=4430&ChapterID=55
