As election season intensifies, civic participation has become a particularly relevant and necessary topic—especially within the Persian-speaking community. Understanding why engagement in municipal and national decision-making remains limited among our communities is crucial. To explore this issue, we spoke with Mahmood Moazami, a long-time educator and coach in the field of personal and social development.

Majid Mahichi – Local Journalism Initiative

Widely followed on social media and active across various public platforms, Moazami attributes his visibility to a core principle: being of service to others in a practical, results-oriented way. He believes that when people find value in what you share—especially when it leads to real change—they begin to pay closer attention. With decades of experience in education and coaching, he has earned the trust of many who seek tools not only for personal improvement but for more active and responsible citizenship.

According to Moazami, many people in the community are searching for life skills—tools that allow them to navigate personal challenges while also stepping into public life with confidence. His approach blends lived experience, scientific understanding, and shared wisdom. He insists that civic awareness, like all meaningful skills, is something that must be learned. No one is born ready to lead or participate—it’s through education, mentorship, and curiosity that we build the capacity for engagement.

Roughly twenty years ago, he founded The School of Excellence (Maktab-e Kamal), built around the philosophy: “Love yourself, and help others love themselves too.” The core idea came from years of studying psychology and observing people’s behaviors—including a troubling pattern: many individuals, often unknowingly, are at odds with themselves. This lack of self-acceptance can become a barrier to stepping into society with purpose and agency.

Referencing both classical and modern psychology, Moazami describes how internal conflict and self-destructive patterns can prevent people from participating fully in their own lives—let alone in civic life. Whether it’s avoiding responsibility, dismissing one’s potential, or retreating from public discourse, these behaviors reflect deeper wounds that often go unaddressed in immigrant and minority communities.

He recalls cultural moments from his childhood—acts of self-blame or emotional outbursts—that he now understands as the language of suppressed frustration and lack of societal control. These private pains, when left unresolved, feed a cycle of disempowerment. And in a civic context, that disempowerment translates into silence, disengagement, and distrust in institutions.

Moazami argues that many in our community face a critical inner barrier: a feeling that they don’t matter, or that their voice won’t make a difference. His work focuses on dismantling that belief. Through the teachings of The School of Excellence, he has created methods that help individuals reconcile with themselves, rebuild self-trust, and step forward with the confidence to act—whether in personal life or in society at large.

At its heart, his message is clear: civic participation begins with inner alignment. When people learn to value themselves, they are far more likely to value their role in their community—and to show up when it matters most.