Research areas, interests and projects within security, crisis management and emergency preparedness
Mezzanotti’s research addresses themes such as the criminalization of humanitarian aid, migrant detention and human rights, Indigenous (im)mobilities, urban violence, pluriversal approaches to human rights, human rights education, and transitional discourses. Professional interests in security and emergency preparedness are particularly rooted in a human rights perspective, focusing on how marginalized communities experience and respond to violence, displacement, and institutional neglect. Her work also examines the ethical and political dimensions of humanitarian responses and the role of legal frameworks in such contexts.
Before joining USN, Mezzanotti served for eight years as the UNHCR Sergio Vieira de Mello Chair at Unisinos University in Brazil. She was also a member of NEABI, a center dedicated to Afro-descendant and Indigenous studies, and worked as a lawyer in collaboration with intergovernmental bodies and NGOs in Latin America. In addition, she was a representative member of COMIRAT, a state committee focusing on refugees, stateless persons, and survivors of human trafficking. These roles, along with her legal background and international academic engagements, have enabled her to contribute to both research and practice in contexts of crisis, displacement, and human rights advocacy.