“I highly recommend Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn as a fierce advocate for disability justice, rights and inclusion. Sue has always championed for the disabled community as a manager, ally and in the philanthropic sector. She understands the intersecting systems of oppression that uniquely impact disabled people and the urgency of funding disabled led organizations and collaboratorating with the disability community to reach shared goals and solutions. I had the honor of working with Sue at Open Society Foundations and found her commitment to disability issues incredibly authentic. She always supported my work as the disability inclusion project officer and ensured the internal work on disability inclusion matched our external giving to the sector. While we have both moved on, we still have found ways to connect in this field, and I am grateful and proud to call her an amazing colleague and peer in this continued work. ”
Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
1K followers
500+ connections
About
Dynamic, collaborative, results-oriented human rights leader with international…
Activity
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New England Grassroots Environment Fund seeks a Data and Learning Director to expand learning around Environmental Justice practices, grassroots…
New England Grassroots Environment Fund seeks a Data and Learning Director to expand learning around Environmental Justice practices, grassroots…
Liked by Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
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The Asian American Foundation is hiring a full-time Content Writer to play a critical role on the national Communications team by providing expertise…
The Asian American Foundation is hiring a full-time Content Writer to play a critical role on the national Communications team by providing expertise…
Liked by Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
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【We are hiring! - Fundraising & Partnerships Manager】 Are you committed to promoting gender equity and advancing women’s rights? Would you like to…
【We are hiring! - Fundraising & Partnerships Manager】 Are you committed to promoting gender equity and advancing women’s rights? Would you like to…
Liked by Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
Experience
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Human Rights/Democracy Consulting
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Education
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The University of Texas at Austin
Activities and Societies: Amnesty International, Graduate Student Assembly (TA Rep), SAHELI (an NGO that provides support to Asian and other immigrant families dealing with domestic violence), Habitat for Humanity, the Sierra Club, the European Student Association, volunteered at a variety of local homeless shelters and supported efforts to transition clients to permanent housing.
Dissertation Title
Contesting Khalistan: The Sikh Diaspora and the Politics of Separatism.
My doctoral thesis focused on diaspora, ethnoreligious nationalism, and the construction of identity, employing the case study of the movement for a separate state of Khalistan, led by Sikh diaspora communities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, and their relationship with co-religionists in the Punjab. It deconstructs the modes through which identity is constructed…Dissertation Title
Contesting Khalistan: The Sikh Diaspora and the Politics of Separatism.
My doctoral thesis focused on diaspora, ethnoreligious nationalism, and the construction of identity, employing the case study of the movement for a separate state of Khalistan, led by Sikh diaspora communities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, and their relationship with co-religionists in the Punjab. It deconstructs the modes through which identity is constructed, reconstructed, and constantly contested by those in the "mother" country and those who constitute the global diaspora. It examines the myriad ways in which these dynamics shape both the contours of self-determination movements, as well as immigrant politics and “othering” in the diaspora community's host country.
Volunteer Experience
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Human Rights Advisor - Science & Human Rights Coalition Steering Committee
AAAS
- 5 years 7 months
Human Rights
Provide human rights advice on ongoing AAAS initiatives and advise scientific groups on how to expand their outreach to the human rights community and integrate racial/gender/social equity into their programming.
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Volunteer Case Worker
Tucson Interfaith HIV-AIDS Network (T.I.H.A.N.)
- 2 years 5 months
Human Rights
Working within a progressive interfaith coalition, worked one-on-one with HIV+ individuals and coordinated social/educational programs for those living with HIV/AIDS, which had strong beneficiary buy-in. Provided material assistance and emotional support to HIV+ individuals supporting them with a range of daily tasks; facilitating medical/dental appointments, purchasing groceries/medications, accompanying them to social events, transporting them and visiting them at the hospital, socializing…
Working within a progressive interfaith coalition, worked one-on-one with HIV+ individuals and coordinated social/educational programs for those living with HIV/AIDS, which had strong beneficiary buy-in. Provided material assistance and emotional support to HIV+ individuals supporting them with a range of daily tasks; facilitating medical/dental appointments, purchasing groceries/medications, accompanying them to social events, transporting them and visiting them at the hospital, socializing and cooking meals etc.; worked on a series of public education campaigns to eradicate prevailing misinformation/misconceptions about HIV/AIDS.
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Volunteer Case Worker - Transitioning people to permanent, stable housing
St. Cyril of Alexandria, Tucson, AZ
- 2 years 6 months
Poverty Alleviation
Worked one-on-one with people experiencing homelessness, assessed their specific needs and facilitated their transition to the workplace/stable long-term housing; prepared and served meals, assisted with resume writing provided tutoring on English/Math/Civic Education, supported congregational efforts to secure permanent stable housing, and provided training/mentoring on career development and job skills.
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Volunteer
Habitat for Humanity International
- 2 years 11 months
Economic Empowerment
Built affordable housing for Austin’s historically under-resourced communities that had been traditionally excluded from wealth generation; activities included working on basic carpentry/woodwork, roofing, painting, and landscaping.
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Reeb Voting Rights Project - Volunteer Leadership Team
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Washington DC
- Present 7 years 1 month
Civil Rights and Social Action
Conduct educational outreach around voter suppression and mobilize BIPOC voters, recent immigrants and conduct voter registration drives; Support state efforts to restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated people. Mobilize and expand the constituency in support of DC statehood.
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Member Board of Directors
Skylight Inc (formerly Skylight Films)
- Present 8 months
Human Rights
Provide fundraising/donor cultivation/public outreach strategic advice to ED and staff.
Languages
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Sinhalese
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Bahasa Indonesia
Elementary proficiency
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Spanish (learning)
Limited working proficiency
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English
Native or bilingual proficiency
Recommendations received
21 people have recommended Sue
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Fantastic to work with the brilliant Monica Aleman Cunningham and jac sm kee on this piece on feminist tech. Ford Foundation Numun Fund
Fantastic to work with the brilliant Monica Aleman Cunningham and jac sm kee on this piece on feminist tech. Ford Foundation Numun Fund
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🚀 New Opportunity at IIHL! The International Institute of Humanitarian Law is hiring a Coordinator for the Academic Unit within the Department of…
🚀 New Opportunity at IIHL! The International Institute of Humanitarian Law is hiring a Coordinator for the Academic Unit within the Department of…
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Are you interested in advancing the rights of women, girls, and non-binary people living with disabilities through sport? 📝 Read the ToR and submit…
Are you interested in advancing the rights of women, girls, and non-binary people living with disabilities through sport? 📝 Read the ToR and submit…
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Colleagues, we're recruiting for a new director to join the board of the wonderful Avaaz. I'm very proud to have served for two years already and I…
Colleagues, we're recruiting for a new director to join the board of the wonderful Avaaz. I'm very proud to have served for two years already and I…
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