Marie Nissanka is a mixed-methods social science researcher and evaluator with a background in political science, peace and conflict studies, management and international development. She works in the areas of social housing, homelessness, poverty, youth movements, international development, social enterprises, civics education, human rights, peace education, peace building and good governance in post-conflict nations. She received her PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies, specializing in multicultural education in protracted environments, from the University of Otago in 2019. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Community Connections

Community Connections is a trilingual centralized information hub with useful FAQs for immigrant groups settling into Aotearoa, New Zealand. This online repository contains links to a variety of websites with useful information related to education, employment, health, housing, the environment, neighborhood safety and region-specific support services. Please visit the Community Connections website at: https://www.communityconnections.org.nz/.

IVLP Exchange Experience

Marie participated in the IVLP Project Sustainable Housing and Smart Cities, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center in partnership with Global Ties Kalamazoo, WorldDenver, Global Santa Fe, San Diego Diplomacy Council and Global Ties San Francisco.

Marie's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "I found the IVLP Program enriching and extremely educational. It was a huge privilege to hear from US experts in the field of sustainable housing and to network with passionate professionals in Aotearoa."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Kalamazoo, MI; Santa Fe, NM

Country: New Zealand

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