Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
{{Short description|Australian-British activist (born 1975)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
|image = Danny Sriskandarajah 2.jpg
|image_caption=
|citizenship = Australian,
British{{cite web|url=http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/director/1678489/dhananjayan-sriskandarajah|title=Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah|publisher=Companies in the UK}}
|nationality = Australian, British
|birth_name = Dhananjayan Sivaguru Sriskandarajah
|birth_date = December {{birth year and age|1975}}
|birth_place = Sri Lanka
|spouse = {{married|Suzanne Lambert|2003}}
|alma_mater = University of Sydney,
University of Oxford
|profession = Activist
}}
Dhananjayan Sivaguru "Danny" Sriskandarajah (born December 1975){{cite web|url=https://www.easterneye.biz/?lists_2023=danny-sriskandarajah|title=Celebrating Britain's 101 Most Influential Asians 2023 {{!}} Danny Sriskandarajah|website=easterneye.biz|access-date=17 July 2024}} is a Sri Lankan-born British-Australian activist who is the Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation.
Until December 2023, he was Chief Executive of Oxfam GB.{{Cite press release |date=15 June 2023 |title=Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah to step down as Oxfam GB Chief Executive at end of year {{!}} Oxfam GB |url=https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/danny-sriskandarajah-to-step-down-as-oxfam-gb-chief-executive-at-end-of-year/ |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=Oxfam GB}} Prior to that, Sriskandarajah was the Secretary General of CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations.{{cite web |date=17 September 2012 |title=Global civil society network CIVICUS announces new leader |url=http://civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/1187-global-civil-society-network-civicus-announces-new-leader |access-date=2014-01-21 |publisher=Civicus.org}} He was the first non-British and youngest person to head the Royal Commonwealth Society, a large non-governmental organisation (NGO) devoted to Commonwealth affairs, based in London, England.
Sriskandarajah is the author of the book Power to the People, published in 2024.
Early life and education
Danny Sriskandarajah was born in Sri Lanka, the son of Sri Lankan Tamil parents who first moved to Australia as doctoral students.(28 October 1997). [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19971028-1.2.10.19.2 "Migrants' son is Australia's first Asian Rhodes Scholar"], The Straits Times.
Sriskandarajah was educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School in Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia, graduating in 1993. He was the school captain and well mentored by Art Herger.{{cite web|url=http://union.jamesruse.nsw.edu.au/years/1993/21993news|title=2. 1993 News|first=Eddie|last=Woo|date=9 April 2012|publisher=James Ruse Union|access-date=29 June 2013|archive-date=27 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227090411/http://union.jamesruse.nsw.edu.au/years/1993/21993news|url-status=dead}}
Sriskandarajah then attended the University of Sydney,{{cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/alumni/sam/july2010/commonwealth.shtml|title=Commonwealth|publisher=University of Sydney}} from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and Social Science in 1998. During 1995 and 1996, he resided at Wesley College, a residential college within, but separate from, the university.{{cite web|url=http://www.wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au/?page_id=52|title=Academic - Wesley College|publisher=Wesley College}}
After becoming the first Asian Australian to win a Rhodes scholarship in 1998,{{cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/alumni/our-alumni/recognition/rhodes-scholars.shtml|title=Rhodes scholars - Alumni & Friends|publisher=University of Sydney}} Sriskandarajah then matriculated to Magdalen College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, to read for an M.Phil. and then a D.Phil. in international development. His research focused on inequalities and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.{{cite journal|title=Socio-economic inequality and ethno-political conflict: some observations from Sri Lanka|journal=Contemporary South Asia|volume=14|issue=3|pages=341–356|doi=10.1080/09584930500463792|year = 2005|last1 = Sriskandarajah|first1 = Dhananjayan|s2cid=53364320}}
Career
Sriskandarajah held various posts from 2004 to 2009, including Deputy Director of the left-leaning think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/jan/09/uk.immigration?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews|title=Politics {{!}} Fewer Britons in work due to ageing population and emigration rather than migrants, says report
|last=Travis
|first=Alan
|date=2008-01-09
|newspaper=The Guardian
|access-date=2009-04-07}}
He was Director General of the Royal Commonwealth Society, from 2009 to 2012, the youngest ever person and the first non-Briton to head this 140-year-old organisation. In 2012, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
He was the Secretary General of CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations from January 2013 to December 2018. He was the fourth person to hold this position, following Miklos Marschall (Hungary), Kumi Naidoo (South Africa) and Ingrid Srinath (India).
In July 2018, Sriskandarajah was announced as a member of the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, co-chaired by Jack Ma and Melinda Gates.{{cite news|url=http://www.un.org/en/digital-cooperation-panel/|title= Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation|publisher=UN|access-date=2018-09-07}} He was previously a member of the High Level Panel on Humanitarian Finance from 2015 to 2016.{{cite news|url=http://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2016/01/18/un-aid-panel-calls-%E2%80%98grand-bargain%E2%80%99-finance|title= UN aid panel calls for 'grand bargain' on finance|last=Redvers|first=Louise |date=2016-01-18|work=Analysis|publisher=IRIN|access-date=2017-03-07}}
Sriskandarajah was Chief Executive of Oxfam GB from January 2019 to December 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/danny-sriskandarajah-few-policy-makers-understand-charities-value.html|title=Danny Sriskandarajah: 'Few policy makers understand charities' value'|first=Rob|last=Preston|website=Civil Society Media|date=18 November 2022|access-date=14 September 2024}}
He was appointed Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation in January 2024.{{Cite web |title=New Economics Foundation appoints Dr Danny Sriskandarajah as new Chief Exec {{!}} New Economics Foundation |url=https://neweconomics.org/2023/06/new-economics-foundation-appoints-dr-danny-sriskandarajah-as-new-chief-exec |access-date=14 August 2023 |website=New Economics Foundation}}
Sriskandarajah is a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation that campaigns for democratic reformation of the United Nations.{{Cite news |title=Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly |url=http://en.unpacampaign.org/statements/page/3/ |access-date=2017-09-28 |language=en-US}}
He is the author of the 2024 book Power to the People (subtitled "Use Your Voice, Change the World"), published by Headline.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/headline-acquires-danny-sriskandarajahs-power-to-the-people|title=Headline acquires Danny Sriskandarajah's Power to The People|website=The Bookseller|first=Sian|last=Bayley|date=27 February 2024|access-date=17 July 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/danny-sriskandarajah/power-to-the-people/9781035414239/|title=Power to the People|first=Danny|last=Sriskandarajah|publisher=Hachette UK|isbn=9781035414239}} Power to the People was described by Zoe Williams of The Guardian as "upbeat, empowering, alive with the possibilities of civic action and vibrant with examples from the past, including Save the Children's founder, Eglantyne Jebb, and Rosa Parks."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/18/the-radical-who-left-oxfam-to-fight-for-democracy-eight-men-own-half-the-world-where-does-this-end|title=Interview {{!}} The radical who left Oxfam to fight for democracy: 'Eight men have the same wealth as half the world. Where does this end?'|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Zoe|last=Williams|date=18 July 2024|access-date=19 July 2024}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://twitter.com/dhnnjyn?lang=en Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah] on Twitter
- [http://www.rogalinski.com.pl/director-general-of-civicus-politicians-fear-too-much-citizenship/ Interview with Danny Skiskandarajah]
- [https://www.easterneye.biz/?lists_2022=danny-sriskandarajah "Danny Sriskandarajah"], GG2 Power List
- [https://www.theconduit.com/past-events/power-to-the-people/ "Power To The People"], 18 July 2024.
- [https://www.pewliterary.com/author/dhananjayan-sriskandarajah Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah] at PEW Literary.
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jds9g6cQCdU "Power To The People"] – Sriskandarajah in conversation with Dame Julia Unwin at The Conduit, London, 17 July 2024.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sriskandarajah, Dhananjayan}}
Category:21st-century Sri Lankan male writers
Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
Category:Australian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
Category:Australian Rhodes Scholars
Category:English-language writers from Sri Lanka
Category:People educated at James Ruse Agricultural High School
Category:Sri Lankan Tamil activists