Nayana Godamunne (MSc, Oxford)

Nayana’s interests are mainly on issues of social protection and development related to, aspects of forced migration including displacement, resettlement and social safeguards. She has worked with both war and development affected communities, particularly focusing on the poor and vulnerable; women headed households, the elderly and the differently abled. She worked with the team that developed the National Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (NIRP) in Sri Lanka and has been actively involved in presenting and writing on its implementation in Sri Lanka and overseas. Until recently, she worked part time at a think tank where she developed research skills, particularly in qualitative methodologies, and produced a range of policy relevant outputs. Additionally, she has been freelancing working with multi-lateral donor agencies in implementing social safeguards in development projects. Nayana holds a Masters degree in Forced Migration from the Department of international Development at the University of Oxford and a Bachelors degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Bristol.

Nayana’s Publications

Journal Articles

1. Godamunne, N. (2016) "Can social protection build state legitimacy? Perspectives from post war Sri Lanka", Journal of International Relations and Diplomacy, 4(11), 703-717.
   [link]
   

2. Godamunne, N. (2015) "Development for whom? Re imagining Urban development in Colombo, Sri Lanka" in Journal of Urban Regeneration, 8(2), pp. 186-192.
   [link]
   

3. Godamunne, N (2013), "Development and Displacement: The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (NIRP) in Practice", Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences, 35/36 (1&2), pp 37-50.
   [link]
   

Academic Conferences

1. Godamunne, N. (2017) CEPA Open Forum on "Reflections on Post War Recovery: Delivery and Access of the Samurdhi Program in war affected areas", Colombo, Sri Lanka.
   

2. Godamunne, N. (2014) CEPA Annual Symposium Post war Development in Africa and Asia: Social protection delivery, access and use: (mis) matching expectations with perceptions: The case of post war Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
   

3. Godamunne, N. (2014) Sri Lanka Round Table for Academic and Policy Debate: Hosted by the University of Amsterdam: Social protection and state legitimacy in Sri Lanka, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
   

4. Godamunne, N. (2013) AUS AID: Development Futures Conference hosted by the University of Technology, Sydney, Development for whom? Reimagining urban development in Colombo, Sydney, Australia.
   

5. Godamunne, N. (2013) CEPA Open Forum on Poverty; "Development, Displacement and Resettlement: The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy in Practice, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
   

6. Godamunne, N. (2013) Law and Society Trust Annual Stakeholder meeting: Divi Neguma from a poverty perspective, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
   

7. Godamunne, N. (2011) Canadian Association for the Forced Migration and Refugee Studies (CARFMS) Annual conference, hosted by McGill University: Development and Forced migration in Sri Lanka: The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy as a durable solution, Montreal, Canada.
   

8. Godamunne, N. (2010) UNESCO National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka: National Symposium on Social Protection Policies in Sri Lanka: The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy in practice, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
   

Other publications

1. Godamunne, N. (2019) "Understanding Women’s Livelihood Outcomes and Economic Empowerment in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka", International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo
   [link]
   

2. Godamunne, N. (2015), The role of social protection in state legitimacy in the former conflict areas of Sri Lanka, ODI, London.
   [link]