Jeeven Nadanakumar
2024-2025 Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader

Assistant Director, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australia
Jeeven Nadanakumar is an assistant director at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As a young diplomat, Jeeven helps shape Australia’s response to global events and played a leading role during the Afghanistan non-combatant evacuation operation from Pakistan. Inspired by his family’s experience of civil war in Sri Lanka, Jeeven is passionate about peacebuilding, preventing conflicts, and building a more inclusive Australian foreign service reflective of the country's diversity. As a young career diplomat, Jeeven is advocating for democracy, peace, and international cooperation. Prior to joining the foreign service, Jeeven participated in a range of sustainable development and social cohesion initiatives, including on the sidelines of United Nations Leaders Week in New York.
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