Suveen Sanis Walgampola is a community advocate and co-founder of Duality, an organisation for Sri Lankan youths in New Zealand. He is also a member of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and was the candidate for the Mount Roskill electorate in the 2023 elections.[1]
Biography
Walgampola was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is Sinhalese.[2] He moved to New Zealand at the age of two.[3] Growing up in Auckland, he attended Auckland Grammar School from 2004-2009, then Massey University from 2010-2014 where he studied a Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com.), Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law.[4][5] In 2016 Walgampola completed a Graduate Diploma in Commerce, Operations, and Supply Chain Management from the University of Auckland.[4]
Walgampola is the co-founder of Duality, an organisation for Sri Lankan youths in New Zealand.[3] In supporting the Sri Lankan diasporic community in Aotearoa New Zealand, Walgampola aims to foster support for identity formation and success among the community.[3][5][2] Duality organises community engagement projects, mentorship programmes and knowledge and story sharing opportunities.[3]
Suveen Sanis Walgampola Green Party Candidate, 2023
In 2020 Walgampola volunteered for the Green Party election campaign.[6] In 2023 Walgampola ran as the candidate for the Mount Roskill electorate and received 12.12% of votes behind the Labour Party's Michael Wood (30.4%) and National Party member Carlos Cheung (43.40%).[7][8][9] Walgampola advocates for a community-led attitude towards politics and focuses on issues supporting tino rangatiratanga and migrant and minority voices.[4]
Before being involved in New Zealand politics, Walgampola was a mental health support worker.[10]
Walgampola practices the art form of Geta Beraya, the traditional Sri Lankan drums.[2]
