Penny is a seasoned commentator and frequent guest for media outlets and global convenings.
Her rise from undocumented immigrant to established Government leader offers Penny a unique perspective on issues ranging from women’s leadership, diversity & inclusion, domestic violence, social and economic justice and more.
Contact Penny at Soft Power Strategies, here.
New York Times:
She Fled Sri Lanka When She Was Four. Now She’s A City Leader
“It sounds kind of trite, but lived experiences really do matter, right? You get into so many theoretical conversations with people who are trying to empathize, as they should, which is great. But there’s something very visceral about fighting for women and girls when you’ve gone through those experiences yourself.”
Consulate General of France: Abeywardena Awarded with the National Order of Merit by France
The causes that Penny devoted her energy to supporting have always been on the right side of history, and focused on achieving a fairer and more sustainable world.
Brown Girl Magazine:
NYC Commissioner Penny Abeywardena: A Powerful and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Penny identifies as a highly optimistic “glass-half-full” person working in politics, which might sound oxymoronic to you — to me it sure did. Yet as I spoke to her, Penny clarified that she views optimism as “purposeful,” indicating that she believes it is an active, rather than passive, way of being. I learned that Penny draws strength from the person she’s built herself to be over the years.
The Cut:
What NYC’s Ambassador Wears to Work
As Commissioner of International Affairs, Penny Abeywardena is New York City’s ambassador to the globe. In a city with the largest diplomatic corps in the world, her office connects international and local leaders. Abeywardena spends her days meeting with everyone from U.N. officials to students in her office’s NYC Junior Ambassadors program.
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs:
Penny Abeywardena MIA ’05 Connecting local to global
When you walk into Penny Abeywardena’s bright corner office, you’ve gained a window onto the world. Literally. Amid sweeping views of the city’s towering skyscrapers and bustling avenues, the United Nations building rises dramatically from across the street, a portal to the global community. It’s a fitting backdrop for New York City’s commissioner for international affairs to host foreign ambassadors, form partnerships, and collaborate on issues of international import.
USC Dornsife:
Conquering the Big Apple
Shortly after alumna Penny Abeywardena was appointed Commissioner for International Affairs by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in September 2014, she attended a dinner with renowned women’s rights activist Dorothy Thomas.
“Dorothy had heard of me through my work at the Clinton Global Initiative and I said to her, ‘When I was 18 years old I went to a lecture you gave at USC that put me on the path to where I am now,’ ” Abeywardena said. “It was a pretty special moment.”
Forbes:
Women Are Leaning In, But Who's Catching Them On The Other Side?
Penny Abeywardena is 36 and commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. She says, “In my 20s I had a fabulous group of personal friends but I didn’t cultivate an equivalent group to support my professional development, mostly because I didn’t know better! … A couple of years ago, I got involved with some friends in a series of dinners where we would invite new women to come join the conversation. Through these dinners, I’ve met some of the most important women in my life from a professional and personal standpoint.” Her sentiment raises the question, “Why didn’t a woman who knows better offer to help her sooner?”
New York Daily News:
De Blasio commissioner worked closely with Hillary Clinton on women's rights
Penny Abeywardena had never met Mayor de Blasio when he reached out to her about becoming his commissioner for international affairs. But they had a powerful connection in common — Hillary Clinton.
Abeywardena, who at 37 is one of the mayor's youngest and most glamorous commissioners, was hired four months ago from the Clinton Global Initiative, where she worked closely with the former secretary of state around Clinton's core issue of women's rights.
MSNBC:
Violence against women persists at high levels
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says that violence against women "persists at alarmingly high levels," with around one in three women worldwide experiencing physical violence in her lifetime. Penny Abeywardena, New York City Commissioner for International Affairs, joins to discuss.
Teen Vogue:
5 Middle School Girls Explain How Young People Can Change the World
The Mayor’s Office for International Affairs in New York City hosts a special initiative for middle school students called the NYC Junior Ambassadors Program, which gives young people the opportunity to work on issues that the United Nations is focusing on and even meet UN diplomats in an effort to show them how to use their voices to create change. “The New York City Junior Ambassadors Program activates the vision Mayor Bill de Blasio and I have to leverage our City’s unique position as host to the United Nations and the world’s largest diplomatic community in order to positively affect youth across all five boroughs,” says Penny Abeywardena, New York City Commissioner for International Affairs. “We are proud to provide seventh grade students, representing the economic, cultural and ethnic diversity of all five boroughs, with opportunities to learn about global challenges and empower these inspiring young people to take action for a more just and inclusive world, starting in their own neighborhoods.”
PBS:
More Than Just Gridlock: Why the U.N. Matters
New York is the home of the U.N., adding to its status as the world’s city. But the yearly influx of diplomats and heads of state, and the increased security and transportation concerns that follow, cause many New Yorkers to question why the United Nations is located here. In a recent New York Post article, New York City Commissioner for International Affairs Penny Abeywardena makes the case that the U.N. enriches our metropolis both culturally and economically, and is worth the occasional inconvenience. In this story, she gives MetroFocus an insider’s tour of this international and uniquely New York institution.
The National News (UAE):
'I am what the American story is all about': How Penny Abeywardena is using her platform to support sustainability
It was during a two-hour conversation on the porch of Gracie Mansion, the residence of the Mayor of New York, that Penny Abeywardena realised that taking on the role of the city’s Commissioner for International Affairs would give her a global platform from which to contribute to making a meaningful impact on climate change.
Reuters:
New York says first city to show how faring on goals to end social woes
New York on Wednesday became the first city to unveil how it is faring on global goals to end poverty, inequality and other woes by 2030, officials said, highlighting the importance for cities to promote social and economic innovation.
Nearly 200 countries signed on to the goals at the United Nations three years ago, but much of the actual progress takes place at local levels such as New York, city officials said.
Reuters:
Cities to step up at U.N. to push climate fight, sustainable development
As some world leaders question whether the world is facing a climate emergency, more than a dozen cities are stepping up to tackle global warming and sustainable development and will next week pledge to report their progress to the United Nations.
Sixteen cities will commit to implementing global goals to end poverty, inequality and other challenges by 2030 during the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. They will sign a voluntary declaration drafted by New York City.
Soft Power:
The future of diplomacy takes root in cities
Contributed piece to: New coalitions of the willing & emerging issues.