The NZIIA Wellington Branch Student Committee is delighted to welcome you to a panel discussion / Q&A about how diaspora communities worldwide and in New Zealand are grappling with the return of explicit 'great power' politics.

Places are limited / registration required - please RSVP to studentrep.nziia.wellington@gmail.com

Successful registrants will receive confirmation closer to the event.  A waiting list will be in operation.

What do rising global tensions mean for everyday lives in diaspora communities?

Join the NZIIA Wellington Student Committee for a dynamic panel and Q&A exploring how the return of great power politics is reshaping migration, identity, and cross-border connections, both globally and here in New Zealand. Featuring Dr Kate McMillan and Dhilum Nightingale, this conversation will unpack how geopolitical shifts are felt on the ground, from changing migration pathways to the evolving experiences of diaspora communities as they navigate an increasingly uncertain world.

Following remarks from the panel, the floor will be open for questions and interactive discussion. Come along for fresh insights and your chance to ask questions and be part of the conversation.

Confirmed panelists:

Kate McMillan is an Associate Professor of Politics at Te Herenga Waka -Victoria University of Wellington. Her research and teaching interests focus on the politics of immigration and citizenship. In 2026 she is teaching two upper-level courses: one on the politics of forced migration, and another on the concept and practices of 'international migration management'. Kate's recent publications have looked at immigrant voting, non-citizen voting rights, informational equality during election campaigns for minority language communities, and the role of immigration in New Zealand election campaigns.

Dhilum Nightingale is a Wellington‑based barrister at Kate Sheppard Chambers with extensive experience across immigration and refugee law, employment, public, and environment and resource management law. She acts for marginalised and vulnerable people in ethnic and migrant communities, with a particular focus on migrant exploitation and family violence, through her work with Community Law Wellington & Hutt Valley and as an advocate at Citizens Advice Bureau. Dhilum is the founder of VERI‑Mi Charitable Trust, which advocates for and empowers exploited migrant workers, including through the development of a website and app to improve access to justice (www.verimi.org.nz). She has undertaken Borrin Foundation funded research into ways of holding employers more accountable for migrant exploitation, and an interview-based report she has written on the experiences of ethnic and migrant women victim-survivors of family violence in the Family Court will be published in April. Dhilum brings a strong social‑justice and transnational perspective to her work informed by her Sri Lankan heritage and cross‑cultural practice.