நிலா•nilā
நிலா (nilā) means “moon” in Tamil.
The moon transitions through eight distinct phases, from waxing to waning — a reminder that change is a continuous process.
Nilā was founded in 2025, in response to a period of social, political, and economic change.
Guiding Principles
Adaptability
Are we willing to change ourselves in order to change systems?
Discipline
Are we clear on our values? How do we return to them when we have lost our way?
Purpose
Are we moving towards a similar destination, even if we are taking different paths to get there?
Love
Are we rooted in love for people and planet? Are we demonstrating self-love, especially when we make mistakes?
Hospitality
Are we creating spaces rooted in care? Do we invite those we disagree with into our homes for tea?
Meet Athavarn
Athavarn Srikantharajah (he/they) is the founder and lead facilitator at Nilā Facilitation. He is an Eelam Tamil facilitator, organizer, and writer with a decade of experience working on social and economic justice.
Athavarn has worked on many community engagement projects, including a national community-based research project on poverty, a community assembly on livability and growth, the Toronto Island Park Master Plan, and a co-design lab for human rights defenders.
He has worked at Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty, Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, as a public engagement consultant, and as a youth worker. He is a former board member of Amnesty International Canada and Sherbourne Health. His work has taken him to South Africa, Jordan, Poland, the United States, Sri Lanka, and to every province and territory in Canada. Athavarn has a degree in sociology and is a Loran Scholar.
Athavarn (aah-thuh-vun) is a Tamil word meaning “the Sun.” He loves astrology, tarot, powerlifting, cooking, R&B, coffee, travel, his friends, and his family. He lives on the traditional territories of the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation, also known as Ajax, Ontario.
(Vancouver, 2024) Athavarn led the design and facilitation of external community engagement for a residents assembly, including an open house, community exchange, and community-led multilingual conversations.
(Virtual, 2023) Athavarn coordinated and co-facilitated a national roundtable series on poverty and human rights.
(Toronto, 2019) Athavarn designed and facilitated a retreat for an international network of Tamil activists
(Johannesburg, 2019) Athavarn co-facilitated a design workshop for young human rights defenders
Experience
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Ending Child Poverty: The Time is Now, 2024 National Report Card on Child and Family Poverty, Campaign 2000, 2024 (Contributor).
Unprecedented Progress on Poverty Reduction Being Undone, 2023 National Report Card Brief on Child and Family Poverty, Campaign 2000, 2024 (Contributor).
The Power of Radical Collaboration, CIVICUS, 2020 (Author).
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Burnaby Community Assembly, 2024. Check out some media coverage in the Burnaby Beacon of the Big Ideas workshop I facilitated.
Localizing Canada’s Commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, 2021 – 2024.
Toronto Island Park Master Plan, 2021.
Youth Action Lab, 2019.
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Non-profit Leadership Certificate. Brock University.
Bachelors of Social Science, Major in Sociology. University of Ottawa.
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Deep Democracy, Level 1
Anti-Oppression Training and Resource Alliance
Facilitate for Freedom Fundamentals
Crash Course in Facilitating Decision Making
Crash Course in Facilitating Disagreement
Ganz Model for Community Organizing, Institute for Change Leaders