Mari Sunami

Mari Norman Sunami – Presenter specializing in cross-cultural communications, gender, safe spaces for diversity and storytelling as a medium for sharing personal and cultural experiences

Her education includes Master’s degrees in anthropology and education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature. Additional studies include Ethnographic and Documentary Film & Filmmaking, American Sign Language, introduction to Somali language for social services, Spanish language and culture. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, West Indies, and traveled in China, Greece, Kenya, Norway, Denmark, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Morocco, Spain, Mexico, Tunisia, France, England, Germany, Canada and the United States. Past Executive Director of the South Side Settlement, Sunami is currently affiliated with Ohio Dominican University. A 1999 YWCA Woman of Achievement, she is a co-author of the publication, Women Leading the Way.

Drawing on a lifetime of cross-cultural experiences, Mari brings an anthropologist’s perspective on special needs, racial, ethnic, class, gender diversity. She served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, providing teacher-training in Language Arts. She was a teacher for children with multiple disabilities, and both a teacher and a Director of programs in Early Childhood Education. She was Executive Director of South Side Settlement House, a community organization providing youth and social services to a diverse community that included Somali, Latino and Cambodian immigrants, Appalachian- and African-Americans. She has spoken publicly on issues of poverty, homelessness, and inclusion, and conducted orientations to Appalachia culture for foreign professionals participating in the Columbus Area International Program.

She is a presenter with Diversity Matters (www.diversity-matters.net)