Marisa Leon Gomez Sonet, Partnerships & Communications Coordinator

Since 2015, Marisa has worked on policy and advocacy on migration, refugee, and human rights issues extending from the multilateral sphere to the national, regional, and city levels. Most recently, she has worked with Quaker organizations on advancing migration justice. At the national level in the United States, she lobbied Congress to promote regularization pathways for undocumented migrants, halt discriminating travel bans, and increase refugee resettlement numbers. At the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva as part of the Human Rights and Refugees Programme, Marisa engaged with a wide range of people from across States, civil society, and the UN system. In her work with QUNO, she supported the development of engagement strategies, including meaningful migrant participation, for core migration multilateral processes, particularly the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). At the city level, Marisa worked to advance and strengthen sanctuary practices and policies in Chicago, following the lead of directly affected communities. Marisa is from Tegucigalpa, Honduras and began her career with a focus on human rights issues in regard to U.S. foreign policy and military spending in Central America. Marisa has a master’s degree in Global Affairs, International Peace Studies concentration from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies, International Development, and French from Salve Regina University.