Nabin Dhimal

Nabin Dhimal was born and raised in a refugee camp in Nepal after his family, along with hundreds of thousands of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese, was forcibly displaced from Bhutan under the government’s “One Nation, One People” policy, an act of ethnic cleansing. Spending nearly two decades in a refugee camp profoundly shaped Nabin’s commitment to advancing equity, dignity, and self-determination for refugees, immigrants, and forcibly displaced communities.

 Nabin brings over eight years of experience as a program strategist and nonprofit leader, specializing in refugee integration, refugee-led leadership, and culturally responsive, trauma-informed programming. He recently served as a Program Manager at Lutheran Community Services Northwest, where he oversaw refugee-focused initiatives, managed multi-million-dollar budgets, and led cross-sector partnerships. Previously, he held leadership and policy roles at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), Unite Oregon, and the City of Portland.

Nabin believes the global refugee regime must be reshaped by centering the leadership and lived expertise of displaced communities in decision-making. He has served on numerous boards and advisory bodies, including a former commissioner on the City of Portland’s New Portlanders Policy Commission and Metro’s Committee on Racial Equity. Nabin is pursuing a Master of Arts in International Migration and Refugees at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he is a Bryce Harlow Fellow. He also holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University.