Photograph by Susannah Conway
Is it possible to do good and be well? I believe it is. But it can be harder than it sounds. Which is why I created this site, a watering hole for do-gooders, wanna-be do-gooders and recovering do-gooders. If you identify with any of those labels, you are among your own kind here, my friend. This site is for you. It’s a place to meet others of your kind and to quench your thirst. It’s the kind of bar, I hope, where everyone knows your name.
My ‘do good’ credentials: I’m a human rights advocate and a writer. I served in the United Nations mission in Afghanistan with a focus on human rights and gender issues, helped develop human rights strategies for the governments of New Zealand and Timor-Leste and worked as Policy Advisor for Oxfam. I’ve written a book about doing good and being well in Afghanistan (Zen Under Fire, coming in 2012 from Penguin NZ) and I write for the Huffington Post.
My ‘be well’ credentials: I’m a yoga teacher (Yoga Alliance 200RT) and I created the 30 Days of Yoga courses to help you start (or restart) your own yoga practice. I’m also the Regional Leader for Off the Mat, Into the World in New Zealand and Australia.
Clarity and compassion are my calling cards. Add courage to the mix and you get change.
Whether I’m working on project to improve police understanding of women’s rights in Afghanistan or working one-on-one with a yoga client, doing good and being well always requires clarity, compassion and courage.
What I do
To find out more about what I do, and how we can work together, visit my “Work with Me” page.
My past life
I used to be a lawyer. I used to wear a wig called ‘Ringo’ and appear before the High Court of New Zealand. I loved that wig because it made me look older. For a 22 year old working on $500 million cases, looking older was a good thing. Watching relationships and lives fall apart over money taught me not to covet it. Accounting for my time in 6 minute increments taught me efficiency and professional accountability.
For many years I worked in human rights. I was responsible for developing a long-term strategy for human rights in New Zealand. I also worked with the Government of Timor-Leste on the development of their own human rights strategy. In Timor-Leste I discovered the importance of listening and the value of a beginner’s mind: the ability to bring fresh eyes and curiosity to every situation.
I worked for two years with a human rights organisation in the Gaza Strip, learning everything I know about resilience from my Palestinian colleagues. Later, in Afghanistan I headed up a new provincial office for the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan, where I learned the difference between striving for change and being of service. These days, I aim to be of service.
I’ve helped small NGOs overhaul their management and governance structures to make better use of their most valuable resource, their people. I’ve helped large development organizations streamline overloaded work plans and focus on those things they did better than anyone else.
I’ve facilitated strategic planning processes for organizations and individuals, co-managed the merger of two crown entities and designed and managed national consultation processes. In my spare time, I co-wrote a UNIFEM report on Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan. I wrote it in my spare time because there was no other time to write and I thought it had to be written.
I can help you. I can help your organization. If there is anything I’ve learned it is that we are all capable of great things when we find our own authentic and unique place in the world. I’m here to help you discover what great things you are capable of, and to make sure you have everything you need to do them.
How to contact me, where to find me
I’m a huge fan of Twitter and and I’m at my chattiest there there. Say hi!
If what you have to say is going to take more than 140 characters then email me at marianne AT marianne-elliott dot com. If you need to get in touch with me urgently, i.e. you can’t wait 12 hours, then call me on +64 21 11 06 086.
If you want to receive occasional email newsletters about my online courses, events and publications then sign up for my mailing list.
