Events

Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture

Prof. Gowher Rizvi, Director of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University will deliver the ninth Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture today- Sunday, July 27 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute Auditorium at 6 p.m. The title of his lecture is "Democracy, Governance and Development."

Before joining the Ash Institute, Prof. Rizvi was the Ford Foundation's Representative in New Delhi, having previously served as the Foundation's Deputy Director for Governance and Civil Society in the New York, office. He was also a Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, and a Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford. Prof. Rizvi was also Director of Contemporary Affairs of the Asia Society, New York a leading American organization dedicated to increasing American understanding of peoples and cultures throughout Asia and the Pacific.

He is also funder and editor of Contemporary South Asia, an academic and policy studies journal published from Oxford to provide a forum for scholars of South Asia, the UK, USA and Australia. Jayantha Dhanapala will preside.

Calling for papers

The 4th National Conference on Buddhist Studies will be held on August 30 - 31 at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Hall, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. The Conference is organised by the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka in association with the Buddhist Times Trust and Bodu Sahana Aramudala.

Research papers relating to Buddhism would be welcome from a variety of disciplines such as Philosophy, Civilisation, History, Psychology, Sociology, Buddhist Scriptural Languages and Literature and other related disciplines in Humanities and Social Science. The papers can be presented in both English and Sinhala.

Abstracts of papers should not exceed 350 words and must include Title, Author(s), Affiliation, Address, Tel/Fax, E-mail address (if available). Abstracts can be sent by e-mail to buddhist.times@gmail.com as attachment in Word, or by fax to Fax No: 2580610/2502943 or by post to the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, 214 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 before August 1.

Lanka Mahila Samiti – 2008-2009

Ranee Herath was re-elected Hony. President and Anoja Fernando remains Life President of the Lanka Mahila Samiti at the 78th Annual General Meeting of the Lanka Mahila Samiti held at the Kaduwela Training Centre on June 28.

The following were elected to the Central Board.

President -Ranee Herath
Vice President - Thilaka Perera
Hony. General Secretary -Mangalika Dahanayake
Hony. Treasurer -Lilamani Goonewardene
Mrs. Benita de Mel
Mrs. Priya Arandara
Mrs. Thelma Gunawardane
Mrs. Suwineetha Amarasinghe
Mrs. Nimal Jayawardena
Subsequently at the meeting of the nine elected members, Mrs. Dahanayake was elected as the Hony. General Secretary and Mrs. Goonewardene was elected Hony. Treasurer. Mrs. Rajasingham and Mrs. Perera were nominated as co-opted members to the Central Board.

Inner Wheel District 322

The Inner Wheel District Assembly was held recently at the Galle Face Hotel with the new office-bearers for 2008/2009 being appointed.

Dr. Carmel Fernandopulle, a Past District Chairman of District 322 - Sri Lanka has the honour of being selected as one of the 16 Board Directors of the International Inner Wheel organization. Vinitha Gunaratne, also Past District Chairman took over as the National Representative of the District. Indira Kandasamy was installed as the District Chairman for 2008/2009.

The District Committee is as follows: Swarna Soysa (District Vice Chairman), Priyanthie Perera (Immediate Past District Chairman); Vijayalakshmi Ketheeswaran (District Secretary); Joan Jayamanna (District Treasurer); Mala Edirisinghe (Extension Service Chairman); Chintha Balalle (International Service Chairman) and Omitha Wikramanayake, District Editor.