Seven steps to reconciliation
Not all peace processes end in success, said Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, in Colombo this week. It can take some a very long time to succeed-as it did in the case of Northern Ireland. Mr. Blair delivered the Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Lecture on August 24, the tenth anniversary of the late Foreign Minister’s [...]
Lakshman: Realist and idealist
Ten years ago, Sri Lanka lost one of her illustrious sons, Lakshman Kadirgamar. A fearless critic of terrorism, he courted death from the moment he took over the portfolio of foreign affairs in those challenging days for our country. A sniper’s bullet finally managed to silence him forever, said Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, at the [...]
The nexus between foreign policy and domestic policy
Max Weber’s typology of political leadership is helpful to understand the different strategies employed at the August election. On the one hand “traditional” authority looking towards the status quo albeit with a “charismatic” leader rooted in past glory, as opposed to the “legal-rational” authority looking to institutional-building for good governance into the future. Post-election, the [...]
The cool reality of gay marriage – and what that means for Asia
Point of View Great things are happening in world social dynamics – West of Suez. These developments can be described as progressive for the Western hemisphere; how they are viewed by the rest of the world depends on how tradition-bound other world communities are, or insist on being. Gay Marriage has to be the most [...]
The deconstruction of a supremacist
Notwithstanding his rise to ultimate power, Mahinda Rajapaksa, despite being one of the shrewdest political manipulators in the history of this country, opts to place his faith in necromancy, rather than in the intelligence of his political sense. Apart from a pathetic belief in the occult and an abject reliance on heavenly interventions, there was [...]
Snubbing the people
Being now a senior citizen in my seventies, I am old enough to remember the 1967 Pelmadulla bye-election. Mrs Sita Molamure Seneviratne (daughter of the famous Sir Francis Molamure and wife of the much respected civil servant L.J.de S. Seneviratne) contested the Pelmadulla seat on behalf of the UNP. She lost the election to Mr. [...]
Myth today: Economic growth and structural reforms
In ‘Myth Today’, Roland Barthes speaks of interrogating the myths of our times, bourgeois myths, as the myth of everyday rationality and normality. For him, reason, common sense, everyday images are loaded with political meanings that we are unable to see. We take them as natural, commonsensical and normal. He says this is particularly true [...]
My face is my identity
The story where Colombo’s Mayor, M.J.M. Muzammil, was refused the ballot paper at the Polling Station in Colombo, because he did not carry a valid identity document as required by the election law, initially came to us as gossip, but finally turned out to be true. Reports published in the newspapers have now clearly set [...]
An open letter to President, Prime Minister, all leaders
It was most encouraging to read the message to the nation by the re-elected Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, after a lengthy dialogue with President Sirisena. We commend your vision to build a new Sri Lanka in the coming sixty months, founded on the values of good governance and democracy, social justice, equality and accountability in what [...]
Hameed served Harispattuwa and the nation
The late A.C.S. Hameed was elected to Parliament in 1960 to represent the Harispattuwa constituency. Since then he has been successful in seven elections, counting 39 years (1960-1999) in parliament. This is one of the longest records for a parliamentarian in Sri Lanka’s legislature. Dr. Hameed also had the honour of being appointed the first [...]
LUSH launches second clinic
President Maithripala Sirisena declared open the second LUSH skin clinic on Wednesday evening at Colombo 5. ‘LUSH@Park Medical Aesthetics’ was opened with Founder Director Sheromi Samaradiwakara and the management of LUSH Clinic as well leading dermatologists, plastic surgeons and celebrities present. The modern treatment centre will have non-surgical treatments including skin care, anti-aging treatments, laser [...]
PTE Academic: Improving lives through learning
PTE Academic, launched in Sri Lanka last week hoping to expand their vision of helping their learners improve their lives through learning. A leading education company, Pearson offers a range of education products and services in over 80 countries, conducting examinations for over 14 million people in the world every year. PTE Academic is a [...]
PeMEx 2015: ‘A Tale of Medicine Untold’
PeMEx 2015 “A Tale of Medicine Untold”, the 8th Medical Exhibition organised by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, is currently open to the public at the Faculty premises. The exhibition has been organised with the purpose of sharing information on the human body, its functions, deviations from the norm, and prevention of diseases [...]
Book launch: “He Breathes Again”
“He Breathes Again” – the book by Rohini Jayamanne will be launched on September 1 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute at 6 p.m.
Goerge Soros’ Open Society to
promote democracy in Sri LankaNew York -The Open Society Foundations, a global philanthropy operating in more than 100 countries, has announced plans to support work in Sri Lanka. By working with local civil society and other actors, the Open Society Foundations will seek to bolster democratic reforms already underway in Sri Lanka and promote economic [...]
Calling Sri Lankan Youth: Join the Global Youth Consultation
Young people from all over the world will come together and discuss ways to reshape the future of humanitarian action at the World Humanitarian Summit Global Youth Consultation in Doha, Qatar on September 1 and 2. The United Nations in Sri Lanka encourages Sri Lankan youth to participate in the Global Youth Consultation. They can [...]
De Lanerolle Brothers ‘Keeping it Real’ concert
Their regular dinner shows at leading hotels are perennially popular but this time the De Lanerolle Brothers – Rohan and Ishan, are aiming for the bigger stage. ‘Keeping it Real’ – the next De Lanerolle Brothers concert is presented by the BMICH and directed by Shobi Perera. Tickets for the show to be held on [...]