Community development is a vital process where people come together to take action on what is important for a particular community. At its heart, community development is embedded in the belief that all people should have access to health, well-being, wealth, justice and opportunity. In societies, there are some people, some groups and some communities, those who are
From trolling the recently killed ISIS leader, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, to coping with successive defeats of the Sri Lankan cricket team, memes are a popular form of interaction and exchange for many netizens of the island. Current events in Sri Lanka, often confusing and entertaining, seem to supply endless fodder for the most hilarious memes as well.
The words of Dr. Albert Szert-Gyorgyi “Innovation is seeing the way everyone has seen, and thinking the way nobody has thought,” were evident at Makerfair-2019. Have you ever thought of how to drain out excess cooking oil? or a device for eye drops? How about an artificial nose, or 3D-printed clothes and fibre optic dresses? What about an alternative to wearing layers of
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Thus were the words of the world renowned American author, Helen Keller. Why she and her quote is immensely important to this discourse is because this article addresses members of a group of people like her, in state and in determination.
A conference on the Rehabilitation and Protection of Tropical Mangrove Ecosystems was held at the Galle Face Hotel recently, calling to action students, state officials as well as environmentalists and conservationists to protect the island nation’s wetlands. The International Conference on Mangroves was organised by EMACE Sri Lanka in partnership with the
“I’m from Kathmandu, last year we had a group of women climbing Mount Everest, which we supported. But why challenge male stereotypes, why do women have to climb Mount Everest? Why are we again repeating the same stereotypes, why can’t we respect nature as it is and why take all those masculine traits?” Those were a few questions posed to a panelist at the Sub-
In 2007, actor turned environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the movie ‘Blood Diamond’. Depicting civil war in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, the plot saw local villagers enslaved to harvest diamonds to fund rebel forces. Although this particular storyline was fictional, the film raised awareness of a very real problem that was happening in Africa at the time.
Out of 15, 992, 096 eligible and registered voters, 30.8% are youth voters and 1.55% are first time voters. This year’s Presidential Election is coming months after the gruesome Easter Sunday attacks and a year after the constitutional coup, the first ever in Sri Lankan history. Due to these issues, political activism in youth and youth apathy are both prevalent regarding the
Have you ever considered what is in your store? By store, I mean, what you have collected and stacked-up so far – those may be material things that you can touch, feel and see, or those may be things that are not tangible or demonstrable in any palpable way. I am sure the readers will know what is meant by material things, as we all have this stacked-up everywhere, in cupboards, bookcases, almirahs and any accessible nooks or corners. But the la
Whatever the reason given, in 2005 the vast majority of the Tamils from the North and East and even in Colombo did not go to the polling booths to exercise their franchise. The result, as they say, is history. Yet it is imperative for that history to now be reflected upon seriously. The President who got elected partly due to the decision taken by Tamils not to exercise their franchise ruled over the entire country for the next 10 years, with gra
The political stage is getting heated by the day as many faces continue to pledge their support for existing parties and new alliances. Recently several artistes, both veteran and amateur too pledged their support to various candidates and even went to express their views on the political stage. Hence, a few of them shared their views with the on why they decided to support a particular candidate.
As a Church community we approach the Presidential Elections in our country, following All Saints’ Day and All Souls Day (Remembrance Day) which reminds us of people like us who walked the earth, yet made a difference by their commitment and single-minded obedience for discipleship in Christ and those our loved ones gone before us whom we remember with prayers and supplications. Both c
Hiranya Jayalath, Founding Member and Past President of the Sri Lanka Chapter of Ikebana International (2014-2016) sadly passed away recently after a prolonged illness. Hiranya was one of the most positive, friendly and naturally cheerful persons one could have the privilege of knowing. She brought sunshine wherever she went and was a great strength to our Chapter. An able lawyer, Hiranya drafted our original Constitution. It was she who came up
At the landmark occasion of Sanghamitta College, Galle celebrating her centenary, Professional and Graduates Association of Sanghamitta College Galle launched the publication “Sanghamith Prathibha” on November 1 at the BMICH
Ever since the approval of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) USD 480 million grant for Sri Lanka, the country has been embroiled in a debate over it, with the government portraying it as something beneficial whilst the opposition is raising security concerns. This has left the common Sri Lankan citizen utterly confused. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), a
The book “Illustrated Field Guide to the Flowers of Sri Lanka Volume 3” by Dr. Jacob de Vlas, a prominent Dutch biologist, was launched on November 5th, 2019 at the Meteorology Department Colombo. Presenting the book, the author noted it was an extension of previous volumes on Sri Lankan flora. He said it had been compiled along with some Sri Lankan naturalists, including butterfly and flora expert Mr. Himesh Jayasinghe. Volume 3 contains details
The village of Alukalavita located at the 12th-mile post on the Kataragama Road in Buttala is so small you could drive right past and not notice it. There is no signboard bearing its name or no monument marking its existence. Yet, for a brief time, in the 1980s, Alukalavita was the site of a unique and historic movement for social justice.
Kegalle, a district in the Sabaragamuwa Province, comprises a largely agrarian society with rubber, tea and coconut being cultivated as main crops. Apart from that, minor export crops such as coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg also contribute to the district’s economy. Kegalle is also home to the country’s largest graphite mine situated at Bogala. During the 2015
Many have asked me as to why I chose to present myself as a Presidential candidate and the primary reason for this decision has been to create a platform to raise awareness of the major imbalances that exist in terms of devolution of power down to the rightful levels of franchise and entitlement.
Comparisons of Singapore and Sri Lanka have now become a tiresome, threadbare argument. Sri Lanka needs its own model, many argue. But how the Southeastern city-state has woven a unique, diverse and inclusive social fabric is still exemplary.
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already,” said author of the bestselling Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling. A group of researchers from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ) took this to heart when they set out to make a work of fiction into reality.
Days after Tikiri breathed her last, Kanakota collapsed to its death after entertaining a group of tourists on its back. As elephants have become an easy money spinner for racketeers, the matter seems to have blown out of proportion. Making things worse, a questionable Cabinet paper was recently signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, subject minister John Amaratunga and Minister of Buddhasasana and Wayamba Development Gamini Jayawickrama
Fishing is a livelihood for over 200 million people around the world. It is not only a source of income for them but also a socio-economic factor which shapes their entire lifestyle. It is believed that fishing, an ancient practice of securing food, played a major part in the development of civilization.
Canada issues travel advisory over serious risk in Arugam Bay
More countries issue travel advisories
Sri Lanka Tourism invites global travellers for upcoming season
Russian embassy urges citizens to stay vigilant in Arugam Bay
US Embassy issues travel warning for Arugam Bay
Immigration authorities to crack down on overstaying Russians, Israelis
Sri Lanka may face another economic turmoil: Sajith