Vaccine queues and 1984 happening in 2021?

There is such a thing as being overtaken by events. This is what’s been happening to us since the beginning of August. Life has been....

THE UNSUNG HEROES OF TRINITY

The Colombo Branch of the Old Boys Association of Trinity College Kandy went back to School yet again! Trinity College....

EFL 40th Anniversary: Celebrating milestones and looking to the future together

The Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Limited (EFL), Sri Lanka’s first public interest organization working on environmental protection....

SLMA initiates helpline for COVID patients

The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) reactivated the 247 Doc Call Service in collaboration with the Health Ministry, Suwaseriya...

ERRONEOUS COVID STATISTICS; Who’s fooling whom?

The public continues to question the accuracy of statistics revealed by the Health Ministry with regards to the number of COVID positive cases reported from around the country

Has government failed in managing forces at work?

In a democratic system, widely perceived view is that the majority opinion always counts. It is true. Likewise, another common perception is that governance is a smooth sail as long as an overwhelming majority of people are with the ruling side.

The ‘Iron Man’ who believed in nonviolence

Dr. E.M.V.Naganathan, former Member of Parliament for Nallur and Senator (member of the senate or upper house of parliament) was one of the founding members of the Ilankai Thamizh Arasu Katchi (ITAK) or the Federal Party along with Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam better known as Thanthai Chelva, and Mr. C.Vanniasingham, in December 1949.

Reflections on a priest friend

He passed away 2 years ago (August 14, 2019) and I thought of reflecting upon a friend priest and a priestly icon. He was non other than the late Fr. Elmo Clarence Dias, a Moratu Puthra. He was our head prefect during our teens in the minor seminary,

“Dear Me, don’t let anyone weigh you down”

This letter penned on International Youth Day 2021 is inspired by conversations with young people in Sri Lanka, who have contributed to UNFPA’s International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.

Sugath Ratnayake represents Sri Lanka at Youth Exchange Programme

Sri Lankan lecturer in China, SugathRatnayake of the Department of Sinhala Studies at the Faculty of Foreign Languages,

Youth Activist becomes first Sri Lankan to represent country at Mr. Gay World

For the first time in Sri Lankan history a popular rights activist and model will be representing the country at an International competition which is also a platform for LGBT and Human Rights.

Combating COVID outbreak: Is Sri Lanka paying for not following scientific process?

Sri Lanka is experiencing one of the worst COVID outbreaks since the pandemic first struck the island last year. Photos of hospitals....

Is another lockdown the answer?

Sri Lanka is in crisis. Since April 2021, Sri Lanka saw a sharp increase of Covid-19 positive cases and deaths. Despite health....

Viharamahadevi Park Centre Near perfect vaccination drive soured by Twitter post

On Wednesday (August 4) afternoon we walked into the Viharamahadevi Amphitheatre, which is now a 24 hour Vaccination Center. It was nearly empty except for a few people who were there to get their second dose of AstraZeneca. The visu

Focus on families in need Mending lives and building hope after HEC

Many lives, both human and elephant, are lost as a result of the human-elephant conflicts that are prevalent in most parts of Sri Lanka. The number of victims (on both sides) and the intensity of occurrences has been increasing over th

Radical Centrism: A Recipe for Mediocrity?

If the analysis of the current Sri Lankan regime as being ethno-majoritarian and militaristic holds true, then the SLPP....

Working together to fight misinformation in Sri Lanka

Across the world, governments are wrestling with the question of how to address misinformation in society. Misinformation.....

He was a selfless and carefree man

I met Chris last year on a beautiful evening in Singapore. We took a cab to a restaurant in Mount Faber for dinner. It took only twenty minutes to get there, but during the ride, I felt as if I had known him all my life. He was open like a book, heartfelt and no show-off. I started liking him, chatted till late and left as good buddies. He stayed a close, caring friend till the end.

WE BID ADIEU TO ANOTHER GIANT OF CISIR/ITI

Dr. R. O. B. Wijesekera, the doyen of Natural Product Chemistry, and a much loved figure among all those he worked with passed away on July 13, 2021 after a brief illness. He was 92 at the time of death. Knowing his abiding love of cricket, he would have said with a satisfied smile, “I have batted a good innings”. Dr. ROB leaves behind his charming wife Marina.

She was a larger than life figure

Elizabeth Senanayake was the Vice Principal and a teacher during my schooling (1979 to 1992) at Sacred Heart Convent, Galle.

He was quintessentially a renaissance humanist

Jayati Weerakoon passed away on July 29, 2021 in Austin, Texas. He was born in 1928 in Madakumburumulla, Sri Lanka.

Unions continue struggle amidst unlawful moves by govt.

A tsunami of protests led by teachers and principals from around the island continued and they request the government to solve a salary....

Children, Covid-19 and Vaccines

With an accelerated vaccine drive ongoing, Sri Lanka is well on its way to achieve its vaccination goals ahead of the September target set out by the World Health Organization.

Sigiriya: a sustainable wonder to the world

Sigiriya, considered to be one of the most valuable historical monuments in Sri Lanka, has long been renowned as an architectural wonder of urban planning and engineering, and a UNESCO world heritage site since 1982.

Intellectual Property Law ONE OF MANY LEGAL FRAMEWORKS EXPLAINED

The digital world plays an important role in our lives today. Intellectual Property law is one of many legal frameworks....

New Generation Awards 2021: Opportunity and recognition for youth to rise and shine

In the journey of finding hidden talents of Sri Lankan youth and their unsung contribution to the nation, Women in Management....

Proposed Kotelawala National Defense University Bill Militarisation under the pretext of equal opportunities for higher education?

Civil society groups, state university representatives, academics, leftist and socialist movements have rallied together to protest against the proposed Kotelawala National Defense University (KNDU) Bill. One of the main concerns is w

Dr Ashley Godwin Senarath-Dassanayake “A fantastic teacher and trainer”

Today we wish to remember and pay tribute to Dr Ashley Godwin Senarath-Dassanayake who passed away on 3rd August 1997, a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and MBBS

A timely, thoughtful book about the education black hole

Education could well be one of the most discussed but least researched subjects in Sri Lanka. In that context, Prof. Panduka Karunanayake’s....

Lesson on love and resilience from grandma

Sometime during the early part of the year, at the end of a regular weekend visit, I sat down next to my neney (grandmother) to say goodbye.