Uncategorized

A Journalist’s Work is to Patch up Broken Hearts.

Admin June 7, 2021

M.B.M.Fairooz In order to rebuild Sri Lanka as a nation with pluralistic aspects, is it our duty to tell the people the kind of actions that will build up good relationships. I believe that we can patch up hearts broken by violence through such stories close to heart. As a journalist and a

Uncategorized

Missed Opportunities in Seeking Peace

Admin June 7, 2021

M.S.M.Ayub On March 1st, 1990, around 10 am I rang up Nelson, the Information Officer of the then Chief Minister of the merged North-Eastern Provincial Council, Annamalai Varadharaja Perumal for a chat. Through this conversation, I was able to pick up one or two clues of new developments in Tamil politics which I would later […]

Freedom of expression and fundamental rights

Reconciliation and constitutional reform

Admin June 5, 2021

Aruna Lakshman Fernando Drafting the constitutional reforms of Sri Lanka is postponed with no date. In 2015, the Good Governance government appointed a committee headed by Lal Wijenayaka to consult the public to draft a constitution. The present government has also appointed a draft committee headed by PC Romesh de Silva. The time given to […]

Uncategorized

The peace bridge that connected the church and the mosque

Admin June 5, 2021

Gayan Yaddehige The three-decade war and terrorism built suspicion, hatred and mistrust, forgetting the people the humanity. The result was a society polarised between racial and religious lines. One community looked at the other with suspicion. A racist minority manipulated the context and created conflicts. Although various programmes were implemented in the post-war

Environment

BIO FENCES: The Best Strategy for the Human-Elephant Conflict

Admin June 5, 2021

R.Surenthiran Kanapathippillai Santhiru from 40th Vattai Village in Manmunai South-West  Batticaloa says he spent about four months on the watchtower built on treetops to protect his crops. People of this village who cultivate two crops annually are struggling to protect their crops from elephants.  They chase away the elephants that come in the nights by […]

Freedom of expression and fundamental rights

A Constitution for Reconciliation

Admin June 1, 2021

Aruna Lakshman Fernando Sri Lanka is now free from the civil war that was dragging for decades. Many structural changes were required to avoid the recurrence of such a humanitarian catastrophe. Constitutional reform that addresses the issues is one of them. However, the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime did not focus on such a constitutional reform from […]

Freedom of expression and fundamental rights

Social Justice and Health Rights

Admin June 1, 2021

Asanka Abeyrathna The United Nations and member countries commemorated International Health Day on April 7th 2021. The theme of this year’s event was “Building a Fairer, Healthier World.” Each country has endorsed at least one treaty on the rights of patients. The Right to Healthcare is a human right for all, and access to health […]

Environment

Deforestation, Government and Circulars

Admin June 1, 2021

Aruna Lakshman Fernando Environmental damage became the top priority in local news in Sri Lanka, surpassing the skyrocketing cost of living and the pandemic. The government is directly blamed for the environmental damages. The allegations have become such a burden that government Ministers and MPs lament even in funeral orations that the government is not […]

Uncategorized

Dharma Rajya at Moratuwa Beach

Admin June 1, 2021

Melani Manel Perera Many humans follow a religion to discipline life. Some secular persons reject beliefs. However, some argue through their experience that life becomes more successful when a faith disciplines it. They say that such wellbeing safeguards humanity among the other races and religions as well.    P. Chandra Fernando from Francisco Lane off

Uncategorized

Sinhala Buddhist Nationalism and the African Model for Reconciliation

Admin June 1, 2021

Asanka Abeyratne Two international days in March were important for people who were interested in peace and reconciliation. March 21st was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and March 24th, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. Unfortunately, the […]