Lest we forget
Last week, Paris suffered a terrorist attack when 132 people were killed in the heart of that city by suicide bombers. France is grieving – and the world grieves with her. In 2001, New York suffered a co-ordinated terrorist attack when terrorists deliberately crashed passenger jetliners into the World Trade Center and over 2900 people died. [...]
Pre-judging Paris
COPENHAGEN – The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris later this month is being billed as an opportunity to save the planet. It is no such thing. As I show in a new peer-reviewed paper, even if successful, the agreement reached in Paris would cut temperatures in 2100 by just 0.05° Celsius. The rise [...]
“Shall we nationalise Innovation?”
The fifth annual Ray Wijewardene Memorial Lecture organised by the Ray Wijewardene Charitable Trust and the Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) will be held on November 30 at the IESL Auditorium on Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. Renowned management consultant, author, trainer and speaker Deepal Sooriyaarachchi will present this year’s lecture titled: “Shall we nationalise [...]
Most Ven. Thirikunamale Ananda Mahanayaka Thera attends Katina Pinkama at Berlin Vihara
Berlin, Germany – The Katina programe signifying the end of the Vassa period was conducted at Das Buddhistische Haus (Berlin Vihara) from November 7 -8. During the preceding Vassa period special Dhamma activities including Dhamma discussions, lectures, meditation classes and retreats were conducted at the Berlin Vihara, a press release from the German Dharmaduta Society [...]
Jazz evening for The Sunshine Charity
A ‘Jazz Evening’ for The Sunshine Charity featuring Alto Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa and his Jazz Quartet Gamak will take place at the Dutch Burgher Union on Friday, December 4 at 8.30 p.m. Rudresh Mahanthappa, artist and composer, is one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians in New York and the world, called “a leading figure [...]
Advancing women and child development in Asia Pacific
Women and child advancement and empowerment is among the most outstanding agent to the actualisation of a country’s progress and beyond. Across the Asia Pacific countries that have made great strides, gender inequality, educational, livelihood, social and economic gap and vulnerability still exists. Colombo Plan, the oldest intergovernmental organisation in Colombo set up in the [...]
National Trust lecture: Sri Lankan words in the Oxford English Dictionary
A Lecture on ‘Words of Sri Lankan origin in the Oxford English Dictionary, especially those introduced by Robert Knox’ by Richard Boyle will be held on Thursday, November 26 at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30 p.m. This is the 79th Session of the Monthly Lecture [...]
Book Launch: Death of a Lawyer in Police Custody
“Death of a Lawyer in Police Custody – The Wijedasa Liyanarachchi case”, a book written by Professor Ravindra Fernando, Senior Professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, and Acting Director, Centre for the Study of Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, will be launched at 4.30 p.m. on November 27 at [...]
Rex: Beyond the sunset
Significantly, in Latin his name means king. Truly, truly, a crown of golden pens befitted Rex de Silva who was a kingly figure in Sri Lankan journalism during a crown jewel-studded career spanning more than half a century. Early last Monday, Charles Rex de Silva passed away in a Colombo hospital at the age of 74, [...]
A.M.A. Azeez’s intellectual legacy has stood the test of time
Dr. A.M.A. Azeez, the legendary principal of Zahira College, Colombo, was one of the celebrated intellectuals of his generation. He not only led the premier Muslim educational institution to new heights of excellence — both in studies and sports — but also served as a Senator and a member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) [...]
Hinduism and the judicial process
Hinduism is one of the oldest of legal systems and from its very earliest days has generated an enormous volume of sacred and scholarly literature. It is remarkable to see the wealth of writing there has been in this system over the centuries on matters of government, law and the judicial process. Detailed treatises on [...]
From hard power to soft power
The transition from the heady victory of 2009, having defeated the “worst terrorist group” in the world, to building a sustainable peace has not been easy for Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksa government is reproached for “triumphalism” and the positive humanitarian achievements, the rescue and re-settlement of hundreds of thousands of IDP’s, near 100% completion of [...]