Sri Lanka ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ – Post incident?
Pre-incident: The saying ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’ stands true with Sri Lanka getting caught up with the sensationalised news of Namal Kumara, Makandure Madush and drugs. Sometimes people do not know whether to cry or laugh. The overall purpose of the article is to point out how much we are missing out [...]
A look at Muslim-Christian ties in the 19th and 20th century Batticaloa
I recall these facts not to hurt or embarrass anyone but to point out a way to establish a better and more cordial relationship between two communities. 19th century Many schools were established by Christian missionaries in Muslim villages in the 19th century and Muslims of that time had no objection to these schools being [...]
Latvian Ambassador visits Sri Lanka
Latvian Ambassador Artis Beertulis (left), who is based in New Delhi, presented his credentials as ambassador to Sri Lanka on May 6. The ambassador visited the office of the Honorary Consulate General in Colombo and is seen here with Honorary Consul General Thomas Daetwyler.
Pera Uni. alumni association elects office bearers
The annual general meeting of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya (AAUP) was held recently at the university’s science faculty. Vice Chancellor and Emeritus Prof. C.B. Dissanayake was the chief guest while Dr. Chandra Embuldeniya was the guest of honour. AAUP Vice Patron Professor Upul B. Dissanayake, other scholars and AAUP members participated. [...]
The Easter Sunday massacre – A critique
In 2014 when Iraq was in turmoil, I was attached to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Baghdad. Unable to comprehend the rationale behind the numerous suicide bombings, I queried from one of the local staff members, “Why were these suicide bombers bent on killing and maiming their own fellow citizens, and in the process killing [...]
American soft power in the age of Trump
CAMBRIDGE – US President Donald Trump’s administration has shown little interest in public diplomacy. And yet public diplomacy – a government’s efforts to communicate directly with other countries’ people – is one of the key instruments policymakers use to generate soft power, and the current information revolution makes such instruments more important than ever. Opinion [...]