Dr. Dayani Panagoda appointed as Devi Balika’s new PPA Co-President
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Dr. Dayani Panagoda was appointed as the new Co- President of the Past Pupils’ Association (PPA) of Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo 8 in July 2021.
The decision was unanimous as she was the saviour of Devi Balika when she volunteered and unveiled the hidden agenda of some politicians to damage the school’s long preserved unity and immeasurable commitments of school founders in disguise of a preliminary relocation of some Advanced Level classes into another school in Nugegoda area.
Currently, Dr. Dayani holds the Directorship in Technical- Social Cohesion and Reconciliation at Global Communities, Sri Lanka. Quintessentially, Dayani is a distinguished lady in contemporary Sri Lanka with an outstanding commitment and excellence in various arenas as a policy specialist, a strategist and a practitioner engaged especially in Women, Peace and Security concerns of vulnerable and conflict affected communities.
A few significant constitutional changes took place simultaneously in forming the PPA Executive committee at the PPA’s last AGM held in July. The Executive Committee is now headed by two Co- Presidents: School principal and Dr. Dayani Panagoda representing past pupils. To back them further, two fresh positions of Vice Presidents were too created and Ms. Deepthi Dodangoda and Prof. Meththika Vithanage were appointed respectively. With these innovative changes, PPA Devi is looking forward for fruitful advancements in the school.
In hailing her standpoint as an activist, Dr. Dayani Panagoda was the pioneering dynamism in saving Devi Balika Vidyalaya from the speculated relocation of Advanced Level Science classes. Throughout that crucial phase, Dayani was steering the Protection Front of her alma mater as the President of the same. Her spirits and determinations continue to grow further with her unwavering commitment in establishing and executing her duties and obligations as a true, esteemed Devian and as a candid citizen of the country with moral principles in general as well.
As a renowned professional, Dayani has excelled herself in multiple competencies with UN, UNDP, ILO, IMF, GIZ, USAID and GOSL by way of a researcher, a trainer, a facilitator and an adviser in uplifting the living conditions of all Sri Lankans.
Further, she was the winner of the prestigious N-Peace award from UNDP in 2019 for Sri Lanka in promoting and working for women, peace and security. Additionally, Dayani had imparted her knowledge and insights in International Relations and Law as a lecturer attached to Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) and General Sir John Kothalawala Defence University.
Dayani’s expertise and know-how as an Attorney at law and a Notary Public were immense in benefiting her to craft the history of Devi Balika while redeeming it from expressed unhealthy interests of some politicians by trying to ghettoize the unity and togetherness of this leading girls’ school.