Halt the slide: Lanka beckons a De Gaulle or Mandela
Lanka’s peacemakers are hailing the declarations made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres recently at New York on his proposed moves for national reconciliation. The intended peace moves of Rajapaksa may have been somewhat of a surprise to peacemakers because Rajapaksa’s reputation is of a man who won [...]
War and peace: The corporate power for profit
After 30 years of war, the Sri Lanka Government, in May 2009, succeeded in defeating the separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). But, have we achieved peace, winning the hearts and minds of the people? Are we in the right direction to lasting peace? To check on the direction, right or wrong, [...]
Naleem Hajiar: A patriot and philanthropist to the nation
Naleem Hajiar was one of the noble people who had Sri Lanka’s national interest at heart. Rising from humble beginnings to become a world-renowned gem merchant, popularly known as the ‘King of Gems’, Naleem Hajiar served the trade by adhering to noble values such as trust, honesty and integrity. It was customary for gem merchants, [...]
Empower differently-abled people to promote ‘tourism for inclusive growth’
The theme of the 2021 UNWTO World Tourism Day is ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth.’ Inclusive growth has been defined as the “economic growth that is distributed fairly across society and creates opportunities for all” (UNDP, 2013). As the world marked the World Tourism Day on Monday, we need to think whether Sri Lanka tourism has [...]
COSMOS AGM in UK
The 8th Annual General Meeting of the Council of Sri Lankan Muslim Organisations (COSMOS) in the United Kingdom was held on September 19 at the Sri Lankan Muslim Cultural Centre (SLMCC) in Harrow. The members of 15 affiliated organisations to COSMOS, their nominated representatives, past presidents Mubarak Jainulabdeen and Rizwan Wahab, along with many community [...]
What climate change requires of economics
BOSTON – This summer’s record-breaking heat wave in the American northwest offered a reminder – as if it were needed – of what anthropogenic climate change will mean for living conditions now and in the future. Average global temperatures have already risen to 1.2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels and could increase by another 5°C over [...]
Computer donation for children’s online studies
Mr Tim Andradi, founder and CEO, London School of Commerce, donated computers, accessories and educationalmaterial valued over 3mn, for the use of children at Vajira Sri Children’s Development Centre, Pagoda Road, Pitakotte. This donation enabled the teachers and students to continue online classes uninterrupted at a time when most teaching is done online due to [...]