The Unity Mission Team, a group of professionals, working on a voluntary basis, on an inter-faith platform, is committed to promoting unity and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Their primary focus is children. The team has since the end of the war, reached out to encourage and support children between the ages of 15 to 20, of the North, Wanni and East, linking them up with children from other parts of the island.
The Unity Mission Team will now formalize their operations with the launch of the Ekamuthu Oray Makkal Unity Mission Trust (EOM-UMT) which will be registered as a non-profit Trust. The public launch of the Trust, as well as the launch of the website will take place on Saturday, October 29 at the auditorium of The Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.
The Trust hopes to bring down school groups from Mannar, Madhu, Killinochchi, Vishwamadu, Mullaithivu, Jaffna and Kandy to enrich the programme with performances of song and dance.
The children will also enjoy a brief educational tour of two days in Colombo.
The next project of the Ekamuthu Oray Makkal Unity Trust will be Unity Camp - 3 to be held in Mannar at the end of December 2011, with the participation of over 500 children, following up on their highly successful earlier camps in Colombo and Mullaithivu.
A significant feature of these camps is the logistical support and partnership extended by the Sri Lanka Army which has led to friendships formed between the young soldiers with children of the North, who are just a few years younger, highlighting the fact that all are valuable sons and daughters of Mother Lanka!
For more information; please contact: Bertal Pinto-Jayawardena, Co-ordinator / Trustee
Mobile: 0773 660103.
200 schoolchildren to raise their voices under the guidance of De Lanerolle Brothers
Two hundred young voices will sing as one in an evening of Praise and Readings, titled "The Church's One Foundation" on November 5. Under the guidance of the Bishop of Colombo, well-known singing duo the De Lanerolle Brothers, Rohan and Ishan have come forward to organise this grand event, bringing together nearly 200 school children from Christian school choirs of eight schools.
The school choirs taking part are Bishop's College, Holy Family Convent, S. Thomas' College, St. Thomas' Prep School, St. Peter's College, St. Joseph's College, St. Benedict's College and Wesley College, who will come together to perform as one choir.
The performance will be directed by Rohan and Ishan de Lanerolle while Neranjan de Silva will accompany the choir on the organ. Vinodh Senadeera will be handling the readings. Some of the hymns that will be sung will be 'Praise to the holiest in the height', 'O worship the King', "Amazing Grace', 'Guide me o Thou Great Redeemer', ' All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name'.
"Bringing everyone together is quite a challenge," said Ishan, “but every achievement starts with something small."
This event is organised in aid of the 'Ascension Home' in Bandarawela, a home for destitute elders of all races and religions. Commenting on this charity, the Bishop of Colombo Rt Rev Dhiloraj Cangasabey said, "These people are those who have been rejected by society and in some cases by their own families and worse still, by their own children... It is beautiful to see their happy faces, and the joy they have in living in a secure environment, without the fear of having to return onto the roads."
The choir will perform on Saturday, November 5 at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, 368, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, from 6 p.m. onwards. Tokens are priced at Rs. 500 and available at St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya, Park Street Mews, The Commons, Bay Leaf and Café Che. Submission of the token at the main door will enable you to receive a copy of the evening's programme. Programmes will be sold at the entrance.
Happy 100 years
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Noorul Abitha Mahroof celebrated her 100th birthday on September 4, 2011. Daughter of Sultan Abdul Hameed and Rabiq Umma, she hails from a respected family. Her husband M.S.M. Mahroof, a well known businessman was the first person to import Roamer wall clocks distributed to Wimalarana Brothers and Belgium Mirrors. She has six daughters and one son, 26 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. |
National Trust Lecture on the medical history of Polonnaruwa
This month's National Trust lecture " A Twelfth Century Hospital at Polonnaruwa and the Surgical Instruments Found Therein" by Prof. P.L. Prematilleke and Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare will be on October 27 at 6.30 p.m. at the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science
( SLAAS ) at 120/10 Vidya Mawatha, off Wijerama Mawatha , Colombo 7 .
This lecture would be particularly interesting as the hospital was discovered under the leadership of Prof. Prematilleke when he was the Director of the UNESCO-Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle in Polannaruva. Surgeon Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare will speak on the surgical instruments found at the site.
A sale to help
cancer patients
A Table Sale to help needy Cancer patients will be held on Sunday October 30, from 7.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the premises of St. Theresa's Church, Thimbirigasyaya.
A variety of goods including garments, household items, floral arrangements, cards, lamprais, pastries, cupcakes and still more will be on sale.
This table sale is being organized by the Relief & Rehabilitation Committee of the Cancer Society, to help even in a small way, the less affluent cancer patients. Some of them are not able to meet even their daily requirements such as food and proper housing. The majority of them are from remote areas, and even travelling to the Maharagama Cancer Institute, means money. Some are in pain but they smile through their tears.
Asoka Weeraratna - 12th death anniversary commemoration
The German Dharmaduta Society and the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Sanrakshana Mandalaya will commemorate the 12th death anniversary of Asoka Weeraratna (Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera), the founder of the German Dharmaduta Society, Berlin Vihara in Germany and the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya (Forest Hermitage) at a pinkama at the Meditation Hall of the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage today October 26.
Leading monks from the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Aranya, and office bearers of the German Dharmaduta Society and the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Sanrakshana Mandalaya will address the meeting.
A celebration of Russian ballet
The Russian School of Ballet of the Russian Centre celebrates a decade of providing the Sri Lankan community of enthusiastic ballerinas with a firsthand experience of the culture pertaining to the art of ballet. The school that was inaugurated with a mere 12 students and one instructress, has now expanded to over 300 students and three dedicated, qualified and talented instructresses.
In celebrating the completion of ten years, The Russian School of Ballet presents, "Desyat Let". The concert will see the performance of the full ballet, "The Snow Queen" and a vivid range of short plays and dance. The students have been practising enthusiastically these past few months in preparation for the show on October 28 at the Bishop’s College Auditorium from 6 p.m. onwards.
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