Photo courtesy of Agamya Effective communication plays a vital role in governance. If communication is clear and effective, it contributes to promoting transparency and building trust between those holding power and the people who are being served. It helps citizens to better understand the policies and decisions of governments, thus fostering a sense of accountability. For any government to function ...
Photo courtesy of Kumanan The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), an independent NGO working since 2013 to protect and promote justice and accountability in Sri Lanka, has submitted more than 60 sanctions and visa ban requests against public and security officials to date as well as a series of universal jurisdiction cases. These have been sent to the governments ...
Photo courtesy of France 24 Compared to the excesses of the good governance regime and the Gotabaya Rajapaksa raj that followed it, the omissions of this government seem trivial and innocent. The NPP is now two months in office and whether we like it or not, the excitement of those early days is fading away. One can almost see the end ...
Photo courtesy of Kumanan The Sri Lanka Barometer (SLB) has published the results of a three year survey on reconciliation examining eight critical dimensions: accountable governance, addressing the past, identity and belonging, trust, justice for all, security and wellbeing, equality and opportunity and active citizenship. The survey provided a comprehensive look at the ongoing reconciliation process among the country’s ethnic ...
Photo courtesy of Kumanan Today is International Human Rights Day Sri Lanka is wrestling with deep-rooted human rights challenges despite pledges for reform. Accountability, civil liberties and governance issues remain stubbornly unresolved, casting a long shadow over the nation’s future. The ripple effects of the country’s 2022 economic meltdown, fuelled by governance failures and corruption, continue to hit hard. Nearly a ...
Photo courtesy of HRW The recital called in the name of war and peace did not finish in peace. A late reader from the world of the Open Mic rose up to question the current definition of genocide in an aside before the full house, and the audience on Zoom, proceeding then to read a poem about non-attachment. ...
Photo courtesy of Nikkei Asia The recent electoral victory of the NPP has ushered in a wave of optimism and speculation regarding the country’s economic trajectory. Amid a backdrop of economic turbulence, the NPP’s promise of transformative change resonates deeply with a population yearning for stability and growth. However, the challenges facing the new administration are as daunting as they ...
Photo courtesy of UNDP Amnesty International’s research has found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, the organization said in a landmark new report published today. The report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, documents how, during its military offensive ...
Photo courtesy of Unicef Polling by the Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) reveals that 75% of Sri Lankans believe the income gap between the rich and poor is a very big problem and another 21% think it is a moderately big problem. This sentiment was consistent across demographic groups including age, gender, ethnicity, urban/rural residents ...
Photo courtesy of Free Press Journal There has been a noticeable increase in the amount of public attention directed towards the lack of safety felt by women and girls in the last few years. The global movement 16 Days Of Activism to support the Elimination of Violence Against Women has gained momentum. And it is not merely emblematic or performative. ...
In Nedunkeni, a small town outside Vavuniya, an ancient Hindu monument consecrated to Lord Siva stood on Vedukkunaari hill. The monument was reported stolen and later its destroyed remnants were found in the surrounding shrubbery. Fingers pointed at possible culprits ranging from the Department of Archaeology to ultra nationalist factions. The temple site, which has been under the Department of ...
Photo courtesy of HRW Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People “Global Palestine” has brought together once again numerous segments of humanity in different parts of the world to demonstrate their unflinching support for the people of Palestine whose only crime against “Global Israel” is their resolve to free themselves from settler colonialism. The 44,000 killed ...
Photo courtesy of The Hindu At the inauguration of the first session of the 10th parliament, President Anura Kumar Dissanayake articulated the government’s vision for driving economic and social transformation in Sri Lanka. In his address, he emphasized that “the essence of democracy lies in the coexistence of diverse political ideologies and groups. It thrives on the presence of political ...
Photo courtesy of IPS What is patriarchy? According to Wikipedia “Patriarchy is a social system in which men typically hold authority and responsibility. In anthropology, it refers to a family or clan structure where the father or eldest male holds supremacy within the family, while in feminist theory, it encompasses a broader social structure where men collectively dominate societal norms ...
Photo courtesy of JVP Sri Lanka A video clip of the JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake speaking at a political rally of the NPP, clearly after the presidential election but before the general election earlier this month, is worth studying for what he notes, and how – beyond the obvious stress and criticism of Hiru TV. My translation of the video ...
Photo courtesy of News 18 After Israel’s genocidal rampage in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has killed nearly 44,000 “human animals” and “cockroaches” in the words of Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and wounded around another 105,000 while turning that strip of land into an uninhabitable heap of brick and concrete rabble, judges of the ...
Photo courtesy of joinonelove Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women The results of the recent election in the US have highlighted several concerns and one which is clearly of significance was the public preference for a male leader, however brazenly flawed, over the highly qualified female candidate. Racism definitely played its part as well ...
Photo courtesy of AP There has been growing public concern over the recent weeks about happenings in Arugam Bay. This analysis adds to the discourse. Democratic states are obliged to protect all people within its borders whether citizens or non-citizens. Non-citizens include tourists on short stays subject to the law of the land they visit. Informed sources report that Jewish ...
Photo courtesy of Denver Post After the results of the US election were announced and Donald Trump was elected as the 47th President, I am seeing many women’s “survival guides” popping up on my TikTok advising them to stock up on birth control and to renew or get an IUD. This applies even to younger girls because they need all ...
Photo courtesy of UNHCR Hundreds of thousands of terrified Rohingya refugees flooded onto the beaches and paddy fields of southern Bangladesh in August 2017. When the refugees – almost 60 per cent of whom were children – poured across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, they related accounts of the unspeakable violence and brutality that had forced them to flee. ...
