Text of my op-ed article published in Weekend Express newspaper on 2 June 2017 In Sri Lanka, never say ‘never again’? By Nalaka Gunawardene Never Again! We as a nation collectively uttered these words as we raised our heads after the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. That mega-disaster, which caught our government unawares […]
Text of my op-ed article published in Weekend Express newspaper on 2 June 2017 In Sri Lanka, never say ‘never again’? By Nalaka Gunawardene Never Again! We as a nation collectively uttered these words as we raised our heads after the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. That mega-disaster, which caught our government unawares […]
My comments (in Sinhala) on mass media’s role in disaster response, published by Ravaya broadsheet newspaper on 4 June 2017. Summary: In the aftermath of all recent disasters in Sri Lanka, private broadcast media houses have been competing with each other to raise and deliver disaster relief. All that is well and good – except […]
My comments (in Sinhala) on mass media’s role in disaster response, published by Ravaya broadsheet newspaper on 4 June 2017. Summary: In the aftermath of all recent disasters in Sri Lanka, private broadcast media houses have been competing with each other to raise and deliver disaster relief. All that is well and good – except […]
I have just given an interview to Sunday Lakbima, a broadsheet newspaper in Sri Lanka (in Sinhala) on social media in Sri Lanka – what should be the optimum regulatory and societal responses. The interviewer, young and digitally savvy journalist Sanjaya Nallaperuma, asked intelligent questions which enabled me to explore the topic well. This is […]
I have just given an interview to Sunday Lakbima, a broadsheet newspaper in Sri Lanka (in Sinhala) on social media in Sri Lanka – what should be the optimum regulatory and societal responses. The interviewer, young and digitally savvy journalist Sanjaya Nallaperuma, asked intelligent questions which enabled me to explore the topic well. This is […]
On 27 April 2017, I addressed a press conference at the Department of Government Information, Colombo, as a citizen concerned about waste management in Sri Lanka. I was joined by Ven Hadigalle Wimalarasa thero and Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Sri Lanka, an advocacy group. Here are my opening remarks: […]
On 27 April 2017, I addressed a press conference at the Department of Government Information, Colombo, as a citizen concerned about waste management in Sri Lanka. I was joined by Ven Hadigalle Wimalarasa thero and Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Sri Lanka, an advocacy group. Here are my opening remarks: […]
Text of my op-ed article published in Weekend Express newspaper on 7 April 2017. April Fools, All Year Round? By Nalaka Gunawardene April 1 is observed in many countries as a day for fooling people with practical jokes and harmless fabrications. This aspect of popular culture can be traced back to the times of ancient […]
Text of my op-ed article published in Weekend Express newspaper on 7 April 2017. April Fools, All Year Round? By Nalaka Gunawardene April 1 is observed in many countries as a day for fooling people with practical jokes and harmless fabrications. This aspect of popular culture can be traced back to the times of ancient […]
I have just recorded a short (3.5 min) video for Purawesi Balaya (Citizen Power) advocacy group as part of their citizens’ campaign demanding a new Constitution for Sri Lanka to replace the existing one adopted in 1978. Here is what I say (not a verbatim transcript, but an approximation): ව්‍යවස්ථාව හරියට හදා ගනිමු! ලක් […]
I have just recorded a short (3.5 min) video for Purawesi Balaya (Citizen Power) advocacy group as part of their citizens’ campaign demanding a new Constitution for Sri Lanka to replace the existing one adopted in 1978. Here is what I say (not a verbatim transcript, but an approximation): ව්‍යවස්ථාව හරියට හදා ගනිමු! ලක් […]
First published in International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) South Asia blog on 3 March 2017. Sri Lanka’s RTI Law: Will the Government ‘Walk the Talk’? by Nalaka Gunawardene Sri Lanka’s new Right to Information (RTI) Law, adopted through a rare Parliamentary consensus in June 2016, became fully operational on 3 February 2017. From that day, […]
First published in International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) South Asia blog on 3 March 2017. Sri Lanka’s RTI Law: Will the Government ‘Walk the Talk’? by Nalaka Gunawardene Sri Lanka’s new Right to Information (RTI) Law, adopted through a rare Parliamentary consensus in June 2016, became fully operational on 3 February 2017. From that day, […]
On 21 Feb 2017, Sinhala language broadsheet newspaper Mawbima carried an article based on my recent public talk on the Right to Information (RTI) in Sri Lanka. ජාතික මාධ්‍ය සංසදය විසින් සංවිධානය කරන ලද ‘තොරතුරු පනතට සමාජ සංස්කෘතිය ඉක්මවිය හැකිද’ යන සංවාද සභාවේදී ප්‍රවීණ ලේඛක නාලක ගුණවර්ධන මහතා විසින් කරන ලද දේශනය ඇසුරෙනි. තොරතුරු පනත […] ...
On 21 Feb 2017, Sinhala language broadsheet newspaper Mawbima carried an article based on my recent public talk on the Right to Information (RTI) in Sri Lanka. ජාතික මාධ්‍ය සංසදය විසින් සංවිධානය කරන ලද ‘තොරතුරු පනතට සමාජ සංස්කෘතිය ඉක්මවිය හැකිද’ යන සංවාද සභාවේදී ප්‍රවීණ ලේඛක නාලක ගුණවර්ධන මහතා විසින් කරන ලද දේශනය ඇසුරෙනි. තොරතුරු පනත […] ...
On 15 February 2017, I served as main speaker at a public forum in Colombo on Sri Lanka’s newly operational RTI law and its wider socio-cultural and political implications. The event, organized by the National Media Forum (NMF), was attended by a large number of journalists, social activists, lawyers, government officials and other citizens. Here […]
On 15 February 2017, I served as main speaker at a public forum in Colombo on Sri Lanka’s newly operational RTI law and its wider socio-cultural and political implications. The event, organized by the National Media Forum (NMF), was attended by a large number of journalists, social activists, lawyers, government officials and other citizens. Here […]
Sri Lanka’s new Right to Information (RTI) law became operational on 3 February 2017. Marking the culmination of an advocacy effort sustained by social activists and journalists for over 20 years, the new law enables citizens to ask for, and be assured of information held in all government entities (as well as some private and […]