The Hawaii-based East-West Center held its 2016 International Media Conference in New Delhi, India, from September 8 to 11, 2016. Themed “South Asia Looking East”, it drew over 350 participants from across Asia and the United States. On September 11, I moderated a plenary session on Right to Information (RTI) in South Asia: Staying the […]

Sri Lanka’s first Science and Technology for Society (STS) Forum took place from 7 to 10 September in Colombo. Organized by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, it was one of the largest gatherings of its kind to be hosted by Sri Lanka. Modelled on Japan’s well known annual […]

Sri Lanka’s first Science and Technology for Society (STS) Forum took place from 7 to 10 September in Colombo. Organized by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, it is one of the largest gatherings of its kind to be hosted by Sri Lanka. What sets STS Forums apart is […]

Climate change COP21 in December 2015 adopted the Paris Agreement to avoid, mitigate and adapt to climate change. Among many other solutions, Sri Lanka’s “intended nationally determined contribution” (INDC) has agreed to reduce 7% emissions from energy and transport and 23% conditional reductions by 2030. Sri Lanka’s Centre for Environmental Justice in collaboration with the […]

This op-ed essay was published in Daily FT newspaper, Sri Lanka, on 7 September 2016. Scientific Literacy: ‘Mind Vaccine’ Sri Lanka Urgently Needs By Nalaka Gunawardene   Sri Lanka’s first Science and Technology for Society (STS) Forum will take place from 7 to 10 September in Colombo. Organized by the Prime Minister’s Office and the […]

No Internet Please, We’re Sri Lankan! That’s the provocative headline given to my latest op-ed essay, just published by the leading citizen journalism portal Groundviews.org Drawing from my recent interactions with the IGF Academy, as well as several academic and civil society groups, I position the current public debates on web’s socio-cultural impacts in the […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 21 August 2016), I take a critical look at the Sri Lanka government’s three year programme “to covert Sri Lanka into a green nation and enable its citizens to enjoy foods free of chemicals and agro-toxins”. Curiously, the programme is being implemented by the […]

  On 16 August 2016, I was invited to speak to the entire senior staff of the Parliament of Sri Lanka on Right to Information (RTI) – South Asian experiences. Sri Lanka’s Parliament passed the Right to Information (RTI) law on 24 June 2016. Over 15 years in the making, the RTI law represents a potential […]

This column originally appeared in Echelon business magazine, March 2014 issue. It is being republished here (without change) as part of a process to archive all my recent writing in one place – on this blog. Balancing Broadband and Narrow Minds By Nalaka Gunawardene Are we cyber-stunted? I posed this question some weeks ago at […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 14 August 2016), I take a close look at the perennial tension between governments and the media. I open with an extract from late Gunadasa Liyanage (1930-1997), one of Sri Lanka’s most accomplished and respected editors of the 20th century. In his 1993 book […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 7 August 2016), I discuss the history of Chinese space programme through the life story of its most important founder. Qian Xuesen (1911 – 2009) was one of the greatest Chinese scientists of the modern era and is widely regarded as the father of […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 31 July 2016), I explore the many faceted phenomenon called the Sri Lankan diaspora. I emphasize why it is very important for everyone in Sri Lanka to understand the diaspora factor in all its nuances and complexity. Simplistic perceptions have dominated public discourse for […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 24 July 2016), I discuss the role of new communications technologies and social media during the coup d’état that was attempted in Turkey against the government on the night of on 15 July 2016. The attempt was carried out by a faction within the […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 17 July 2016), I discuss Sri Lanka govermment’s recently announced plans to introduce an electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) replacing the current, mandatory NIC based on a system that was launched in 1971. The Department of Registration of Persons (the ID card office) is […]

My op-ed essay on Right to Information (RTI) in Sri Lanka, published in the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) South Asia blogsite (SAMSN Digital Hub) on 14 July 2016: RTI in Sri Lanka: It took 22 years, and journey continues  By Nalaka Gunawardene Sri Lanka’s Parliament debated the Right to Information (RTI) bill for two […]

In this week’s Ravaya column (appearing in the print issue of 10 July 2016), I explore the role played by newspapers in the UK’s referendum on continuing membership in the European Union, held on 23 June 2016. This column is based on first hand impressions – I spent 10 days in the UK just prior […]

Text of an op-ed essay published in the Sunday Observer on 10 July 2016: Major Reforms Needed to Rebuild Public Trust in Sri Lanka’s Media  By Nalaka Gunawardene Sri Lanka’s government and its media industry need to embark on wide-ranging media sector reforms, says a major new study released recently. Such reforms are needed at […]

Sri Lanka’s Parliament debated the Right to Information (RTI) bill for two days (23 – 24 June 2016) before adopting it into law. No member opposed it, although some amendments were done during the debate. A large number of Lankans and a few supportive foreigners share the credit for Sri Lanka becoming the 108th country […]

I was interviewed by BBC Sinhala in London on 21 June 2016, on the eve of Sri Lanka’s Parliament passing the long-waited Right to Information law. In this interview with BBC’s Saroj Pathirana, I look at the journey so far (it took over 2o years to get this law adopted) and challenges than remain. Chief […]

Text of an op-ed essay I wrote within hours of Sri Lanka’s Parliament passing the Right to Information (RTI) law. It has been published in The Sunday Observer today, 26 June 2016. Right to Information: A New Journey Begins Now!  By Nalaka Gunawardene On 24 June 2016, Sri Lanka’s Parliament unanimously adopted the Right to […]