Samabima monthly magazine, published by Rights Now human rights advocacy group in Sri Lanka, has carried an interview with me in its December 2015 issue. In this, I discuss the societal implications of a Right to Information law, which is to be adopted by Sri Lanka’s Parliament in early 2016. I reiterate that we need […]
On 8 – 9 December 2015, I attended and spoke at the Asian Regional Workshop on “SHER (Science, Health, Environment & Risk) Communication: Role of S&T Communication in Disaster Management and Community Preparedness” held in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was organised by the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA) in collaboration with […]
On 16 December 2015, I was invited by Sri Lanka’s Presidential Task Force for the Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease to speak on this topic at the NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PREVENTION OF CHORNIC KIDNEY DISEASE held in Colombo. Speaking to an audience of scientists, health and agriculture sector public officials and policy makers, I briefly […]
Population ageing happens when older people (typically over 60) account for an increasingly large proportion of the total population. It is the result of declining fertility rates, lower infant mortality and increasing survival at older ages – all triumphs of development. This happened slowly but steadily during the last few decades. Worldwide, older people’s share […]
There are at least three post-1977 introductions that have transformed our society across all social and economic levels. They are: trishaws or three wheelers (came in 1978); broadcast television (started small in 1979 and went nationwide in 1982) and mobile telephony (1989). According to government statistics, a total of 929,495 trishaws (officially called ‘motor tricycles’) […]
Sri Lanka’s 2012 Census of Population and Housing categorised only 18.2% of the Lankan population as being urban. However, that figure is highly misleading because we currently use a narrow definition. Currently, only those living in Municipal Council (MC) or Urban Council (UC) areas are considered urban. However, some Pradeshiya Sabha areas (the next local […]
After many years of advocacy by civil society groups and journalists, Sri Lanka is set to soon adopt a law guaranteeing citizens’ Right to Information (RTI, also known as freedom of information laws in some countries). With that, we will join over 100 other countries that have introduced such progressive laws. The first step is […]
“The key to successful foreign policy in today’s world is networked diplomacy. Managing international crises requires mobilizing international networks of public and private actors,” says Anne-Marie Slaughter, an international lawyer and political scientist who is a former Princeton academic and ex-Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department under U.S. Secretary of State Hillary […] ...
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) held a Public Forum on the Right to Information in Colombo on 17 November 2015. I was one of three panelists, along with Wijayananda Jayaweera and Gamini Viyangoda. The panel was moderated by TISL’s Shan Wijetunge. The meeting was conducted in Sinhala. After the event, a journalist from an English […]
In this week’s Ravaya column, (appearing in issue of 15 Nov 2015), I pay tribute to Maduluwawe Sobitha thero (1942 – 2015), a Buddhist monk who led an extraordinarily political life. The fearless and politically engaged Buddhist monk stood up to every Lankan head of state beginning with President J R Jayewardene (in office: 1977-1988). […]
On 12 November 2015, Daily Mirror broadsheet newspaper in Sri Lanka published my op-ed essay on the need to take a new look at urbanization in Sri Lanka. It is reproduced here in full: Let’s Get Real about Sri Lanka’s Urbanization! By Nalaka Gunawardene The level of urbanization is an indicator of a country’s economic […]
City design, transport planning, air quality and public health may fall under the purview of different government agencies. But in our chaotic cities, these factors come together to create urban nightmares. Solutions also require an integrated approach. Can we awaken from this sleep-walking before it’s too late? This is the question I pose – and […]
On 24 October 2015, United Nations marks its 70th birthday. A few weeks later, on 15 December 2015, is the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) becoming a member state of this inter-governmental organisation. In this week’s Ravaya column, (appearing in issue of 25 Oct 2015), I continue my focus on Sri Lanka’s engagement […]
On 24 October 2015, United Nations marks its 70th birthday. A few weeks later, on 15 December 2015, is the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) becoming a member state of this inter-governmental organisation. In this week’s Ravaya column, (appearing in issue of 18 Oct 2015), I look at Sri Lanka’s engagement with the […]
Today, I gave the opening speech at an introductory seminar on ‘open data’ held at the Sri Lanka Press Institute, Colombo, on 15 Oct 2015. Organised by InterNews and Transparency International Sri Lanka, the seminar explored the concepts of ‘open data’ and ‘big data’ and discussed that role civil society, media and technologists can play […]
On 2 October 2015, I gave a talk to a group of provincial level provincial journalists in Sri Lanka who had just completed a training course in investigative journalism. I looked at the larger news media industry in Sri Lanka to which provincial journalists supply ground level news, images and video materials. These are used […]
The term ‘smart city’ refers to urban systems, and not to the smartness of residents. In fact, there is no universal definition of smart cities: it can mean smart utilities, smart housing, smart mobility or smart design. Smart cities use information and communications technologies (ICTs) as their principal infrastructure. These become the basis for improving […]
I just spoke to a group of 75 provincial level provincial journalists in Sri Lanka who were drawn from around the island. They had completed a training course in investigative journalism conducted by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), with support from InterNews. The certificate award ceremony was held at Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), Colombo, […]
This op-ed appeared in Daily Mirror broadsheet newspaper in Sri Lanka on 1 October 2015. From MDGs to SDGs: Well done, Sri Lanka — but mind the gaps! By Nalaka Gunawardene Over the weekend of September 25 – 27, the United Nations headquarters in New York hosted the Sustainable Development Summit 2015. It was a […]
In this week’s Ravaya column, (in Sinhala, appearing in issue of 27 Sep 2015), I discuss the proposal to turn Sri Lanka’s Western Province into a megapolis, to become “the most attractive megapolis in South Asia”. In their manifesto for the Parliamentary Election in August 2015, the United National Front for Good Governance talked about […]