When I was invited to speak at World Conference of Youth 2014, being held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, this week, I accepted on one condition: that I don’t have to ‘clear’ my remarks with anyone before delivering. (This precaution was necessary as the host government of Sri Lanka is not known for its capacity to […]
On 16 February 2015, India and Sri Lanka signed a bilateral agreement to cooperate in peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Under this, India will help the island nation build its nuclear energy infrastructure, upgrade existing nuclear technologies and train specialised staff. The two countries will also collaborate in producing and using radioactive isotopes. On the […]
April 2015 marks 20 years of commercial Internet connectivity in Sri Lanka. Nearly a quarter of our 21 million population is estimated to get online, most of them using mobile devices. Blogging — as an activity of self-expression using the web – is being pursued by a few thousand people, and many thousands more participate […]
I’m a story teller at heart. I sometimes moonlight as a media researcher or commentator but have no pretensions of being academic. I always try to make my points as interesting as possible — using analogies, metaphors, examples, etc. This is the approach I used when asked to talk to the working group on Sri […]
In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala), published on 21 December 2014, I explore the nexus between media and elections, and in particular, the growing nexus between social media and election campaigns. I also pose the question: Might the Presidential Election scheduled for 8 January 2015 be a turning point in social media use in […]
In this week’s Ravaya column, I pay tribute to Dr Cyril Ponnamperuma, Lankan biochemist who was one of the best known and most accomplished scientists produced by Sri Lanka. See also my English tribute: Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma (1923-1994): A Passionate Champion of Public Science අමෙරිකානු අජටාකාශගාමීන් ඇපලෝ යානාවලින් හඳට ගිය 1969-72 වකවානුවේ අපේ රටේ ගම් හා නගරවල […] ...
New opportunities for South Asian collaboration in space technologies can help reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. Both China and India are keen to enhance links with smaller Asian countries in using satellites for communications, weather services, land use monitoring and navigation. They have also realised the value of ‘space diplomacy’, or using space related […]
News feature written for Ceylon Today newspaper, 19 Oct 2013 Air Pollution causes cancer, confirms WHO By Nalaka Gunawardene Air pollution causes cancer, it is now medically confirmed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has just classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans. Exposure to air pollution can cause cancer in lungs, and also increase […]
In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala), I pay tribute to South African writer and social activist Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014). I focus on how she never hesitated to speak out for justice, fairness and equality even when that elicited ridicule and harassment from her own government that quickly labeled her a ‘traitor’. I also recall […]
In his last published short story, written only a few months before his death, Sir Arthur C Clarke envisioned a world without religions by the year 2500. Yes, all religions (i.e. those with holy scripture, priests and places of worship) will go into oblivion! No exceptions. He offered this in a futuristic story titled The […]
In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala), I discuss the history and current state of play in relation to right to information (RTI). This is in the context of the new Lankan government planning to introduce an RTI law. To review the work of government at all levels, citizens/voters need to access public sector information […]
In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala), I continue the Sinhala adaptation of my June 2014 TV interview with Dr Rajesh Tandon of India, an internationally acclaimed leader and practitioner of participatory research and development. Last week, we discussed the civil space and political space available for advocacy and activism – and how far civil […]
Both China and India are keen to enhance links with smaller Asian countries in using satellites as part of their ‘space diplomacy’ strategies. Last week in my Ravaya column (in Sinhala), I wrote about space technology capabilities of South Asian countries. This week’s column probes whether or not Sri Lanka needs its own satellite. 10 […]
In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala, published in issue of 10 May 2015), I explore the aftermath of the major earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015, causing widespread damage. I quote Nepali experts and activists on how the lack of preparedness aggravated impact, and the challenge of recovery that now faces Nepali […]
In an op-ed written in 2008, titled Mobile Phones – Everyman’s New Trousers?, I said: “The mobile phone is the biggest social leveller in Sri Lankan society since the trouser became ubiquitous (initially for men, and belatedly for women). Our elders can probably recall various arguments heard 30 or 40 years ago on who should […]
This is an annotated Sinhala language adaptation of Facebook’s Community Standards as they stood on 25 March 2018. Note this is not a verbatim translation and also not an officially sanctioned translation. It has been adapted and annotated as a public service by Nalaka Gunawardene, new media analyst and activist. ෆේස්බුක් පිවිසෙන සැවොම පිළිපැදිය […] ...
The Sunday Observer newspaper in Sri Lanka recently sought my views on the concept of ‘Science for All’, which comes into focus with World Science Day observed globally on November 10. I sent them an op-ed of 700 words, from which they have quoted extensively in a long feature published today: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2014/11/09/spe05.asp Here, for the […]
Who were the earliest citizen journalists in Sri Lanka? In this week’s Ravaya column (in Sinhala), I argue that ordinary people expressing themselves in a public space without gatekeepers — which fits the basic definition of citizen journalism — can be traced back to at least 6th century AD. That’s the earliest date for a […]
Keynote speech delivered by science writer and digital media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene at the Sri Lanka National IT Conference held in Colombo from 2 to 4 October 2018. Here is a summary of what I covered (PPT embedded below): With around a third of Sri Lanka’s 21 million people using at least one type of […]
The recent controversy involving Maggi noodles in India is an eye opener for the entire region. The popular instant food, which has been sold for over three decades, was banned in early June by India’s food safety regulator after tests found excessive levels of lead. Some samples also found Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. […]