Protecting and Preserving the Environment Against All Odds
Sri Lanka’s future is interwoven with the fate of its natural habitats. The country must act now to preserve its rich biodiversity. The fate of its forests, wildlife and, by extension, its…
Author: Groundviews
Sanctions: A Step in the Right Direction to Combat Impunity
The UK government has announced sanctions on three top former war time military commanders and a former LTTE commander accused of serious human rights violations and abuses such as extra judicial killings,…
UK Sanctions Former Military Commanders and Karuna
The UK government has imposed sanctions, which include UK travel bans and asset freezes, on three former military commanders and a Tamil paramilitary leader accused of serious human rights violations and abuses…
Exploring How Perceptions of Land Have Shaped Sri Lanka
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Total Landscaping exhibition features the work of 29 contemporary artists moving beyond traditional depictions of landscapes and instead exploring how perceptions of land in Sri…
The Rocky Road to Reconciliation
The legacy of the civil war still haunts communities across the country. Despite Sri Lanka’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, lingering ethnic tensions have deterred investment, hindered development and impeded progress. Without…
Constitutional Reform for a Stable Sri Lanka
Constitutional reform has been a consistent demand of the citizens of Sri Lanka, most of whom firmly oppose an all-powerful president who is free of the checks and balances imposed by a…
Protecting Women in a Patriarchal Society
The statistics speak for themselves. Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) as well as child abuse have reached alarming proportions throughout the country; several cases are reported daily in the media. One…
Fighting for the Rights of the LGBTIQ Community
Thanks to archaic Victorian-era laws that are still present in Sri Lanka, the country’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer/Questioning (LGBTIQ) community has been marginalised and discriminated against for over a…
Holding the Government Accountable for its Election Promises
During their campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power (NPP) party made several promises to voters on a wide range of issues including…
Empireworld: How British Imperialism Shaped the Globe
The Galle Literary Festival took place in the heart of Galle’s fort, inviting diverse voices in poetry and prose to host thought provoking discussions. From philosophy to identity politics, cricket to crime…
Rani: The Mother Who Wouldn’t Disappear
After armed men stormed into her house in the middle of the night and dragged her son Richard de Zoysa away, Dr Manorani Saravanamuttu made frantic phone calls pleading with the authorities…
Razeen Sally’s Personal and Political Reconciliations of Sri Lanka
The Ceylon Literary Festival took place in Colombo in celebration of Sri Lanka’s art, culture and creativity. The three day programme was packed with a variety of talks with authors, podcasters, researchers,…
A Critical History of Women’s Health in Modern Sri Lanka
In her latest work Darshi Thoradeniya, a senior lecturer at the University of Colombo, gives an insightful exploration of the history of women’s health in Sri Lanka, shedding light on lesser known…
The Year That Was a Turning Point for Sri Lanka
In 2024 Sri Lanka elected its first leftist head of state and government, giving rise to hope that the system change desired by its citizens would become a reality in the future….
Steering Sri Lanka Away from Kakistocracy
By January 2022 Sri Lanka was well on its way to becoming a failed state. Bankrupt, riddled with corruption from top to bottom and at the mercy of evil leaders, the country…