Heroes of our ages
1. The stuff of heroes Every yarn in the fabric of history is held together by a common thread. From the story of the light bulb to the grand history of nations,…
Year: 2011
Why Government Rhetoric and Propaganda Might Divide Sri Lanka
In an interview Professor Rajiva Wijesinha gave concerning government responses to international pressure, he remarks that “people believe what they want to believe”. Wijesinha’s ironically astute observation sheds light on why government…
In conversation with Chandana Sirimalwatte
Chandana Sirimalwatte is the Editor of the was attacked with iron rods in Jaffna. Chandana’s been arrested, interrogated by the CID and has had his press sealed. In October 2009, he was…
Picking up the Tamil Tigers’ scent
A former female Tamil Tiger rebel dressed in bridal attire looks on as others dress up another bride during a mass wedding ceremony at a government rehabilitation camp near Vavuniya in northern…
The Power of Graciousness: Treading the middle-path in post-war Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy The Economist, I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people Einstein This government inherited…
De-globalisation: A paradigm for sustainable development?
Illustration by Claudio Munoz, courtesy the Economist “Do not look a gifted horse in the mouth” – So goes an old adage. The import of this statement would seem to be: except…
There is an urgent need for psychological assistance in the North
: Two years ago, Sri Lanka’s three decade long war ended in May 2009. But, those who witnessed the brutality of the war are still suffering and struggling to forget the traumatic…
In conversation with Capt. Elmo Jayawardena
Capt. Elmo Jayawardena took to the skies when Sri Lanka’s commercial aviation was, to coin a phrase, just taking off. He is today known for his writing published in mainstream media, often…
I Am NOT Sri Lankan
and the Sri Lankan blogosphere in general are full of interesting posts, comments and rhetoric about identity, Sri Lankanness specifically. Where it began, who started it, no one knows, but it’s all…
Towards a Common Ground of Understanding: A response to “Aachcharya”
Photo credit Sri Lanka Guardian Whether it be fleshing out Sangakkara’s “modern, pluralist worldview of unity in diversity”, the intersection of identity and race relations, the identity crises facing young generations of mixed…
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with TNA MP Suresh Premachandran on the LG elections, Parliamentary Select Committee and Political Solution
caught up with TNA Member of Parliament Suresh Premachandran, who spoke to us about the nature of election violations that occurred in the Northern Province prior to the 23rd of July and…
Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Morning After Thoughts and The Local Authorities’ Elections in Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy Eranga Jayawardena/The Associated Press President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga always wrote well and spoke eloquently when she resisted a propensity to be overly loquacious. While her recent peroration contains many intelligent…
Justice Palakidnar Memorial Oration: Economic Development, Inclusive Societies And Peace
[Editors note: Full text of speech delivered at the Justice Palakidnar Memorial Oration in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 24 July 2011 by former President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Photo from…
Back to Basics: The Need for an Honest Conversation About ‘Sri Lankanness’ and ‘Sri Lankan identity’
Photo credit Sri Lanka Guardian pages are engaged in an important debate on the nature of Sri Lankan identity, a debate that is not new but rehearsed as a response primarily to…
Holes in the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts Report: Examining the Probable Alternate Events
Last week, I attended a seminar conducted by the Colombo-based Marga Institute, a think tank devoted to studying and influencing human development in Sri Lanka. Marga is in the process of putting…
