Comments on: Engaging with Civil Society https://groundviews.org/2014/09/16/engaging-with-civil-society/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=engaging-with-civil-society Journalism for Citizens Sun, 21 Sep 2014 14:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 By: Aia https://groundviews.org/2014/09/16/engaging-with-civil-society/#comment-59073 Sun, 21 Sep 2014 14:05:00 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=16472#comment-59073 Guess the organizers of Sydney Uni couldn’t find a country that fits in to the topic in discussion, use of torture in post -war situations. What Gota had been saying then was the mission he completed was humanitarian rescue not even a fight, let alone a war, but here sending his troops to analyze a post-war situation puzzles me, wouldn’t surprise even if he demands to change the topic of discussion when he realizes the contradictions. Engaging with Civil society is all well and good, but not in my back yard please.

]]> By: n. ethirveerasingam https://groundviews.org/2014/09/16/engaging-with-civil-society/#comment-59049 Wed, 17 Sep 2014 18:54:00 +0000 http://groundviews.org/?p=16472#comment-59049 Dr. Saravanamuttu,
Thank you for bringing this event – now a non-event – to the notice of the public. One expect the unwillingness of the Defence Secretary to face the two HR organizations in an open forum based on his actions and words since 2006, one is surprised that the two universities would stoop so low to ask the two invited organizations to withdraw itself.
I agree with all what you have written especially the paragraph that start with,
“Questions arise too in respect of the willingness and ability of the Universities of Sydney and Colombo to uphold fundamental principles of the independence and autonomy of universities and fundamental freedoms. …”

I do hope the decision makers in the University of Colombo and the University of Sydney stick to the original plan of the conference or cancel it to maintain the academic integrity of the two institutions. I hope the academics and students of these two institutions come to know what the decision makers are doing in the name of their Universities.
It is to the credit of Amnesty International and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative for withdrawing from the Invitation of the two Universities.
Ethir

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