Beating the Rice Mafia with Competition Law
Rice has played a vital role in Sri Lanka for many centuries not only because it is the staple diet but also because paddy cultivation has been the main source of livelihood…
Year: 2021
Ensuring Access to Education in Difficult Circumstances
Today is International Day to Protect Education from Attack The United Nations General Assembly by Resolution 74/275 established the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, which falls annually on 9 September….
Literacy and the Dimensions of the Digital Divide
Literacy rates in Sri Lanka have hovered in the high 90s for the past decade or so, impressive figures no doubt; enough for the country to be publicised in official publications as…
Who Wants the Death Penalty?
In 2018 the former President of Sri Lanka, influenced by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ policy, attempted to resume executions for people convicted of drug trafficking. The President’s move reignited…
Sunila Abeysekera: A Key Actor in the Global Violence Against Women Movement
I thought I would talk about Sunila’s involvement in the seminal moments of the international violence against women movement. Given the violence that has engulfed the world today, this may be a…
All We Need Is the Air That We Breathe
“Tiny, invisible particles of pollution penetrate deep into our lungs, bloodstream and bodies. These pollutants are responsible for about one-third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well…
Consequences of Emergency Regulations for Provision of Essential Foods
On August 30, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a State of Emergency across the island, on the basis that he was “Of the opinion that it is considered expedient to do so in…
Learning Sri Lankan Sign Language
Raise your right hand (or your left if you are left-handed), with the palm facing forward and the fingers spread out. Now form an O with your thumb and your middle finger…
Tracing the Roots of Drug Addiction in the North
Drug abuse is a menace that many societies are attempting to come to grips with. There has been a global rise in the number of drug users while accessing the substances has…
The Gift: Five Installations at Lunuganga
In his acclaimed book on the subject of gifts, Lewis Hyde remarks “When we are moved by art we are grateful that the artist lived, grateful that he labored in the service…
Stigma Related to COVID-19 Threatens to Divide Humanity Further
The global spread of COVID-19 has been accompanied by a deeply troubling rise of stigma. Stigma related to COVID-19 included stereotyping, blaming and ostracizing groups or individuals that were infected or associated…
Confronting the State on Disappearances
August 30 is marked across much of the world as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. For the families and the friends of the disappeared and human rights groups…
New Mechanisms Required to Ensure Justice for the Disappeared
Today of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances “Sri Lanka has the world’s second-highest number of cases registered with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances….
Realistic or just Rhetoric? The Ban on Chemical Fertilizer
In early 2021, a survey conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, found that farmers faced food insecurity as a result of the measures that had been put into place to…
From Fantasy to Nightmare: The Myth of Absolute Power
After many years of being a politician in various capacities, J.R. Jayewardene had come to the conclusion that if he could rule all by himself without any restraints, he could do a…