A Missing Path Towards Unity and Reconciliation
May is a month of deep reflection and complex emotions in Sri Lanka. It marks two significant and contrasting commemorations: Mullivaikal Remembrance Day on May and Sri Lanka’s Victory Day on May…
Author: Groundviews
Local Government Elections Aim to Restore Democratic Governance at the Grassroots
The Local Government elections scheduled for May 6 give Sri Lankans the opportunity to once again take control of running their own affairs and restore democratic governance at the grassroots level. The…
Rising Violence Ahead of Local Government Elections
In the first electoral test for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power party since they won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024, more than 17 million people will…
Protecting the Poor is an Urgent Necessity
Sri Lanka’s poverty rate has more than doubled over the past four years from 11 percent in 2019 to almost 26 percent in 2023. This means that more than a quarter of…
A Daunting List of Human Rights Problems to Address
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his NPP government have inherited a daunting list of human rights problems to address. In his election manifesto, President Dissanayake pledged to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism…
Tackling the Scourge of Corruption
Sri Lanka was ranked as the 121st least corrupt nation out of 180 countries according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Sri Lanka scored a 32 on a…
Dreaming of Candies and Guns: Objects of Resistance
In , Anupa Perera’s exhibition at the Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery (PRSFG), still life serves as a powerful lens to examine turbulent intersections of politics, conflict and environmental degradation. Perera fuses…
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…
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…