I was feeling extremely lucky to be part of the Sri Lankan NGO delegation representing Women’s Action Network (WAN) at the 9th periodic review of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination…
Since the escalation of the conflict by a military takeover in February 2021, more than 1.3 million refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar are hosted in other countries around the world. The…
“ In 2009, Mahinda Rajapaksa conquered Sri Lanka. In 2010, he set out to conquer the world with an address to the Oxford Union. Although the visit was a private one, a…
In his new exhibition at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, contemporary artist Jagath Weerasinghe engages in a thought provoking dialogue about the significance of creating art that resonates with current issues rather than…
Every weekday morning in cities and towns across the globe, a familiar ritual unfolds. Millions of young people file into classrooms, sit in neat rows and organize their days into precisely timed…
Independence Day. From whom? The British? A way of thinking, of making order, katcheris and ledgers, taxes and justices of the peace. Every society needs the rule of order, grace…
A year ago, Sri Lanka hurriedly passed legislation that fundamentally undermined human rights in ways unprecedented in the country’s history. The Online Safety Act (OSA), rammed through parliament without meaningful consultation, represents…
US President Donald Trump has ordered a 90 day pause on all foreign assistance and aid programmes, with a few exceptions. The pause is supposedly for the US government to take an…
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…
The recent arrival of a boat full of Rohingyas in the country raises some associated questions. What is the responsibility of the government towards such vulnerable visitors and what was the fate…
news click What does a second Donald Trump presidency really mean, especially for women and minority rights not only in the US but also globally? (Un)fortunately, we have a considerable number of…
I had heard of Nihal Fernando, not just as one of the greatest photographers this country has ever produced, but who also was at the heart of many notable conservation campaigns of…
Close your eyes and try to remember what your history lessons in school were like. Do you immediately think of the Mahawamsa, ancient ola leaf books and archaeological sites? What about old…
The discussion surrounding the potential adoption of nuclear energy by Sri Lanka has gained traction in recent months. The NPP government has expressed support for integrating nuclear energy into the country’s long…
J.R.R. Tolkien’s One Ring was an instrument of power and suppression, forged to subjugate the free people of Middle Earth. Yet, the first word-picture of the Ring begins by emphasising its seeming…
