Macaque Havoc
The narrow, winding road at Kadugannawa is littered with small roadside shops selling corn, grapefruit and the local favourite polos and roti, coconut flatbread with a side of baby jackfruit curry. We…
Farming & Agriculture
Arming Farmers is Not the Answer to the Human-Elephant Conflict
Policymakers cursed with a lack of original thinking, especially with the possibility of elections in the offing, resort to knee jerk reactions to long standing problems rather than seek informed advice and…
Don’t Blame the Monkeys
Animal rights activists and conservationists are up in arms about a plan to send 100,000 toque macaque monkeys to China on the request of a private Chinese firm. The government says the…
Sri Lanka at 75: A Photostory
This year’s independence day will be our country’s 75th. It marks an important step in the post-colonial history of the country, and one that serves as an indicator of how our nation…
The Demands of the Adivasi Community at Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence Day
Despite the unprecedented socio-economic and political setbacks Sri Lanka is currently facing, the Government is making preparations to celebrate the country’s 75th Independence Day in grand style. Within this climate, however, there…
2022: A Year Like No Other
2022 was one of the most momentous years in Sri Lanka’s recent history. An unprecedented people’s movement drove out an elected president and prime minister and forced the resignation of the entire…
Gnanamuttu Kusumawathi: Leader of the Panama Pattuwa Land Struggle
Gnanamuttu Kusumawathi, known as Kusuma akka, passed away five years ago. We remember her rebellious spirit and strength with admiration and gratitude. Kusuma akka was a leader in the Panama Pattuwa (Pattuwa…
Vital Northern Mangroves Need Uncompromising Protection
Tashiya de Mel On the northern coast of Sri Lanka in the Mannar District is a place of extraordinary importance to conservation and to the economic wellbeing of the human populations who…
City Resilience Through Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture
Diminishing crop yields, high inflation, along with disruptions to global supply chains, and bans on imported items have left Sri Lanka grappling with serious and worrying levels of food insecurity. For those…
Bogaswewa: The Story of a Sorry Settlement
“This is the most shameless and ill thought out settlement of people in the history of this country,” says Anura Chandrasekara. He is a farmer, originally from Anuradhapura. He now speaks to…
Creating a New Poor: the Fertiliser Ban that Marked the Beginning of the End
Although Sri Lanka takes pride in being an agricultural economy, the agricultural sector only contributes to 7.4% of the national Gross Domestic Production (GDP) out of which only 5.2% comes from farming. Despite…
Food Sovereignty: Putting Farmers Back in Control
Colombo’s mayor, Rosy Senanayake, has cautioned that Colombo might run out of food by September. The prime minister has warned that Sri Lankans will not be able to eat three meals a…
The Paddy Farmer’s Dilemma
There are various dire predictions of the expected amount of paddy this Yala season, which will result in insufficient rice to feed the country, although there is some confusion as to how…
We want the Power of Equality, Justice and Love. Not Love for Power.
In late April, women from movements and collectives in the North and East marched into GotaGoGama in Galle Face to voice their concerns and issues in solidarity with the struggle in the…
Our Planet, Our Health
Today is World Health Day World Health Day, a global health awareness day, was declared to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 7, 1948. World…