Dambulla Mosque attack: Is there a hidden hand?
Image courtesy BBC The storming of the Dambulla Mosque on Friday the 20th April and chasing away of the Muslim worshippers attending Friday prayers by a mob led by Buddhist priests is…
Identity
Protecting the Enigmatic Blue Whales of Sri Lanka: In Conversation with Asha de Vos
The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale, is found in Sri Lankan waters. Unusually, the blue whales off our coast do not to migrate to polar waters for feeding –…
V-Day: Writings to end violence against women and girls
The Sri Lankan government’s denial of things extends well beyond allegations of war crimes. Earlier this year, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya . Writing about this daft and peculiar…
changeABLE cohesion: Dance and disability
caught up with Gustavo Fijalkow, one of two (the other being Gerda König) responsible for the concept behind ‘changeABLE cohesion‘, a contemporary dance performance that will kick off the Colombo International Theater…
Sexist doctors: Speak up, talk about it
Image courtesy The lady in front of me in the queue put a packet of condoms on the counter and we both could see the cashier’s eyes flicker over her left hand,…
Of Symbols, Identity and Sovereignty: The Sri Lankan flag and us
A discussion. We Sinhalese are the people of the lion. Our flag represents us. Every point every line has a meaning. Look at the color of the flag it is red and…
Women’s Day 2012: Concerns, challenges and opportunities from Sri Lanka
For years, has featured content that probes gender from a Sri Lankan perspective. For Women’s Day 2012 we have created a Bundlr bundle of over 35 of the most compelling submissions. The…
Forging a Culture of Mutual Tolerance among Sri Lankans: A Path to Reconciliation?
Photo courtesy Reuters Alertnet “” – Friedrich Nietzsche I recently learned that intervening in favor of a “ after reading such a comment. I still wonder whether Welikela’s approach would have been…
JAYATISSA, JEYARAJ AND JACOBINISM: DEBATING ‘SRI LANKAN-NESS’ IN POST-WAR SRI LANKA
Photo courtesy Much is being written nowadays about post-war Sri Lankan identity and the challenges of unity in diversity, among which are well-meaning interventions extolling the virtues of building a modernist, inclusive…
A Search for Identity: Tomorrow’s Sri Lankan!
Few are those who believe in the existence of what I would like to call a . Indeed, most of us will identify themselves according to their ethnicity, some according to their…
A Road to Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: Will We Take It?
Photo courtesy REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte Despite the many limitations and criticisms levied at the final report of the LLRC, it must be recognized that in the presentation, the report reached a level of professionalism,…
Violence Against Women: This is my story
Two months ago I sat for my first year final exams at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Last month’s edition of the showcased 3 pages of clothes from designer K.T Brown…
Why not sing Kolaveri Di in Jaffna Tamil?
It was less than 200 years ago that the title of “orator” or “navalar” was bestowed on Kandar Arumukam Pillai, by the grateful inhabitants of South India. Leaving his native Jaffna for…
Ending the Exile and Back to Roots: Fears, Challenges and Hopes
[Editors note: The author was married to Dr. Rajini Thiranagama (née Rajasingham), a Tamil human rights activist and feminist murdered in 1989 by the LTTE. She was one of the founding members of…
