Sister Milburga Fernando: A Sister-in-Arms
When I began researching the life and work of Father Michael Rodrigo, a Sri Lankan Catholic priest who was murdered in the Uva Province in 1987, I was directed to a nun…
Advocacy
Who Goes to Geneva and Why
The 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is currently reviewing a new draft resolution on Sri Lanka. The core group invited the Sri Lankan government, other governments and…
Decriminalising Consensual Same-sex Sexual Relations: Amendments Versus Repeal
In a major development in the human rights arena, SLPP parliamentarian and lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatte handed over a private member’s bill to President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking to amend laws that marginalise…
The Tea is Cold: Cinema as Social Responsibility
A young man from Colombo, Randika, travels to Jaffna on an assignment to find out how the war has affected people there. At first he is more interested in sharing photographs on…
Homo Digitalis and the Citizen Journalist
An interesting dimension to the current conflict playing out in Ukraine amidst increasing aggression and spirited defiance, amidst airstrikes, war crimes, sanctions and diplomacy are the varied approaches to the flow of…
Natalie Soysa – A Fierce and Inspiring Activist
Natalie Soysa lived an intensely creative life. She was a writer, a journalist, a photographer and activist and she understood early in her life what many people take decades to fully realise…
The Perpetual Marginalization of People with Disabilities
Article 12 (1) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka 1978 recognizes that people are entitled to equal protection of the law. Therefore, the state is under an obligation to ensure through law…
Public Awareness Key to Ending Gender Based Violence
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women I want to take a look at what progress has been made in raising our awareness as a community about the…
The Joyful Activist: The Lasting Legacy of Kamla Bhasin
We mourn the loss of Kamla Bhasin, feminist activist, writer, poet, mentor and friend who left us on September 25. Kamla has been a core part of influencing and collaborating with feminist…
Adding Fuel to the Fire: The Dramatic Rise in Domestic Violence During COVID-19
A global rise in the cases of domestic violence (DV) has been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained periods of lockdown owing to the pandemic. Several factors including tension created by…
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…
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…
Has the Animal Welfare Bill Fallen by the Wayside?
The images are harrowing and all too familiar – an electrocuted baby elephant, a caged dog, a leopard caught in a trap, a butchered dolphin; accounts of animals suffering due to neglect,…
Why Language Matters
Sri Lanka’s post-colonial language policy was neither fair not desirable. A largely non-English speaking population was governed by a small class of English-speaking elite. Weary of being excluded from governance and public…
Celebrating Inspiring Women: A Message from Jayathma Wickramanayake
There is a social experiment that has been doing rounds close to Women’s Day this year. To help understand the human mind, participants are asked to solve a riddle and their responses…