The Art of a Cup of Tea
Arulraj Ulaganathan unveiled his first solo exhibition , presenting his journey as a member of the Malaiyaga Tamil tea plantation worker community. Through his art, Arulraj captures the past, present and future…
Culture
Hashan Cooray’s Dystopia: Hope, Justice, Peace and Good Lives
In his exhibition at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, Hashan Cooray explores societal and political challenges through a metaphorical lens. It features paintings and two installations that confront the complex relationship between an…
Searching for Pride: Learning to Unlearn
June is the #Pride month where we commemorate, celebrate and recognize Two-Spirit (North American specific term to recognize two-spirit Indigenous folks), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Asexual and additional sexual…
Women’s Attire Stokes Religious Tension in Eastern Sri Lanka
In times of calamity women are affected disproportionately, and Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious conflicts are no exception to the rule. In the post-war context, Tamil women were left to look for…
How Social Media is Fuelling Sri Lanka’s Ethnoreligious Issues
In Nedunkeni, a small town outside Vavuniya, there is news of the destruction of an ancient Hindu monument, an athi lingam (distinguishable symbol) consecrated to Lord Siva, that stood proudly on Vedukkunaari…
A Mural for Women Journalists from the Fearless Collective
Although Sri Lanka has had its fair share of women editors and journalists for many decades, some who ventured into areas of conflict around the country, the image of a journalist is…
Dr A.T. Ariyaratne: A Visionary Community Leader
The government’s decision to conduct the funeral of Dr A T Ariyaratne with state honours is a recognition of the contribution that the founder of the Sarvodaya Movement made to the country…
On Consent – Romeo and Juliet and the Draft Bill
Newscutter What is consent? When it comes to sexual relations, the concept of consent is that it must be between two consenting adults. Currently, the age of consent for girls in Sri…
Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women: Lessons from the JVP’s Evolution
Pre-1971 JVP saw a presence of women cadres that could be considered modest. Before the April 1971 uprising there were full time and part time women cadres active within the movement. The…
Capitalism and Empowerment of Women
Exploitation of women continues within patriarchal societies and marriages. Forced marriages is one of the more notorious examples; the most extreme version of this, is a form of modern day slavery. In…
V. V. Ganeshananthan: Powerful Stories From a Civil War
V. V. Ganeshananthan, also known as Sugi, is the author of the novels , which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize and named one of the best books of the year by…
The Fight for Women’s Empowerment During Conflict and Crises
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate progress. Sri Lanka, like many nations, grapples with a confluence of crises driven by geopolitical conflicts, rising…
Villains and Victims
A recent discussion about “toxic masculinity” has prompted a great deal of comment, particularly as the host and his guest appeared to comment favourably on the media personality Andrew Tate and the academic…
Protecting the Rights of the Adivasi Community
It has been 16 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in September 2007. However, Sri Lanka has not formulated a legal or…
The Future of Sinhala Buddhist Nationalism
During his recent visit to the United States, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the National People’s Power, addressed an interesting question from a Sri Lankan resident. The person highlighted the significant…
