The Fight for Land Rights
Land is an important component of any Sri Lankan household. A considerable proportion of the rural population continues to be dependent on arable land as a source of livelihood and income; in…
Development
Reimagining Education in Sri Lanka – Part 3
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…
On the US Foreign Assistance Pause
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…
Why Sri Lanka Should Not Pursue Nuclear Energy
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…
Reimagining Education in Sri Lanka – Part 1
Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture in its development journey. The new government’s policy framework, “A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life,” correctly identifies education as fundamental to national revival and economic…
It’s the Party, Stupid: Sri Lanka’s Political Turnaround – Part 1
It is not quite a miracle. But it is certainly a very impressive turnaround. From around 1970 until 2021, Sri Lanka seemed to be on an irreversible track toward steadily worsening governance:…
Steering Sri Lanka Away from Kakistocracy
By January 2022 Sri Lanka was well on its way to becoming a failed state. Bankrupt, riddled with corruption from top to bottom and at the mercy of evil leaders, the country…
Sri Lanka’s Path to Systemic Change: Need for Support and Vigilance
The election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Sri Lanka’s executive president has introduced a transformative environment into the country’s political landscape. His approach is marked by an emphasis on empathy, transparency and…
Development: What Kind?
During this campaign year there are various discourses by political parties and alliances about how to develop the country or bring development in order to address the current problems faced by the…
Financing Sri Lanka’s Marine Conservation Ambitions: Time for a Reset?
This year marks a significant milestone for Sri Lanka’s biodiversity conservation ambitions – three decades of commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since its ratification after the Rio Earth Summit….
Poverty and Malnutrition in Sri Lanka: An Overview
Today is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Poverty and malnutrition are interconnected issues that continue to affect millions worldwide and Sri Lanka is no exception. In recent years, global poverty…
Sri Lanka’s Political Moment in 2024: Part 2
The year 2024 marks a watershed moment in Sri Lanka’s political history. The National People’s Power (NPP) party, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), has ascended to power on a platform that…
Economy, Inflation and Unemployment: Most Pressing National Issues
Sri Lankans overwhelmingly cite the economy and inflation as their biggest concerns going into the September presidential election in the latest Institute for Health Policy (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS)…
Revisiting Ray Wijewardene at 100: Reality is Catching Up With His Vision
Ray Wijewardene (1924-2010) often quoted these words by the English poet Robert Browning, embedded in the poem Andrea del Sarto. An engineer, aviator, inventor, farmer and a public intellectual of the highest…
Celebrating the Adivasi of Sri Lanka
The Adivasi, historically known as the Veddas, are considered the indigenous people of Sri Lanka. They have lived on the island for millennia, maintaining a distinct ethnic identity and a way of…
