Elections Are the Only Way Forward
Verité Research The young Sri Lankan cricket team has done the impossible and beaten the powerful Australian cricket team several times in the shorter formats of the game, giving Sri Lankans some…
Economy
The Economics Of Poetry
I will try to balance the books, moral and historical ones, caused by migration, that give me a paycheck and put food and drink on the table, that keep my…
Hiding the Sins of the Elite
Therein lies the rub. At the heart of most of the crises that have beset the nation of Sri Lanka is a corrupt, inequitable and underdeveloped economic structure of colonial origin. Attention…
Child Labour: Remedies in a Humanitarian Crisis
Our numbers are good, that is, if you glance at them and move on. We are proud to acknowledge that we have some of the lowest rates of child labour in South…
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…
Need for Parallel Political and Economic Reforms
There is a fallacy being promoted by the reconstituted Rajapaksa regime that political reforms such as the proposed 21st Amendment are not really necessary or at least have already occurred through the change…
Protecting the Environment in Times of Economic Turmoil
World Environment Day is celebrated every year to highlight the importance of the environment we live in. This year the theme is only one planet but to Sri Lankans it would be…
COPE Inquiry Reveals the People Who Brought Sri Lanka to its Knees
Last week’s Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) inquiry into the Central Bank (CB) and the economic situation revealed some rather distressing, but not surprising, revelations. The complete politicization of the CB is…
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…
Sri Lanka in the Chalk Circle
“Without gas, without kerosene oil, we can’t do anything. Last option what? Without food we are going to die. That will happen hundred percent.” Mohammad Shazly a part-time chauffer, Colombo (Reuters –…
Supporting Urban Poor Families in Colombo
Low income settlements in Colombo experienced greater food insecurity even before the pandemic with 72% of households being food insecure[1]. Women in low income households in Colombo were more likely to be…
Rescuing the Poor from the Economic Abyss
At a small grocery store, an elderly man pointed at a particular packet of biscuits and asked what the price was – it was Rs.70. The man asked if there were biscuits…
Ensuring Political Stability for Economic Recovery
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) calling the IGP and the Army Commander for questioning about the failure to prevent the attack on peaceful demonstrators on May 9 is an…
Consumer Confidence Drops to New Depths
Consumer confidence in Sri Lanka continued drop in April to reach a new low. Economic pessimism was widespread across all segments and public was resigned to likelihood that conditions will worsen in…
