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…
Politics and Governance
Rani: The Mother Who Wouldn’t Disappear
After armed men stormed into her house in the middle of the night and dragged her son Richard de Zoysa away, Dr Manorani Saravanamuttu made frantic phone calls pleading with the authorities…
Vulnerable Visitors: The Test of a Nation’s Conscience
The recent arrival of a boat full of Rohingyas in the country raises some associated questions. What is the responsibility of the government towards such vulnerable visitors and what was the fate…
Chasing the Elusive Rainbow
news click What does a second Donald Trump presidency really mean, especially for women and minority rights not only in the US but also globally? (Un)fortunately, we have a considerable number of…
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…
Waiting for Frodo
J.R.R. Tolkien’s One Ring was an instrument of power and suppression, forged to subjugate the free people of Middle Earth. Yet, the first word-picture of the Ring begins by emphasising its seeming…
Tackling Period Poverty
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The measure of any society is how it treats its women.” This statement emphasizes the critical role women’s wellbeing plays in societal progress. The life of women in a…
The Translatability of Minority Ethnic Identities in Sri Lanka
Walter Benjamin, the German philosopher, introduced the concept of translatability, framing it not as an exploration of identity but as the translator’s ability to capture the essence of a text. His question,…
Outside the Oval Office
I make poems constantly about oddities and offenses in American political practice, how one president sent bombs, jets, and drones for use by a rogue state and its murderous army, …
Reimagining Education in Sri Lanka – Part 2
To understand why our education system needs fundamental transformation, we must first understand its origins. As education pioneer Sugata Mitra explains in his influential TED Talk “Building a School in the Cloud,”…
Self Help Words for the Inauguration
The name is vital. Spell it right. If you err, apologize and correct. Then go on as the matter becomes urgent, to speak poems that soar from memory and emotion, rise…
Rohingyas: Why are They in Sri Lanka and What Should We Do?
Rohingyas are an ethnic community from Myanmar’s Rakhine province. They have been facing severe persecution for decades, which continues until today. Myanmar’s government doesn’t accept them as citizens, so they are stateless….
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…
A Critical History of Women’s Health in Modern Sri Lanka
In her latest work Darshi Thoradeniya, a senior lecturer at the University of Colombo, gives an insightful exploration of the history of women’s health in Sri Lanka, shedding light on lesser known…
Mullivaikkal War Survivors Assist Rohingya Asylum Seekers
Mullivaikkal is a remote coastal village in the Mullaitivu and its ethnic composition is predominantly Tamil. It is significant as it is where Sri Lanka’s 30 year civil war came to a…