Qadri Ismail: In Memoriam
Photo courtesy of UMN CLA Prof. Ismail (Qadri) was one of the earliest champions of Groundviews, and over the years, one of its best critics and contributors. Qadri and I met infrequently,…
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Navigating Geopolitics: The Need for a Balanced and Nuanced Approach
Photo courtesy of MENAFN As it looks towards a post COVID-19 world, Sri Lanka, with its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, faces the stark policy choice of either tilting towards China…
Upeka: A Life in Dance
Photo courtesy of Lukshman Nadaraja Acclaimed traditional dancer Upeka Chitrasena marked her 70th birthday on May 21. When did you first realise you wanted to be a dancer? I have absolutely no…
Criminalising Disinformation: Neither the Time nor the Place
Photo courtesy of IFEX A public conversation on criminalising disinformation has re-emerged in Sri Lanka. The government recently announced that it was considering new proposals for a law to curb false and…
The Prevention of Terrorism Act: Whom Does It Keep Safe?
Photo courtesy of Sri Lanka – WordPress By Ermiza Tegal and Amra Ismail Does the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) keep us safe? How often is it misused? Does it cause unjust…
Right To Information Act at the Grassroots – Small Steps but Big Impact
Photo courtesy of Roar Media That Right to Information (RTI) is a tool for increasing transparency, accountability and better governance practices is widely accepted. But what does research and data say in…
COVID-19: Three Immediate Policy Priorities to Save Lives
Photo courtesy of Newss4u Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases with the number of daily cases over 3,000, a weekly increase of over 50 percent from last week…
Patriot, Bared
Photo courtesy of Bluefield Daily Telegraph “…a merciless woodcutter whose heart is never touched by the lament of a falling tree, the breaking of its branches, and the scattering of its fruits.” Nelson…
Vaccine Inequality and the Cost to Garment Sector Workers
Photo courtesy of The Star Sri Lanka’s admired initial coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic is now a distant memory. The second wave that multiplied from the Brandix factory in Minuwangoda should…
Not Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Photo courtesy of Namal Kamalgoda Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity Sri Lankans live in a biodiversity hotspot. We may take our lush tropical hinterland and the remaining forests for…
Bridging the Cultural Divide Through Art
Photos courtesy of Firi Rahman Today is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development Sri Lanka is a pluralistic society where communities of different cultures and religions exist side…
Water Over the Vaduvakkal Bridge
Breakfast for three, hundred and fifty rupees. A trail of tea travelling through cups of steel, One held over another. Trees burdened by what they’ve witnessed, Hunched over. A sly wink. A…
12 Years of Seeking Hope After Three Decades of War
May 18, 2021 marks 12 years since the end of the war. It must be an occasion for us as Sri Lankans to assess progress we have made in addressing root causes…
People Without Memory Can Lose Their Souls
Photo courtesy of Kumanan Kanapathippillai Over three decades of civil war has touched the lives of Sri Lankans of all ages, all races and all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters and wives…
Mullaivayakal and the Meaning of Justice, 12 Bitter Years On
Image Courtesy of Amalini de Sayrah The first five months of 2009 brought immense and unprecedented pain to the people of northern Sri Lanka, and to their many Tamil relatives outside the…
