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…
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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…
It’s the Party, Stupid: Sri Lanka’s Political Turnaround – Part 2
Sri Lanka has a tradition of strong and independent civil society organisations and of professional (and organisational) autonomy within many branches of the state apparatus. By the turn of the century, it…
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:…
Beyond Electoral Victory: The President’s Political Tasks Ahead
Sri Lanka enters year 2025 with a new leader and a new political regime. The landslide victory the National Peoples Power (NPP) obtained in the general elections demonstrated the extent of mass…
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…
Lessons Learnt from Sri Lanka’s Worst Natural Disaster
The tsunami that struck Sri Lanka 20 years ago on December 26, 2004 was the most destructive natural disaster in living memory. It claimed over 39,000 lives and destroyed thousands of houses…
Changing the Broken System to a People Friendly One
newswire The NPP government came to power with an ambitious aim of changing the existing system that was broken and did not serve the interests of many, especially the under privileged sections…
Open Sesame for War Criminals?
In the second decade of the 21st Century, genocide is being televised. , the channel promises Israeli audiences “exclusive content from Gaza” – gory videos of death and destruction visited on Palestinians…
Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act: Reform is Not Repeal
In the wake of the presidential and general elections, the National People’s Power (NPP) government will have to navigate the disinformation and scare tactics that were deployed during the campaign period about…
Bringing Perpetrators of Gross Human Rights Violations to Task
The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), an independent NGO working since 2013 to protect and promote justice and accountability in Sri Lanka, has submitted more than 60 sanctions and visa ban…
Amnesty International: Israel Committing Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza
Amnesty International’s research has found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, the organization said in a landmark…
Key priorities for the New Parliament to Safeguard Democracy
At the inauguration of the first session of the 10th parliament, President Anura Kumar Dissanayake articulated the government’s vision for driving economic and social transformation in Sri Lanka. In his address, he…
Arugam Bay: Hidden Currents
There has been growing public concern over the recent weeks about happenings in Arugam Bay. This analysis adds to the discourse. Democratic states are obliged to protect all people within its borders…
An Election That Signals the Transition to a New Political Culture
The presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024 have clearly sent strong signals of a clear change in the political landscape in Sri Lanka. On September 21, the country elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake…