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Platform for greater citizen engagement and effective action on illegal environmental activities to be introduced
In the face of illicit deforestation, degradation of wetlands, and illegal wildlife poaching and trade, Sri Lanka has seen increased community involvement and engagement, despite the ongoing pandemic. While current official mechanisms for citizens to lodge complaints have room for improvements in transparency to the public, there is also an absence of an integrated government-mandated platform that could expand civic space to allowing for meaningful community engagement and vigilance around such issues, said a release by the nited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka,.
To this end, the ‘Digital Citizen Engagement for the Prevention of Illicit Environmental Activities’ initiative has been launched by the UNDP in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, the Citra Social Innovation Lab, and the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ). The initiative is supported through UNDP’s Global Project – Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS) funded by Norad, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
The first co-design workshop for the digital citizen engagement initiative took place recently with the presence of representatives from 16 Government institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Forest Conservation, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka Customs, and the Environmental Protection division of the Police, among others. The workshop recognized that, apart from improvements in the mechanisms through which citizens can lodge complaints, a core issue lies in a lack of an integrated system that would allow relevant government institutions to coordinate and communicate, in order to tackle illegal activities.
Speaking at the co-design workshop facilitated by the Citra Social Innovation Lab, Somaratne Vidanapathirana, Secretary, Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation expressed that “it is timely that UNDP initiated this conversation, in order to take this first step towards reducing corruption and illegal activities within the environmental sector.”
Initial plans around the design of this citizen engagement platform focused on facilitating three key outcomes; firstly, citizens can take the initiative and report against harmful environmental practices, contributing towards crowdsourcing data while allowing status updates of their complaint. Secondly, officials can obtain the information required to address such concerns and also record and inform other officials from other relevant institutions of complaints that come to their attention, in order to ensure that the complaint is duly addressed with all relevant officials and institutions coming in when required. Lastly, citizens can easily obtain information on existing environmental legislation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Commenting on UNDP’s role and Citra’s expertise, Malin Herwig, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka stated that “it was encouraging to see officials from a variety of institutions coming forward to work collectively to find solutions to protect the wildlife and forests of Sri Lanka that people would actually use.”
Speaking on behalf of Norway’s role as donors and collaborators for this initiative, through Norad, Hilde Berg-Hansen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Norwegian Embassy of Sri Lanka, thanked UNDP Sri Lanka and the Citra Social Innovation Lab for their role in this initiative, and highlighted that “the most important aspect will be making sure that the platform in its final form is accessible to communities”.
It is also envisaged that this new solution will contribute towards crowdsourced data around environment-related issues, allowing researchers to access data that may contribute to evidence-based environmental policymaking, as well as contribute towards the collection and compilation of data related to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 15.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
