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Congress’ swift action to help SL: Appeal to Secy. Blinken, USAID
Ten Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, who are assigned to the Congress’ influential and powerful committees such as Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Overseas Nutrition & Poverty – some of them in the Congressional Sri Lankan Caucus – have taken the lead in their compassionate appeal directly addressing a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and USAID Chief Administrator Samantha Power to urge “to take additional swift action to provide meaningful support to the Sri Lankan people in their time of need,” US based sources said.
Both Blinken and Power – as cabinet members of the Biden Administration – work very closely with the House and Senate Foreign Affairs Committees and have constant and close rapport with Congressional Members working in those committees. Additionally, the USAID coordinates its overseas assistance program with Congressional committees of Agriculture, poverty and nutrition. The significance of the letter is that all the ten signatory House Members occupy the committees that could address the economic plight Sri Lanka is facing at present.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs jurisdiction includes the Department of State, the Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps, and the United Nations.The Committee has jurisdiction over legislation concerning the administration of the Export Administration Act, including the export and licensing of dual-use equipment and technology and other matters related to international economic policy and concerning the United Nations, its affiliated agencies, and other international organizations.
The rapport and discourse between the ten Members of the US Congress and the US State and AID emerged as a result of the public affairs and diplomatic endeavors of the Sri Lankan expatriates in the State of Nevada using their premier social gathering Sri Lanka America Association of Las Vegas and their national trade, investment and economic chamber, Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce.A spokesperson for the two organizations highlighted the recognition the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Secretary gave to the efforts of the two Sri Lankan expatriate organizations’ in a direct communication.
An outreach communication from Secretary Blinken’s Senior Advisor for Domestic Outreach and Partnership Jennifer Miller to the Association and Chamber Chairman Sanje Sedera said that the State Department “wants to follow up to meet the Sri Lanka team to learn more about your work leading to Sri Lanka America Association of Las Vegas and Sri Lanka American Chamber of Commerce, as well as your current effort to garner support for relief efforts in Sri Lanka.”
The State Department official extended an invitation to meet with the officials of the two organizations, the spokesman said.To Secretary Blinken and USAID administrator Power, the official letter by the Members of the House led by Dina Titus – who chairs the Economic Development and Emergency Management as well as member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia-Pacific Sub-Committee – continues to state “We remain deeply concerned by the unprecedented and disastrous economic crisis currently facing Sri Lanka. Circumstances throughout the country are dire with widespread food, fuel, and medicine shortages”.
The letter further brings the dire situation in Sri Lanka stating: “According to the World Food Programme, due to widespread economic issues, three in ten households—or approximately 6.26 million Sri Lankans—are unsure where they will get their next meal. An estimated 60 percent of Sri Lankans are skipping meals to stretch food supplies and hundreds of thousands are being forced to wait in extensive lines to acquire daily necessities. If the current economic situation does not improve soon, some experts warn that the number of those suffering from dangerous food insecurity could rise to one-third of the country’s population”.
The Congressional Members in their letter emphasized “Although we greatly appreciate the $11.75 million in new humanitarian and development assistance that USAID provided at the end of June, more is clearly needed now. We urge USAID to take immediate action to provide additional relief to the Sri Lankan people, including increased food, medical, and fuel aid”.
However, the Congressmen were concerned about the stabilization of Sri Lanka’s democratic system in bringing to the attention of the Biden Administration’s cabinet members in noting “More broadly, we ask the Administration to fully incorporate measures supporting the stabilization of Sri Lanka. This includes advancing efforts to address longstanding issues related to accountability and reconciliation and improving democratic institutions in Sri Lanka to meet our broader foreign policy goals for the region”.
One of the signatories to the letter, Frank Pallone, is the founder-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka, and, another, Congressman James McGovern’s greatest passion is ending hunger at home and abroad being the co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus and sits on the House Subcommittee on Nutrition.
Sri Lankan expatriate efforts, in the past especially during the Covid-19 era, have immensely helped Sri Lanka, a spokesman for the two Nevada organizations referring to the increase of vaccines and raising funds to provide medical equipment and medicines through the North American Medical Association.
The spokesman said that their diplomatic efforts have brought dividends, and the Sri Lanka America Chamber of Commerce – a national organization based in the State of Nevada – is exploring avenues for trade and investments between the two countries when situation settles in Sri Lanka.
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
