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ICC and UNICEF partner to promote gender equality through cricket
The ICC and UNICEF have launched a global partnership to empower women and girls and promote inclusion and gender equality through cricket.Initiatives to drive greater gender equity along with advocacy campaigns involving some of the world’s best players will form the basis of the partnership which aims to mobilise the power of cricket to drive positive social change.Later in the year, as part of this collaboration, UNICEF and the ICC will launch Criiio 4 Good, a cricket for development curriculum giving girls and boys the opportunity to have a fun first experience of the game whilst learning gender-based life-skills essential for gender equity.
The Criiio 4 Good programme, which will be available free on the ICC and UNICEF websites, delivers an eight-week lesson plan on the fundamentals of batting, bowling and fielding. Whilst each lesson plan has a life-skill module attached to teach participants core life skills that will promote greater gender equity. These skills include leadership, problem-solving, self-esteem, negotiation, empathy, decision-making, teamwork and goal setting.The ICC will also use its global platform to drive greater awareness of the importance of empowering women and girls and gender equity, giving some of the world’s best players the opportunity to get involved in driving greater social change.
Australia men’s T20I captain Aaron Finch is leading the call for every cricket fan to #BeAChampion. He said: “I am so proud, as the dad of a daughter, to #BeAChampion for girls and support the partnership between the ICC and UNICEF to promote gender equity through cricket.
“Cricket has more than one billion fans and we have a huge platform to empower women and girls through our sport. The Criiio 4 Good programme gives young girls and boys the chance to get active whilst learning life skills that are essential for gender equity. Every single cricket fan can join me and #BeAChampion and together we can harness cricket to build a better future.”
The partnership will continue throughout the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa and Proteas Captain, Dané van Niekerk, said, “What an amazing initiative by the ICC in collaboration with UNICEF, aimed at fostering an equal future for women and girls from all walks of life through the shared passion for the game of cricket.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to #BeAChampion for this worthy cause as cricket has played an immense role throughout my life and I truly believe that this sport has the power to affect real positive change in many young people’s lives, especially girls, whose place on the field of play cannot be disputed.
“I would like to encourage all sports lovers, cricket fans, parents, guardians and coaches to play their part, no matter how significant, to promote gender equity through the Cricket 4 Good campaign which will help smash the existing biases for six while providing an enjoyable, lesson-filled experience.
“On behalf of the South African national women’s cricket team and Cricket South Africa, I pledge to further advance the message and potential impact this programme will have on future generations, and I trust many of my colleagues in the cricket fraternity will follow suit,”
Speaking on the partnership, Geoff Allardice, ICC CEO, said: “Harnessing the power of cricket to build a better future is a central part of our global growth strategy. So, I am delighted to be continuing our partnership with UNICEF to empower women and girls through cricket.
“The Criiio 4 Good programme is a wonderful tool for anyone around the world to use to get young girls and boys active having fun with a bat and ball and also learn vital life-skills that will help shape a more gender equal world in the future.”
Elaborating on the partnership, Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, said, “The partnership with ICC is fantastic and powerful. It reaches more than a billion cricket fans with the message to be a champion for girls. When girls’ do better, we all do better. We know that the benefits of gender equality go beyond their direct impact on children. With gender equality, we create a world of tolerance and shared responsibility – a world that is fit for children.”
Through this initiative ICC will use its global platforms, including its broadcast and digital channels to support UNICEF’s work and highlight girls around the world in gender equitable situations. All 16 competing nations will also hold Cricket 4 Good Coaching Clinics at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup venues during the tournament with up to 40 school children taking part in each one. The players will introduce the children to the Criiio 4 Good curriculum so as well as fun cricket drills, the participants will also learn more about gender equity and get to meet their cricketing heroes.The ICC events the partnership will be activated at include: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Australia, Oct-Nov 2022, ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa, Jan 2023, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa, Feb 2023, ICC World Test Championship Final, England, June 2023 and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, India, Oct-Nov 2023
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
