News
Avurudu customs and rituals reach China through silk route
Together with the Sri Lanka – China Economic, Education, and Cultural Association (SCEECA), the Lankan mission organized the “Beijing Soorya Mangalya” (National New Year) on 16 April 2023, at the Embassy following rituals, customs and tradition. Over 250 invitees, including, Ven. Dr. Bodagama Chandima Nayaka Thera and his disciples, the Sri Lanka community, Sri Lankan students, and Chinese friends attended.
The event began with the traditional lighting of the New Year Lamp, boiling of milk, serving traditional sweetmeats, Avurudu games, in particular, the tug of war, kana muttiya, musical chairs and the selection of the Avurudu Kumaraya and Avurudu Kumari. The participants were so enthusiastic as these activities brought back fond memories of Sri Lanka.
Avurudu rituals were observed enabling the invitees to observe elements of the Sri Lankan culture and to bring a little bit of the Sri Lankan culture to Beijing. The invitees were later treated to Sri Lankan delicacies, especially Sri Lankan traditional sweetmeats, and lunch.
Ven. Dr. Bodagama Chandima Thera, who was present at the event, invoked the blessings of the Triple Gem on the country and the Sri Lankans, and performed the ritual of anointing oil.
Addressing the gathering, the Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona extended warm Avurudu wishes to everyone. He said that Sri Lanka is hoping that the reopening of China will result in many Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka and helping to revive its flagging tourist industry which was buffeted by COVID-19. We are grateful that Sri Lanka is in the list of 20 countries published for Chinese tourists to visit. China was the main source of global tourists in 2019. Sri Lanka will warmly welcome our Chinese friends.
Further he said that we are also hoping that more Sri Lankan products, in addition to Ceylon black tea, will be able to enter the lucrative Chinese consumer market. These two initiatives, tourism and trade, together will contribute tremendously to reviving Sri Lanka’s economy and also provide a much-needed impetus to its efforts to eliminate extreme poverty as thousands are dependent on tourism and small-scale agriculture for their livelihood. The development of tourism and the ability to export more of our agricultural products will most certainly assist in our efforts to achieve a sustainable recovery.
The Ambassador also encouraged Chinese conglomerates to invest in the Colombo Port City. Trade, tourism and investments are essential to sustain our recovery. In addition, Sri Lanka also provides excellent educational opportunities, conference facilities, leisure living, a two-thousand-year-old effective alternative medical system, and lots more.
Finally, Dr. Kohona thanked all the embassy staff and the SCEECA members who spared no effort to make this event a grand success.
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
