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British High Commission hosts panel discussion on role of women in peace building
British High Commission in Colombo (BHC) hosted a panel discussion on the role of women in peace building and announced new global programme of support to women mediators on Oct 23, a press release said.
It said that the BHC had hosted a virtual panel discussion on ‘New Barriers to Women in Peace building: Cyber-Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Gendered Disinformation and Hate Speech’. Featuring on the panel, hosted by the British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton was: Amibika Satkunanathan (Chairperson, Neelan Tiruchelvan Trust); Dharini Priscilla (Programme manager, The Grasrooted Trust); Sachini Perera (Queer Feminist Researcher), and Shreen Saroor (Women’s Rights Activist).
The panelists, who are leading women’s and human rights activists, have extensively contributed to peace building and social cohesion in Sri Lanka. They drew on their professional and personal experiences in tackling gendered hate speech and cyber-Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The Panel shared calls to action to work together with civil society and technology companies to tackle abuse; to challenge unequal norms; and to support victims of abuse including building online and offline responses.
British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton in her opening remarks said: “In Sri Lanka, the British High Commission works to ensure that it delivers for women, girls and sexual and gender minorities. The UK is proud to contribute to demining efforts, where up to 40% of employees are female, and many are female heads of households. We have also worked with the Sri Lanka Police Force to promote gender equality and to respond effectively to Sexual and Gender Based Violence. Wider UK programmes have supported gender-sensitive justice mechanisms and women’s empowerment. Future plans include support to tackle harms faced by women, and vulnerable groups online.”
In a virtual address to the United Nations on Oct 29, UK Middle East Minister James Cleverly announced a new £1m global programme of assistance to women mediators across Commonwealth countries. The funding will provide women on the frontline of peace talks with training, mentoring and resources for their participation in peace building. It will also encourage the inclusion of women at all levels of negotiations, including at the UN. This programme was complemented by new international guidance to protect women peace builders, initiated by the UK.
The event was held in honour of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, the first UN resolution to define the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The agenda aims to reduce the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, as well as to champion the crucial role women can play in humanitarian action, conflict prevention, and resolution. At its 20th anniversary, the WPS agenda remains a vital issue, compounded by new and evolving barriers to peacebuilding, including climate change, COVID-19, and as the panel highlighted cyber-violence.
According to research by UN Women and the Council on Foreign Relations, when women meaningfully participate in peace talks, the resulting agreement is 64% less likely to fail and 35% more likely
to last at least 15 years. Yet between 1990 and 2017, women made up only 2% of mediators, 8% of negotiators, and 5% of witnesses and signatories in all major peace processes.
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
