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Cardinal calls for justice and change in Lanka
Vatican News: Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, is in Rome to mark the anniversary of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
Pope Francis is meeting participants in St. Peter’s Basilica after a Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica. The event comes a few days after a Mass celebrated by the Sri Lankan Cardinal on 21 April, during which the prelate delivered a hard-hitting speech blaming the country’s President and his government for failing to keep their pledge to grant justice to the victims and cleanse the country of “all elements of terror”.
Three years from the coordinated bombings that wrought death, injury and destruction, mostly amongst the Christian community, investigations have proved insufficient and recommendations issued by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry have not been implemented. Furthermore, the government, it is alleged, is covering up the truth in order to hide its own involvement.
The country’s top Catholic leader has tirelessly pushed for truth, calling for accountability and transparency. Together with other faith leaders of the island nation, he has given voice to the people’s growing anger and dissent as they suffer one of the worst economic crises the country has ever seen.
Speaking to Vatican Radio just before the Mass in the Vatican on 25 April, he explained that the country’s current rulers are accused of corruption and mismanagement that have brought about the spiralling crisis, and are facing serious accusations they not only have not sought justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings in which 269 people were killed and more than 500 were injured, but have sought to bury evidence the attacks may have been carried out for political aims to favour their own re-election.
Cardinal Ranjith explained that the prevailing narrative led most people to believe that those attacks were carried out in an atmosphere of Islamic fanaticism, but, he said “elements of testimony emerged that these attacks had something more than just an Islamic connotation.”
The Cardinal went on to say that there is emerging evidence to the effect that the government, and especially the intelligence wing of the military, had contacts with the terrorists who carried out the attacks.
Notwithstanding insistent requests that those contacts be investigated, he added, nothing has happened.
He listed a number of reasons that point to the involvement of the government and to something more than “simply an Islamic attack” that have raised suspicions.
Cardinal Ranjith added that “after the Presidential Commission of Inquiry issued its report, the present government hesitated to carry out the recommendations or chose to carry out only those recommendations that refer to the Islamic community and tried to hide some of the recommendations, which would, if they are further investigated, reveal other angles of these attacks.”
Therefore, Cardinal Ranjith continued, “we are highly suspicious of these things and we want further investigations to be done.” Until then, the people who are injured and who have lost their loved ones, will not get justice.
This serious situation of suspicion and lack of trust in the government is currently compounded by the socio-economic crisis that is triggering protests and even violence.
The Cardinal looked back at years of “inefficient management of the country, of its economy, and wrong policy decisions that have led to a total collapse of the national economy.”
“Right now in Sri Lanka,” he said, “people are not able to make ends meet (…) because of lack of employment, a lack of income, the rising prices of items and sometimes scarcity of items, like the difficulty in obtaining fuel for the maintenance of life, as well as the lack of electricity, lack of gas, various other items for daily sustenance.”
All this, he said, has led to a general feeling of total dissatisfaction and the realisation that the country has collapsed and it is a failed state.
Cardinal Ranjith went on to illustrate a desperate situation caused by the total breakdown of trust in the entire political system, including the Opposition.
The country’s main religious leaders have sought to into this vacuum.
“We hope,” he continued, ” that we will be able to sustain this country and make it work once again. So it has become the role of the religious leaders to assist the people to get out of this situation.”
“Along with the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, we Christians can work together and thinking about the country as a whole, not just only our people. We can try to work out a solution to this present crisis,” he said.
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
