News
Controversy over plan to bring Bisons from India
By Ifham Nizam
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and a Sri Lankan biodiversity scientist as well as a public policy advisor, are working to import six Bisons from India without permission from the Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) alleged.
CEJ Director and Chief Advisor Hemantha Withanage yesterday said that senior officials of the Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation had denied giving permission for the project.
“The Department of Wildlife Conservation states that these animals are found in the central region of India and there are problems regarding their adaptation to Sri Lanka,” he added.
Sri Lanka’s biodiversity expert, Rohan Pethiyagoda, contacted for comment said, he was under the impression that the CEJ had been misled by the claim in an Indian newspaper that there was a proposal to reintroduce gaur (which became extinct here some centuries ago) to the wild in Sri Lanka.
“The demography of Sri Lanka has changed drastically for that to be feasible, and we have enough and more problems with human-elephant conflict. All I requested High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda was to ascertain whether the Indian government might in principle be willing to entertain a request from Sri Lanka to establish a herd of gaur in our National Zoological Gardens.”
He also said if the Indian authorities had indicate their willingness to entertain such a proposal, then the Department of National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka can take a decision whether the latter would make a formal proposal.
“That is all there is to this. Of course, there may be those who are opposed to the idea of the zoo maintaining a herd of gaur. But in my opinion, most Sri Lankans would like such a move. After all, the gaur
is very much a part of our folklore. Imagine, if elephants became extinct in Sri Lanka, would anyone oppose maintaining a herd of captive elephants at Pinnawela? I doubt it. Unfortunately, many people have been misled by this erroneous newspaper article.”
Dr. Pethiyagoda also said that the reintroduction of the species to the wild was a hugely expensive, scientifically complex and time-consuming enterprise (it takes decades of planning, not years). Sri Lanka had not reached the point of considering the introduction of this propsal any time in the foreseeable future, he said. “But I would be astonished if anyone thought there is anything wrong with the last large mammal species to become extinct in Sri Lanka being represented in our national zoo.”
Withanage, who is also the current President of Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), said he did not approve of the move to bring those animals to Sri Lanka. “Do we even have habitats that suit such a species to survive? Withanage asked. He pointed out that reintroducing gaur is a problem. “Only a third of the forests that existed in Sri Lanka 300 years ago remain today.”
Commenting on the conflicts between humans and animals in Sri Lanka, Withanage said that the loss of human lives as well as the loss of animal lives should be taken into consideration. “The country loses about 350 elephants and 100 human lives a year due to the elephant-human conflict, and it is necessary to question the mindset of those who want to bringing in a problem that does not exist in the country.
“While some say that Sri Lanka already could not handle the existing number of elephants here, introducing this species to compete with elephants and feeding them in the limited pastures is something that we should not even think of.”
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
