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FRC forecasts higher ratio of Lankans requiring humanitarian assistance

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An estimated 5.7 million people (26 per cent of the population) or more are now in need of humanitarian assistance, with at least 4.9 million (22 per cent) being food insecure, a situation report by International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said.

The report issued on December 28 said the current crisis in Sri Lanka is affecting all sectors of society and has created the conditions for increased vulnerability, poverty and destitution among a significant proportion of the population.

“In 2021, approximately 2.4 million people (11 per cent of the total population) fell below the international poverty line for lower-middle-income countries. Significantly more poor households than non-poor households have lost more than half of their income since the crisis. People are now selling their assets, becoming indebted and cutting down on food, and their children are less likely to attend school,” the report said.

IFRC said that population groups with existing vulnerabilities are most sensitive to the impacts of the crisis. These include children, pregnant and lactating women, people with disabilities (PWD), female-headed households, migrants, refugees and marginalised ethnic and religious groups. Support for PWD, the elderly, and others with special needs has decreased, making these populations even more vulnerable, the report said.

“Further groups have become vulnerable due to ongoing food insecurity. These include informal daily wage earners, minimum wage earners (employed in certain industries – tourism, construction and other services), single female-headed households with dependent children, families with multiple children below five years old, low-income households including the elderly, households with members with chronic illnesses

or disabilities, and disadvantaged farmers who have halted basic agricultural activities. Outbound migration is increasing, impacting the retention of skilled labour from the country and putting children of absent parents at risk of neglect,” IFRC said.

Given below are excerpts of the report: “Inflation rates have risen sharply thereafter, and the government became unable to import essential commodities, including fuel, which further increased shortages, adding to the surge in inflation. In January 2022, 10,000 LKR was equivalent to 50 USD but by September it was only 27 USD. For consumers, typically this means higher prices for imported goods, fresh pressure on energy costs, and higher loan repayments. Encouragingly, there are signs that the inflation rate is slowly dropping (year-on-year inflation for November was 61 per cent, down from 66 per cent in October and a high of 69.8 per cent in September. This is also reflected in the slight decrease in food inflation (85.6 per cent compared with a peak of 94.9 per cent in September).

“The emerging crisis led to country-wide civil unrest. Following mass protests, which started in March 2022, a new government was installed in May, and the country’s president was replaced in July. To help ensure support from the International Monetary Fund, the new government raised taxes to offset the external debt, adding to the economic burden, including that faced by the most vulnerable.

“What had started as a fiscal macro-economic crisis is now creating profound impacts at the micro-level, with an unfolding humanitarian emergency, in which millions of people are experiencing widespread, acute and increasingly chronic shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas and health services including medicines. Unprecedented food inflation has led to a spike in food insecurity, with rising concerns about malnutrition, especially among children under five years of age, pregnant women, and lactating mothers’ services and continued access to treatment of non-communicable diseases.

The latest humanitarian assessments confirm that the poverty rate has accelerated since the start of the current crisis. Food inflation reached a record high in September at 94.9 per cent. In its latest assessment in November, the World Bank ranked Sri Lanka as having the world’s sixth-highest food inflation.”



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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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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.”

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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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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.

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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

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.

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