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GL: Vaccine no panacea, don’t lower guard
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Education Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (27) warned that vaccines were not the panacea for the unprecedented Covid-19 challenge. Declaring that the government was to receive the first consignment of vaccine on Thursday afternoon, Prof. Peiris, who is also the Chairman of the ruling SLPP, urged the public to follow health guidelines in spite of the launch of a high profile vaccination programme.
The acute warning was given at the opening day of a well-attended national conference, titled “COVID-19: Impact, Mitigation, Opportunities and Building Resilience” at the BMICH.
The National Science Foundation organised the event. Asserting that there had been what he called a great deal of misinformation, Prof. Peiris said that right decisions could be made on the basis of right information and right direction. Therefore, the people should keep in mind the vaccines available to the world was certainly not a panacea for the crisis. Failure to follow guidelines or in other words if the public lowered their guard there would be a calamity.
However, the availability of vaccines would definitely change the public mindset, the top academic said. The availability of what the Minister called a potent weapon would change the mood of despondency.
India and China have assured free supply of 500,000 and 300,000 doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines, respectively. The Indian consignment is due today.
Among those present at yesterday’s event were internationally acclaimed Virologist Prof. Malik Peiris, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, WHO representative in SE Asia and State Minister Seetha Arambepola
Over 80 papers on the issues at hand were to be presented, including presentations by internationally renowned scientists of Sri Lankan origin from Europe, Oceania, North America, Africa and Asia.
As Prof. Malik Peiris has asserted that what was needed was to respond to the continuing health emergency in a productive and meaningful manner, which was an essential prerequisite for a multi-disciplinary or trans-disciplinary approach.
Pointing out that Prof. Peiris also emphasized the unpredictability of the threat, Minister Peiris said: “None of us. No country was prepared for Corona because there was no previous experience at any level. Prof. Malik Peiris quoted a notable French philosopher as having said that nature was going to strike back at an unpredictable time in an unforeseeable manner.
The education minister said: “That is exactly what happened. Not only Sri Lanka, but the entire world has been taken unawares. The crisis is upon us. We have to respond to it swiftly and effectively. We have to innovate. We are in uncharted waters. That is the essence of the challenge.”
“We must have courage. We must have faith in ourselves, Minister Peiris said, pointing out how the Education ministry coped with an extremely dicey situation. The Education Ministry had to take some decisions in that regard, Prof. Peiris said, pointing out that there were two ways to respond to an emerging crisis. One could put off everything because things could go wrong. Otherwise, the crisis could be tackled though things could go wrong, the one-time Foreign Minister said.
The minister explained how through measures issues could be dealt with, though particular situations couldn’t be brought under control, totally.
Prof Peiris explained how Year 5 Scholarship examination and the GCE Advanced Level examinations were conducted just weeks after the second Covid-19 eruption in the first week of Oct, 2020 while interested parties warned of catastrophe. The minister said he was warned of serious consequences if he went ahead with countrywide examinations.
Declaring that a successful conclusion of examination wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of all sectors, Minister Peiris said over 362,000 sat the AL examination at 2,900 centres. Among them, nearly 60 answered question papers while in quarantine, the minister said; their results could be released in April, hopefully to pave them to enter Universities by Sept.
The minister also discussed how the ministry commenced the functioning of the school system with Grade 6-11 students except in the Western Province though schools therein were beginning to function, gradually.
Referring to the massive hit on the national economy as a result of Covid-19 disrupting garment trade, tourism and remittances from Sri Lankans working overseas, Prof. Peiris paid a glowing tribute to the public sector for facing up to the challenge. The minister explained how some major players in the garment trade, in spite of severe difficulties faced the challenge. They made significant changes to operations as major orders for Personnel Protection Equipment (PPEs) were accepted, the minister 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
