News
Govt. refuses to answer question on special treatment for Udayanga
By Saman Indrajith
The Opposition yesterday asked the government whether it would provide all diplomats with the same facilities as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Ukraine Udayanga Weeratunga. The latter refused to answer the question.
SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri said that Weeratunga had now been given accommodation at Temple Trees after his services to the country. Weeratunga’s present address is No 3, Temple Trees, Kollupitiya. Will a career diplomat such as Ravinatha Aryasinha be given the same benefits and facilities? Aryasinha is known as a diplomat who served the country.” MP Wijesiri raised this as a supplementary question to a query he had raised about Aryasinha’s career records.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that Aryasinha had joined the Foreign Service on Oct 03, 1988. Since then Aryasinha had worked as Assistant Director of the Foreign Ministry, Third Secretary at the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi, Assistant Director (South Asia) at Foreign Ministry, National Information Officer at UN Information Centre, Director (Political Affairs) Foreign Ministry, Ministerial Advisor and then as the Deputy Head of Delegation at Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, Director General (Public Communication) Foreign Ministry, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Belgium, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative at Geneva, Additional Secretary (Economic Affairs) Foreign Ministry, Secretary to the Foreign Ministry and now is in service as Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US in Washington.
MP Wijesiri: Minister’s response shows that Aryasinha had rendered an exemplary service to this country. Will such diplomats such as him be given the same benefits now enjoyed by Weeratunga, who was a diplomat once?
Minister Guanwardena: This question has no relevance. His original question is about Ravinatha Aryasinha. He cannot raise a supplementary question on another person.
MP Wijesiri: There is a concern that positions in the Foreign Service are given on political affiliations and to friends and relatives of political leaders. The positions in the Foreign Service were given only for qualifications and examinations. We hear that system has been changed.
Minister Gunawardena said that there no appointments had been made in the Foreign Service on political relationships. The Foreign Ministry followed the recruitment procedure and the appointments made to the Foreign Service had to get the approval of a Parliamentary ommittee headed by the Speaker of Parliament.
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
