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HNB together with Caritas initiates ‘Season of Giving’ to spread joy during the festive season
With the intention of uplifting the spirits of children in marginalized communities during the festive season, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, launched the ‘Season of Giving’ donation campaign on its premier digital payment app SOLO, to support Caritas Sri Lanka.
The non-profit organization, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, is one of the largest and most respected humanitarian organisations working Integral Human Development projects across 12 diocese across the island. Chief Guest Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and Caritas Vice Chairman of the Commission of Justice, Peace and Human Development Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva, HNB Director and Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo, HNB AGM-Digital Business Chammika Weerasinghe, Caritas Sri Lanka National Director Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson Perera together with reverent fathers and sisters, donors and senior officials of HNB were present at a special ceremony held at Caritas Head Office to launch the initiative.
“The ongoing economic crisis has increased the number of families that do not have access to the proper meals, sanitation and shelter in Sri Lanka. As of now, data indicates that as much as 4.8 million children do not have access to these basic facilities each day. Given that we do not have the funds or the facilities to reach out to each and every one of these children, we partnered with Caritas Sri Lanka to provide for those we can. We hope that many will join us in this worthy cause to provide for those in need, during this festive season,” HNB Director/COO Dilshan Rodrigo said.
All donations made via HNB SOLO will be directly sent to the Caritas Sri Lanka accounts, with the bank making an additional donation for every transaction made by users. Moreover, HNB has also facilitated donations directly to the organization through the Direct Pay option available on the payment app.
“Christmas is the time for giving and sharing. With the support of your donations, these children will receive the necessary books and equipment required to gain the education they need in order to create promising futures for themselves and be free of poverty. Many children have lost their motivation to return to school, but with your support, we can help them get the education they need to create a new change in their lives and communities.
When you donate, you change their future and help them see beyond their struggles of poverty,” Caritas Sri Lanka National Director Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson Perera said commenting on the initiative.Last year, HNB launched a similar campaign with HelpAge Sri Lanka to obtain donations through the SOLO app to uplift the lives of all people.
With 252 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks, having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. The bank has continuously won prestigious accolades including being declared Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for 2020 by the Asian Banker Magazine for the eleventh occasion, in addition to being the highest ranked privately owned commercial bank in Sri Lanka by the prestigious Banker Magazine Top 1000 global rankings in 2020.
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
