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Lanka-Israel ties: Ex Amb to Iran condemns govt. stand
Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Iran M. M. Zuhair has questioned the government’s stand on sending workers to Israel amidst growing international condemnation and isolation of the Jewish State over the Gaza genocide.
Apropos ‘Labour Minister: Govt. won’t heed demand for severing diplomatic ties with Israel, halt sending workers,’ carried in the May 16 edition of The Island, the former Senior State Counsel and ex-MP Zuhair has sent us the following statement: Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara’s recent statement that Sri Lanka will not ‘under any circumstances’ stop sending workers to Israel must be condemned. His support for Israel accused of genocide by South Africa led-countries in the International Court of Justice, is a gross betrayal of the humanitarian considerations for the safety firstly of the Sri Lankan workers themselves. It is also a betrayal of the thousands of Palestinians already killed since 07 October and the 1.5 million remaining holed up in Refah, Palestine, facing imminent death at the hands of the terrorist State of Israel.
The Minister knows only too well of the unfolding tragedy of unknown numbers of Sri Lankan soldiers, who have sold themselves as mercenaries, to battle till death in the Ukraine-Russian war, in order to feed their suffering families here. He also knows the inability of the government, for months now, to rescue the 50 Sri Lankans trapped by a mafia in Myanmar.
No doubt the US and the UK were amongst countries which directly and knowingly aided and continues to aid the Jewish State, in the murder of an average of around 260 Palestinian men, women and children, every single day for the past seven months, under the pretext of eliminating Hamas, the elected government of Gaza, for the October 7th outburst, the result of 75 years of Israeli oppression of Palestinians in an open air prison, which legitimized the outburst!
Speaking as he did for the Sri Lanka government, Minister Nanayakkara’s statement and his facilitating Sri Lankans to work in a country at war, on the questionable pretext of obtaining jobs for Sri Lankans but in truth aiding and abetting Israel to destroy its host country, Palestine and its innocent millions who lived for the past 50 years, in the hope of a two State solution dangled by the US, the UK and the EU, the greatest deception and fraud perpetrated on the tragic Palestinians, beginning from Oslo in Norway.
It is best that the Minister remembers that the entire world has arisen against this barbaric massacre of a helpless people by a brutal and dangerously violent extremist terrorist State.
It is more important that he remembers that this is not a Muslim issue as he had tried to counter his critics but it is entirely a humanitarian issue that no Sri Lankan will ever support.
He must also remember that over a million Sri Lankans are employed in the Arab world and hundreds of others from Sri Lanka are setting up businesses in the UAE. Over the past decade alone, over US $ 50 billion have been remitted to the country’s coffers by these Sri Lankans from these Arab countries. This sum is equal to the total foreign debts that Sri Lanka is struggling with since declaring bankruptcy!
US citizen Craig Mokhiber, who was the Director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who resigned and quit his well- paid office as early as 28th October 2023, in protest against the Israeli massacre of the Palestinians as at that time, had this to tell the world in his letter of resignation:
“But the current wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people, rooted in an ethno-nationalist settler colonial ideology, in continuation of decades of their systematic persecution and purging, based entirely upon their status as Arabs, and coupled with explicit statements of intent by leaders in the Israeli government and military, leaves no room for doubt or debate. Across the land, apartheid rules.”
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
