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Netherlands Embassy marks World Bicycle Day through encouraging Cycling to Work
The Netherlands Embassy in Colombo recently marked World Bicycle Day by awarding the winners of the Bike to Work call for proposals for practical solutions to stimulate work-home cycling in Sri Lanka. The call was launched earlier this year during a webinar series on sustainable trade and investment between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in the context of 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations which are available to view on the Embassy Facebook page.
An Embassy release said: World Bicycle Day draws attention to the benefits of using the bicycle: it is an affordable, healthy and sustainable means of transportation. The bicycle is cheap and contributes to a healthy lifestyle as well as less congestion and cleaner air. Indeed, a sustainable transport system that promotes economic growth, reduces inequalities while bolstering the fight against climate change is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Today, the Netherlands is the world’s leading cycling nation. However, this was not always the case: an oil crisis in the 1970s contributed to a mindset shift leading to many Dutch people adopting cycling for daily activities and their commute – rain, snow or shine. This shift was supported by urban planning that promoted safer roads for cyclists, parking facilities and incentive schemes.
In Sri Lanka, there is also increasing interest in the benefits of cycling. Following up on earlier activities to encourage sustainable mobility in Sri Lanka and on the occasion of World Cycling Day, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands therefore convened a group of Sri Lankan stakeholders that work on sustainable mobility in Sri Lanka in conjunction with awarding the winners of the call for proposals. Representatives from various government, private sector and advocacy led groups including the Urban Development Authority, Road Development Authority, Department of Motor Traffic, United Nations Development Programme-CITRA, Bank of Ceylon, PICKME, UBER and Ride For Life discussed their current and pipeline projects and exchanged ideas on how Sri Lanka could drive sustainable mobility forward through the shared examples submitted in the proposals. They agreed the current challenging situation in Sri Lanka could also be a window of opportunity to push a mindset change on sustainable mobility, including cycling and public transport in Sri Lanka.
The winning Bike to Work proposals were chosen with the support of two Dutch organisations that support shifts to sustainable mobility worldwide, namely the Dutch Cycling Embassy and the Iganga Foundation, and the local organisation Ride for Life that advocates for adopting cycling as lifestyle mobility option in Sri Lanka. The winner of the call for proposal was WISHQUE pvt Ltd that proposed to develop an open source app solution focused on ease of use, safety and incentivise cycling to work for companies and organisations to use. Citizens’ Development Business Finance PLC was awarded the second place, having already adopted bike to work within their organisation and in recognition of the solutions and incentives developed such as concessionary loan scheme for purchasing bicycles. The third place is shared between Ecoware, Save a Life, Green Life Generation and Gampaha Wickramarachchi University – Faculty of Indigenous Social Sciences and Management Studies who were all awarded consultancy hours to support further development of their proposed solutions that focused on community focused mobility solutions and coupled cycling with waste management, entrepreneurship and advocacy for sustainable mobility solutions.
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
