News
Savitri de Silva inducted as Vice President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka
In recognition of the yeoman service she has rendered to the Methodist Church, Savitri de Silva was voted in as the Vice President for the year 2023, which is the highest position a lay person can hold in the Methodist Church.
Born into a Christian home Savitri is the daughter of Bonnie Fernando, a well-known journalist at Lake House in the 1960s and Carmen Mendis, a much-loved teacher.
Savitri says her mother was an exceptional lady who imbibed Christian values of faith, honesty, integrity, simplicity, friendship, inclusivity, sharing, fairness and justice. She taught Savitri to thrive in difficult situations and be courageous when standing up for justice. Her mother was blessed with the spirit of joy, fun and laughter, which were the hallmarks of her life.
Savitri’s paternal grandfather was Rev. Bastian Fernando of the Anglican Church while her maternal grandfather was Rev. Samuel George Mendis, the first All Island Chairman of the Methodist Church of Ceylon. Her grandfather and Savitri shared a deep love for each other and she says, to her grandfather, loving God and adhering to God’s commands was imperative.
Her maternal great grandfather, Rev.B. Anthony Mendis was the architect and builder of the Dehiwela Church. There are interesting stories of how he encouraged the Methodist ladies to carry sand in their sarees from the Dehiwela beach to build the present church. As founder of the Wesley Guild Movement in Sri Lanka, he established the first Guild and Juvenile Missionary Society in 1897 in Moratumulla.
Her grandmother’s father was Rev. D.P.G. Ferdinando, known as the ‘Methodist Architect’, was the first Ceylonese to be appointed to the Provincial Synod in 1912. He was involved in the construction of the Moratumulla church, manse and church hall; the Kurana, Kalahe, Divulapitiya and Pethiyagoda churches and drew up plans for the church in Minuwangoda. This is Savitri’s Methodist heritage.
During her school career at Methodist College (MC), she was President of the Junior, Intermediate and Senior English, Literary and Dramatic Societies. She was an actor in College plays which were open to the public and was a script writer for the end of term class plays. She was a First Class Girl Guide and a chorister. She ended her time at MC as the Captain of Shire House.
It was during a Mission of Rev. Dr.Abdul Haq that she first experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. She remembers being almost carried forward by an external force, tears streaming down her face. Her time of deep learning and sharing continued with the late Rev. George E.Good in her preparation for Full Membership and later at CTS.
In her home church, she is a Class Leader, Chorister, Vice President of the MWF and Prayer Co.ordinator and former Secretary of the Leaders Meeting. She is the Lay Secretary of the Central District Synod and a member of the CD Standing Committee.
Savitri’s passion is undoubtedly the Boy’s Industrial Home [BIH] and this is where her heart lies. A Committee Member since 2000 at the invitation of the then Warden, Mrs. Deepthi de Silva, she is currently, Secretary of the Management Committee. Her priority is to introduce the boys to Jesus Christ and for them to live exemplary lives.
Savitri, her husband Vasantha (a former Vice President) without whose support she would not be where she is today, and their children Ramila and Amandhi, share a love for these boys and continue to assist in many ways. Their involvement extends beyond BIH and into their future.
She was trained in Indexing, Classification, etc in the CISIR Library by Ms. Clodagh Nethsingha and ended as Personal Assistant to the late Dr. George Ponnamperuma, where she gained experience in organizing international conferences etc.
During her many years in the Corporate Sector she navigated through diverse areas by working for late Architect Geoffrey Bawa, Acres International Team (Canada) of the Maduru Oya Project, late Mr. Merril Fernando (Dilmah), Mr.Hemaka Amarasuriya (Singer) and at Ceylon Tobacco Company.
When she began working at MCSL on a voluntary basis as Personal Assistant to two past Presidents, Revd. Duleep Fernando and Rev. Noel Fernando, Savitri became more service oriented.
Currently she is a Church Representative on the Methodist College Governing Board, Church Representative on the National Christian Council, Member of the Standing Committee, Joint Secretary of the Overseas Mission Partnership Committee, Member of the Christian Education Committee, Member of the Evangelism Training Colleges Board, Member of the Evangelism Department Committee, Member of the Nominations Committee, and is commissioned and recognized as a Local Preacher. She continues her work as a Counselor.
Savitri’s love for God and all his creations, her devotion to making this place a better world, makes her the ideal candidate for this high office she has been inducted into and there is no doubt her light will continue to shine bright as per her school motto ‘We Scatter Light’.
Anusha David
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
