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SL High Commission donates Ceylon Tea to Royal Hospital Chelsea war veterans
By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London
The Sri Lanka High Commission in London donated a consignment of Ceylon Tea to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement facility cum nursing home for around 300 war veterans, last week.
On behalf of the Sri Lanka government, High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena and Deputy High Commissioner Samantha Pathirana presented the stock of tea to the British war veterans as a gesture of goodwill emblematic of Sri Lanka’s commitment to the longstanding bilateral relations with the UK.
The donation was received by the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Gary Lashko, Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE, Major Philip Shannon and three Chelsea pensioners.
The Royal Hospital was founded by King Charles 11 in 1682. Veterans housed at the hospital served in Korea, the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and World War II.
Drinking tea is a long-established tradition in the British Army.
The Sri Lanka Tea Board and seven leading tea producers in Sri Lanka, Vintage Teas Ceylon Ltd., Tea Trends Export Ltd., (New English Teas), English Tea Shop, Dilmah Ceylon Tea, Mlesna Ceylon Ltd., Stassen International Pvt Ltd., and Akbar Brothers contributed towards this gesture.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Gary Lashko, said: “We have been looking after British Army veterans since 1682. Sri Lanka and Britain have been closely associated since the early 1800’s and tea has always been an important part of that association”.
Lashko further said, “Tea drinking was a long-established tradition in the British Army, with reports that tea was liberally distributed among the men on the morning of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. When the UK government bought all the tea on the market in 1942, they made the tradition official. The tea the British government bought for the Army was strong black tea from Ceylon, Assam, and Africa.”
“As our Governor is from a tank regiment, he has told us that tea-break culture used to pose a big problem for the generals in charge of Britain’s armoured formations. Tank crewmen had to stop and climb out of their vehicle in order to have a brew, making it difficult to safely sustain an armoured advance. The answer was the British Army boiling vessel — a built-in kettle for armoured vehicles. The Centurion tank was fitted with a boiler vessel, or bivvie — a cube-shaped kettle powered by the tank’s electrics, and today is apparently fitted to all the Army’s main fighting vehicles.
“Happily, the veterans living here can enjoy the tea you have donated in less stressful situations, and it will provide a healthy way of enjoying each others’ company and the comradeship that means so much to everyone especially in these difficult times of the global pandemic. They say a trouble shared is trouble halved, and perhaps when done over a cup of tea will even be enjoyable and enhance our well-being.”
Army Veteran Denis Bate, who had worked on the Monarch Building Construction project in Sri Lanka, said that it was a great honour to meet the High Commissioner and her officials. He said that he missed the sand, sea and sun in Sri Lanka, which he enjoyed for over 11 years and had fun.
Minister (Commercial) Lakmini Mendis and Minister Counsellor (Defence) Swarna Bothota were also associated with the event.
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
