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Speaker expresses gratitude to Japan for timely assistance
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena expressed gratitude to the Government of Japan for providing a Rs. 1,360 million grant for the provisioning of necessary medical equipment such as MRI Scanner, CT scanner, bed-side X-Ray systems and central monitors to strengthen the COVID-19 preventing activities in Sri Lanka, Parliament media division said yesterday.
The Speaker also thanked the government of Japan for providing USD 3 million through UNICEF to support the cold chain system in Sri Lanka and strengthen delivery of Immunisation services in response to the COVID -19 pandemic.
Speaker Abeywardena said this while making the welcome speech at the revival meeting of the Japan-Sri Lankan Parliamentary Friendship Association for the ninth Parliament held recently in Parliament. The meeting was held under the patronage of Speaker Abeywardena, Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama and Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and was attended by Ministers, State Ministers and Members of Parliament.
The Speaker further said that “the Bilateral relations between the two countries in the early days have mainly been in the religious and cultural spheres. These traditional bonds were developed into more valued political and economic ties in the latter half of the last century.”
“Sri Lanka was one of the nine Asian countries that participated in the San Francisco Peace Conference in Japan which was held in September 1951. Then Finance Minister, J R Jayewardene’s speech on behalf of the GOSL at the conference urging the participating countries to accept Japan into the comity of nations without any reparation in the spirit of the Buddha’s teaching continues to be deeply appreciated by Japan.”
“As we all are well aware that, Sri Lanka and Japan established Diplomatic Relations shortly after the signing of the Peace Treaty in April 1952. A Japanese mission was set up in Colombo in February 1952 and in May 1953 Sri Lanka established a Legation in Tokyo. This month (April, 2021) marks the 69th anniversary of celebration diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Since 1993, delegations from both the Parliamentary Friendship Associations paid reciprocal visits. Apart from the visits of the Members of the Parliamentary Friendship Associations there were many high-profile bilateral visits that were undertaken by the Leaders of both the countries and Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister’s visit in September 2014 to Sri Lanka is a significant milestone in this context.”
“Excellency and dear Members, I strongly believe that we Parliamentarians, representatives of the people have the ability to promote our interests through the interaction of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups. Thus hope this meeting will also contribute to further strengthen the relations between the two countries and the Legislatures.”
At this meeting, Minister of Plantation Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, was elected as the new President of the Sri Lanka-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association.
MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, was elected as the new Secretary and MPs Selvarajah Gajendren, J. C. Alawathuwala, and Premnath C. Dolawatte, were elected as the Vice Presidents.
MP Ajith Rajapakse was elected the Treasurer and MPs Sivagnanam Shritharan and Major Sudarshana Denipitiya, as Assistant Secretaries.
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
