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SRI LANKA AMARAPURA MAHA NIKAYA SANGHA SABHA OFFICE NAMED ‘SIR CYRIL DE ZOYSA COMMEMORATION BUILDING’ TO BE DECLARED OPEN SOON
The Office Complex of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya Sangha Sabha soon to be named the ‘Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya’ located at No.70, Galle Road, Wellawatta, is scheduled to be declared open on the 15th August 2020. This building is by way of the fulfillment of a prime need experienced by this Sangha Sabha from its very inception in Sri Lanka in the year 1803.
The Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya which consists of 22 Chapters, made temporary headquarters out of each particular Vihara or the dwellings of the monk who for the time being held the position of the Supreme Chief or Maha Nayaka and used such Vihara on a temporary basis as the office as well. But henceforth, the Amarapura Maha Nikaya will be able to serve independent of such subsidiary sects and have here in this complex its permanent centre, where both the lay and the ordained – the monks as well as the lay members or the sustainer staff, viz. the Nikayabhivurdhi Sabha – will be able to utilize this building from where they would be able to discharge the administrative duties of the Nikaya.
At the time His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa was the incumbent Executive President of Sri Lanka, a request for the donation of this land located in Wellawatta, was made to him by the Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Mahopadyaya Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahimi, Supreme Maha Nayaka of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya. In response, His Excellency donated this as a sacred offering to be used for the purposes set out here. This administrative building will be declared open by Hon.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest.
The Maha Nayakas of the 22 Chapters of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the Chief Lekhakadhikaris of these Chapters, Secretary, Ministry of Buddha Sasana and the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs are all due to attend this Opening Ceremony.Former Head as well as the incumbent Head of the Navy are scheduled to participate in this event, to represent the Navy personnel who provided the services of the construction of the building and timely completion of the work. 95% of the construction cost of Rs.60Mn was met by Mr.Ajita de Zoysa, Vice President of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikyabhivurdhi Dayaka Sabha.
It is on a proposal made by the Supreme Maha Nayaka of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Mahopadyaya Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahimi, that this building was named the ‘Sir Cyril de Zoysa Commemoration Building’.
We wish to place on record that it is on a decision made by a team of Bhikkus of the Amarapura Nikaya together with the Nikayabhivurdhi Dayaka Sabha that this opening ceremony is kept as simple as possible; the reason being the threat of the corona epidemic which is not merely a local but a global pandemic.
Further, in view of the significance of this event an all-night Pirith will be held in the night of Sunday the 16th followed by a morning daana at 6.45 a.m. on Monday the 17th.
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
