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The Youth Community Leadership Initiative commemorates International Day of Peace 2022 at Thulhiriya
The Youth Community Leadership Initiative (YCLI), a joint programme of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka came together to commemorate the International Day of Peace celebrated on the 21st of September each year. In collaboration with MAS Athena, the ‘YCLI Peace Day Celebration’ took place from the 19-21st September 2022, at the MAS Athena premises in Thulhiriya, with the participation of over 500 young people from across Sri Lanka.
The 3-day event showcased a wide variety of activities for young people, including a special Youth Parliamentary session, a Peace Village and a Peace Fest providing a platform for youth leaders in Sri Lanka to engage in community action towards promoting wellbeing in their communities.
The first day saw representatives from all partner agencies coming together to sign the Peace Day pledge, to reiterate their commitment of ensuring that young people will be given opportunities to participate and engage in their communities. Meaningful youth participation is meant to promote social cohesion, sustainable development and community wellbeing.
Chairman/Director General of NYSC Brig. Dr. Thiran De Silva said: “Having active youth involvement is very important for the development of Sri Lanka. In recognition of this, the National Youth Services Council have made reforms by giving more weight to young people in decision making processes and entrusting them with monitoring as well. We are also supporting the youth by introducing course curricular in terms of language proficiencies and technical competencies. We call out to youth to make use of all opportunities out there to learn and contribute to the community.”
The commemorative event is a part of the YCLI project that promotes peace, justice and strong institutions, whilst ensuring integration of health promotion, sustainable development and volunteer action enabling young people to participate as agents of change to build a healthier and safer Sri Lanka.
Dr. Shalala Ahmadova, Public Health Administrator, World Health Organization in Sri Lanka said: “As signified by the Director General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, ‘There cannot be health without peace and there cannot be peace without health.’ This is symbolized by the many Global Health for Peace Initiatives (GHPI). In Sri Lanka, health has played a significant role in enabling social cohesion by empowering communities. In such action, young people take centerstage in utilizing their skills and talent to use health related interventions to strengthen communities. So, it gives me great pleasure to witness these young people gathering together on this International Day of Peace. It gives me hope that the upcoming YCLI Interventions will promote health and wellbeing, in communities across Sri Lanka and its people.”
The International Center for Youth, Health and Peace hosted at MAS Athena was ceremoniously launched at the event. The Unit will promote sustainable peace, health and wellbeing in communal settings, while acting as a learning and development hub for the general public. This includes a Virtual Reality Peace Museum, a peace promotional digital game space, and a knowledge corner with publications, reports, learning materials, networking details and other resources supporting local initiatives for peace and health promotion.
Suminda De Silva, CEO, MAS Fabric Park said: “We are honoured to have supported this event in commemoration of the International Day of Peace. MAS has always recognized the need for a collaborative knowledge hub, and worked tirelessly to provide a platform where people can interact with one another to inspire creativity and strengthen understanding. We hope to continue collaborating with partners to bring positive change in our society to create peace and development.”
The Peace Day celebrations further provided YCLI participants with an opportunity to utilize the knowledge they gained throughout the programme, and recommend an inclusive, sustainable and equity-centered national youth policy through the youth parliamentary debate sessions that was hosted at the event.
Malin Herwig, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka said: “The potential youth have for change and positive action is largely untapped. To promote civic engagement and active citizenship, we need to ensure that youth is facilitated in terms of opportunities and trainings to participate in their communities to promote social cohesion and sustainable development.”
Sharmalee Jayasinghe, Country Coordinator, UNV in Sri Lanka said: “As the present and future of all nations, we must recognize youth as one of the greatest treasures of a nation. Over the years, we have witnessed how young volunteers have often been at the forefront as first responders supporting communities at the grassroots. Through volunteerism, UNV Sri Lanka will continue to support youth as they continue to inspire others to create inclusive and peaceful societies.”
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
