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U.S. Lawmaker Dina Titus moves to assist Sri Lanka
The United States Congresswoman, representing the western State of Nevada – using her influential role in the House Foreign Affairs Committee – has taken an active role in getting the Congress and the State Department to assist the economically-devastated Sri Lanka, well reflected in her participation at a humanitarian assistance testimony in Capitol Hill last week.
She questioned two officials attached to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) who were summoned to give details of the economic calamity in Sri Lanka.The submission at the session of the Foreign Affairs Committee and her official discourses with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made Washington lawmakers and policymakers to bring their serious attention to Sri Lanka’s current economic recession.
The Sri Lankan expatriates, domiciled in the State of Nevada, and their organizations, such as the Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce, a national organization to bring both nations together on economic cooperation promoting American investments in Sri Lanka, and their civic grouping Sri Lanka-America Association of Las Vegas, were instrumental in maintaining close discourses and rapport with U.S. Senators and House Members as well as their senior staff in Washington which has made this break-through possible.
Both organizations are headed by political activist Sanje Sedera who gets the active corporation and assistance of the expatriates who form the governing bodies of these two organizations to establish, maintain and strengthen these contacts especially during the past decade to bring significant focus on Sri Lanka.
The discourses between the Sri Lankan expatriate organizations and Congresswoman Dina Titus, among other lawmakers, is culminating in drafting two communications – from the Congresswoman scheduled for dispatch in the second week of August – to both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Administrator of USAID Samantha Power calling for greater humanitarian assistance, and advocate greater U.S. effort to support democratic reforms in this South Asian nation.
The Legislative Director Joel Cohen of Congresswoman Titus confirmed to Sri Lankan expatriates in an email communication that over $179 million in aid already sent to Sri Lanka by the State Department was a result of Ms. Titus’ continued pressure on Washington lawmakers and policymakers.
Ms. Titus, in her new communication to the Secretary of State and Administrator of the USAID, is expected to emphasize speedy humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, a spokesman for the expatriates said.Addressing the special session of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee last week Congresswoman Dina Titus alerted Washington that a large percentage of Sri Lankans are not sure whether or where they could get their next meal.
Concerned about getting speedy humanitarian assistance Ms. Titus queried from one of the two officials who represented the USAID at the Hearing “how would you know with whom you have to work with when the government is in turmoil” to which the answer was USAID is working with humanitarian personnel on the ground in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) for emergency assistance. The official noted that a group of US humanitarian team is already on the ground in Sri Lanka.
Further concerned about Sri Lanka’s dire situation, Congresswoman Dina Titus made her voice loud in stating “all these assistance programmes are great. You (addressing the two USAID officials) need to get specific details and data of the ground situation so that you can anticipate future issues and problems. Try to get ahead of them, because if it takes long to address those issues people continue to be starving”.
One of the USAID officials reacted by saying that they are focusing on short-term assistance of nutrition for children, and that they were very much concerned about a future shock in the economic front in Sri Lanka.
A spokesman for the Sri Lankan expatriates said that the diplomatic prowess of the two organizations – the Chamber and the Association – made it possible to bring Sri Lankan issues – some of which are critical – to the door step of Washington lawmakers and policymakers to go this far in getting their close attention to the plight the nation is facing. Sri Lankans who are on the governing bodies of the two organizations, the spokesman said, in the past decade or so constantly used their public affairs and public diplomacy skills to focus on Sri Lanka’s domestic pressing issues.
Congresswoman Dina Titus stands out as one of the prominent lawmakers using her rapport with the House Foreign Affairs and Appropriations committees as well as the top officials in the State Department to assist Sri Lanka at this hour of need, said the spokesman. It was her untiring efforts during the Covid-19 period that 600,000 vaccines were increased to 1.5 million last year.
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
