Features
US: Use of Libraries; UK: Tradition; SL…..
I was sent the text of a report authored by Kathi Inman Berens PhD, and Rachel Noorda PhD, both of Portland State University, Oregon, based on data collected in 2022 on the use of libraries and books in the US. Dr Berens is a Fulbright Scholar of digital culture, prize winning author and Associate Professor of Book Publishing and Digital Humanities. Dr Noorda is Director and Associate Professor of Publishing. Her research is mainly on consumer behaviour, marketing and entrepreneurship in the book industry.
The main point of their research is that 54% of Gen Z and Millennials visited a physical library within the previous 12 months. This is considerably high use of libraries in this age of electronics and the availability in-house of all information via Internet etc.
The two terms used above need clarification here. “Millennials or the millennial generation is defined as those “born between 1981 and 1996, which means anyone between the ages of 24 and 39 in 2020. This age range, like other generational cohorts, is chosen for statistical analysis of certain trends rather than being a strict identifier.”
“Gen Z or Generation Z is the name for the generation that follows Millennials. It is the name given to the current generation of young people by many demographic researchers. According to the Pew Research Center, Gen Z consists of people born between 1997 and 2012. Google Trends data show that Generation Z is far outpacing other names in people’s searches for information. While there is no scientific process for deciding when a name has stuck, the momentum is clearly behind Gen Z.”
The repor
Getting back to the Berens – Noorda report, of the 2075 Gen Z and Millennials surveyed in 2020, more than half reported they visit libraries and also borrow from a library’s digital collection. “The data also revealed younger Americans’ distinct preference for physical version of books; these young ones read and bought on average twice as many print books per month as any other category.” Thus Dr Noorda, accepting this find as ‘great news,’ commented: “Not only are younger generations of people reading books, buying books and visiting libraries, but they are also engaging with other forms of media. They are gamers, readers, writers and fans who are comfortable with the malleability between media categories and forms.”
Change to suit times
I write about this use of libraries in America because it is excellent news for librarians; me being one. I well remember that at a summer course in Wales in the early 1970s the fear being expressed that the book was surely going the way of dinosaurs to extinction and computers would take over. Book libraries too were on the way out to obsolescence. That meant the redundancy of librarians. Thus the first move: name change from Librarian to Information Scientist, Documentalist etc.
Then libraries changed from being somber, silence-demanding, book lined places with a commanding librarian as supervisor to a completely user friendly, relaxed space of various media, with the book still upfront and taken down and read. Libraries transformed to media centres and some went to the extent of having coffee and snacks on hand.
Silence boards were thrown out even in still conservative libraries. With social media taking over, books were relegated to second place, but still of importance and interest Thus the sheer delight in reading the report I mention above which affirms more than half of the American young adult population is actually visiting physical (against) virtual libraries and reading or borrowing paper-printed books. Great! This applies, I am certain to other advanced countries too.
The President of the American Library Association (ALA), Emily Drabinski adds: “These digitally-immersed generations make clear that libraries are about more than books. Programming relevant to teens and their parents – coding clubs, job application help, gaming, draws even non-readers to the library as does the physical space to connect and collaborate.”
Over here in SL
Thank goodness in a way that Sri Lanka is somewhat backward. Many of our libraries remain as they have always been, book dominated. But many are computerized now, multi-media stocked, and the emphasis moved to users and the concept of dissemination of knowledge. I shudder to think there may be school libraries, even public, that still have books in locked glass fronted cupboards – not open shelving – and a martinet of a librarian guarding the books.
The most encouraging feature connected to reading and books is that both are still very popular across the board. We had a high literacy rate from way back and though the majority suffered the disadvantage of not having much money, reading and books were always held in high esteem. Public libraries were heavily patronized. With the help of organizations such as Room to Read, Dharmavijaya and many others, school libraries were either set up in the recent past or developed. Testimony to the fact that almost all Lankans love and revere books and reading is the large numbers that attend the annual Colombo Book Fair. A very heartening sight is a parent or elder, carrying book parcels and hurrying children to bus halts down Baudhaloka Mavata. Thank goodness! The printed book lives on, and is read.
Tradition in Britain
Every country has its traditions. Britain has more than most; carefully preserved and faithfully followed and practiced for centuries. One such is the Throne Speech delivered by the reigning monarch at each state opening of Parliament for the year. This started in the late 14th century and in its present style in 1852 when Parliament was rebuilt after the great fire.
Traditional customs are unchanged; the monarch and consort arrive in a special gilded carriage in full regalia, the monarch wearing the bejeweled Imperial State Crown Queen Elizabeth II delivered 67 Throne speeches.
This year it was a king who read what the government intended to do in the year ahead, after seven decades. King Charles III and Queen Camilla took centre stage on November 7, 2023, at Westminster.Commented on was the fact that Charles read with deadpan political neutrality that his Parliament under Rishi Sunak planned to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
He is one of the strongest supporters of the reduction of use of fossil fuels, having made his first speech on environmental protection in 1990 as a 21 year old Heir to the Throne. He has announced that all people “strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenge of all” –global warming but on November 7 he followed tradition unerringly and read out a statement that went against his belief and advocacy.
Traditions here
Boasting a cultural heritage of more than two and a half millennia, Sri Lanka has inherited traditions from the BC period. One such is the Esala Perahera held in Kandy since the third century BC. I make bold to say that unlike in Britain where almost all traditions have been retained and practiced in the original manner, ours have undergone changes. Of course we were colonized and had to bow down to rules imposed by the Portuguese, Dutch and British who first intruded, then annexed coastal regions and finally settled down as rulers of the entire island.
Some traditions were stamped out like temple customs when the Portuguese wielded power. But traditions have been changed by us and ourselves. The Kandy Esala Perahera concentrated on dignity and practicality when it began.. However, the competitive spirit and ‘I can do better’ attitude crept in, so much so that around 100 elephants or more are brought to parade. The Nilames of the Dalada Maligawa and devales, a couple of years ago, approached the then President – Mahinda R – for release of elephants from orphanages for their peraheras. An internationally recognized expert was Head of the Wild Life Conservation Department.
He refused to release elephants from the Uda Walawe orphanage as they were being nurtured to return to the forest when able to fend for themselves. Since the refusal was not acceptable, he resigned his post causing tremendous loss to the nation. Did peraheras of long ago, say even 50 years ago, insist on so many elephants to be tortured by being made to parade at pereheras?
Comes to mind Katina pinkamas since this is the month for such ceremonies to end monks’ three months vas retreats. These pinkamas were simple and dignified; now they tend to be even garish and affordable by only the very rich. Basics are the same, trappings and trimmings have undergone change; the emphasis being on money spending.
How many young ones bow on bended knee to their parents? And the unacceptable recent twist to it of making children go down in respect to all and sundry – school visiting politicians, chief guest at a prize giving. My generation and before, we bowed to parents, grandparents and Buddhist monks; not to family outsiders however powerful they were.
Covid gave a prohibitive blow to kissing as a form of greeting and smooching on one’s cheek and even the western-imported handshake. We went back to greeting or leave-taking with palms together and slight bow. That is how we in Kandy expressed love, appreciation, welcome and goodbye then. Smooching was alien, even repugnant to us.
We Lankans have wonderful traditions, most preserved and practiced as they were long centuries ago, but some tinkered for enhancement but in reality degrading and taking away much of the grace of the customary tradition.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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