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Veteran Journalist Charnika presented with IWP’s Iconic Women award
Charnika Imbulana Munasinghe, a veteran Journalist, Consultant Editor Colombo Times.net and Columnist, Daily Financial Times was presented with the Iconic Women 2023 Award at the International Women Parliamentarian Conclave held at Hotel Samrat in New Delhi on the 30th and 1st July ’23.
The International Women Parliament (IWP) is an initiative of India’s Project 100. In an effort towards promoting women empowerment and gender equality, IWP’s appointed eminent Jury selected women leaders in this sphere from amongst the thousands of nominees received from around the world for the Iconic Women 2023 Award.
The Iconic Women Award for Journalism, Community and Social Welfare was presented to Charnika Imbulana Munasinghe by Dr. A.D. Sawant, Vice President of Project 100, a former Vice Chancellor, University of Rajasthan, former Pro Vice Chancellor Mumbai University and Joint Director Higher Education, Govt. of Mahrashtra, amidst a distinguished gathering that had several Heads of Foreign Missions in Delhi, also present. The Certificate of Award was presented to her by Sudeshna Parmar, US Space Camp Ambassador, U.S Space and Rocket Centre, Huntsville.
The Awardees were selected by an Independent eminent Jury panel comprising of -; Dr. Rinchen Chopel, Member UN CRC Committee, Director General SAIEVAC, Mr. Rashad Alkhader, Member UN Correspondence Association and of the International Federation of Journalists, Neelam Chopra, Former Deputy Secretary, University Grants Commission, India and Dr. Mangala Kohli, ex-member UN Education Committee, ex-ADG, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India.
Charnika Imbulana Munasinghe has a record of almost four decades in Media and her work on women’s welfare counts almost an equal number of years. She has held several key positions in the Print, Electronic and Broadcast media in Sri Lanka- as World News Editor of The Island newspapers and as International News Editor of Wijeya Group’s Daily Mirror, a columnist and Special Correspondent to the Lake House Newspapers and Daily Financial Times. She has presented and produced over 25 documentaries on National TV.
Having held the position of also Women’s Editor during her tenure at The Island newspapers, Charnika has since continued awareness campaigns through the media on women and children’s rights and eventually Co-founded ‘Women’s Forum Sri Lanka’ (WFSL, that comprised of a group of eminent professional women to promote Women’s empowerment. She created a common platform for all Women to unite and give them an opportunity to be heard. Documents were also prepared by WFSL, proposing Policy changes to empower women and were handed over to the Govt. representatives at events ‘Action for Parity’ organized and held to address the issues that are faced by women and children.
Charnika’s work record of over four decades is testimony of her dedication towards the dissemination of accurate information to the public and of her commitment to empower women. Her skills, her efforts in both these areas of work which contributes systematically to the progress and improving standards in these two fields, continue to garner international recognition. Charnika was nominated by Mrs. Thileka Perera, President of Mahile Samithi and her visit to New Delhi to receive the award was supported by Sri Lankan Airlines.
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
