Placing nature at the centre of change: Preserving biological diversity

The loss of biodiversity is a loss for humanity. When we re-examine our relationship to the natural world, we find that despite technological advances, we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for day to day needs.

Euthanising Shanthi: Spotlight on Painless Killing of Animals

Smithsonian’s National Zoo mourned the death of Shanthi; a gift received by United States from Sri Lanka back in 1976 when the elephant....

UNP at crossroads and the coming wrecking of multi-party democracy

The Grand Old Party, the UNP is in deep trouble. The multi-party democracy in Sri Lanka is too. People are right to scorn the UNP for its self-inflicted calamity. But it is foolhardy to brush off the looming prospect of something of a near r

“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt Against LTTE Chief Prabhakaran.

inayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Karuna Amman” a.k.a. “Col” Karuna has got himself into hot water by shooting his mouth off at an election meeting in the East. Currently Karuna Ammaan is the chief candidate on the Amparai District list of the ‘AhilaIlankai Thamizh Maha Sabha’ (All Ceylon Greater Tamil Council). With an intense election campaign being conducted, political party speakers and propagandists are engaged in banter and riposte with ea

Toothless laws and inept action hamper leopard conservation

So far this year, six leopards in Sri Lanka have been killed due to human activities. And the count would certainly rise if authorities continue to ignore the gravity of the situation. According to wildlife conservationists, leopards frequent....

Harin Fernando’s statement: From homilies on piety to harangues in politics

The comment made by maverick politician Harin Fernando, during an election rally, that His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had played....

Sri Lanka’s vanishing Elephant Corridors

The dry zone is home to a majority of the estimated elephant population of Sri Lanka. This population is scattered in small pockets of habitats as small herds and individual elephants. Efforts to mitigate the human-elephant conflict by conservationists haven’t proven the desired outcomes since most elephant habitats and elephant corridors (also called elep

No Kunu Initiative Ready to make a Comeback

The COVID-19 curfews brought cleaner and greener environs as people moved indoors. Photos of flowers in full bloom, rivers with clear waters.....

Sri Lanka can gain from the idea of a Free & Open Indo-Pacific -Rakesh Sood

Today on Global Dialogue, we feature an exclusive interview with former Indian diplomat, columnist and foreign affairs expert, Rakesh Sood on India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and regional developments.

How modern humans adapted to Sri Lanka’s rainforests in pre-historic era

Historical accounts of the Balangoda Man indicated that Sri Lanka had strong links to a pre-historic era. Sri Lanka’s Fa-Hien Cave, also known as Pahiyangala Cave, is believed to be the site of earliest fossil appearance of Homo sapiens in South Asia.

Authoritarianism is no remedy to country’s wounded democracy

Finally, the date of the Parliamentary elections has been announced. There is hardly any doubt about which party would win the election. The only doubt is which ideology of the SLPP coalition would emerge to determine the country’s p

Children forced to earn, not learn

According to the latest Child Activity Survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics in 2016, out of the

In Defence of Responsible Journalism: the Hoole Matter

Idolizing the times of pre-nationalization Lake House, it was Richard de Zoysa who wrote a caricature of the late 1970s and early 1980s press.

Plot within TNA targeting party spokesman Sumanthiran

Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran was in the eye of a raging political storm some weeks ago due to a YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ show.

Stray dogs at Viharamaha Devi Park Mongrel menace!

The stray dogs at Viharamaha Devi Park have been in the news from time to time. During the curfew period they once again made headlines as animal welfare organisations claimed that a few dogs were taken away by Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) officials.

Viewing Autism through life course lens

With the unfortunate incident that occurred in Aluthgama recently, involving an autistic Muslim boy, it is important to emphasise on the fact that ableism shouldn’t be tolerated, and discrimination in any form is unacceptable. While raising awareness helps people understand and not be frightened by the disability, raising awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and educating the public in Sri Lanka, seems to require a different approach.

Hospitals bursting with patients

Bushmeat business puts leopards in peril

While the cause of death of the black leopard is yet to be known, conservationists raise concerns over lapses in enforcing the law on those who lay snares and traps. It is a known fact that people in the plantation sector lay snares and tr

The attempt to De-gazette Wedithalathive Nature Reserve

Wedithalathive Nature Reserve, situated in the North western coast, adjoins the Vankalai Sanctuary in Mannar District. This is a rich and vibrant ecosystem consisting of mangroves, tidal or mud flats, salt marshes, sea grass beds as well as coral reefs, which support the livelihoods of fishermen and a hub for blue swimmer crab which brings foreign exchange to the country as a sought-after sea food.

How teens fall prey to the tobacco industry

The theme for World No Tobacco Day which fell on 31st May is ‘Protect youth from industry manipulation to save them from tobacco and nicotine use’.

Pursuing the cause of voiceless animals

Animal welfare in Sri Lanka is largely neglected. Every year for the past few years we have seen and heard of many acts of cruelty.

Why this vicious attack on Saroja Sirisena? - EDITORIAL

There are severe attacks on the newly appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London Saroja Sirisena. There were several attacks on Ms. Sirisena...

Colombo wetlands: Dying lungs of a bustling city

The Mayan civilization flourished because it emerged right next to a wetland. Taming of Yucatan waters enabled the Mayans to build a city that lasted for more than a thousand years.

Mt. Lavinia beach nourishment project Rs.890mn washed in to the sea?

The recently ‘nourished’ Mt. Lavinia Beach seems to have further eroded according to recent photos that have been circulating on social media.

When Thondaman clashed with MR…

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) leader and Cabinet Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development, SaumiyamoorthyArumugam Ramanathan Thondaman died of a cardiac arrest on May 26.

Release of Kaavan from Marghazar Zoo

Time is ticking as Kaavan, the Asian bull elephant who went through years of torture at the Marghazar Zoo, Islamabad needs to be re-homed at a ‘suitable sanctuary’ within 30 days.

Distance learning in Sri Lanka

Even though Sri Lanka has a proud heritage of free education from primary to tertiary levels, with a youth literacy rate of 98%, an uneven distribution of distance-learning facilities continues to torment children in rural areas.

Beach nourishment threats Sri Lanka’s unique marine assets

The Marine sub-committee (MSC) of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) has identified three distinct issues regarding the government’s recent beach nourishment programme in relation to its possible adverse effects on the marine environment.

Let live and let die

Attempts taken to create racial disharmony by certain electronic media institutions over a Muslim death in Weligama in the Southern Province was able to be....

Militarization of the ‘medical’ and a majority mesmerized

The militarisation of the State apparatus in all areas of authority over social life continues unabated in the post November 2019 Presidential Election era in Sri Lanka.