By Raj Gonsalkorale The phoenix is an immortal bird associated with Greek mythology (with analogs in many cultures) that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion, others that it simply dies and […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Those who desire to treat politics and morals separately will never understand anything of either. The practice of politics not only can, but must be reconciled with the imperatives of honesty – Jean-Jacques Rousseau It is often said that politicians have the morals of alley cats. Some say asking a politician whether he or she is […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale During Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time at the helm of Sri Lankan politics, the 30 year war was won, GDP growth reached 7% by 2015, per capita income rose from USD 1065 in 2004 to USD 3843 by 2015 and GDP rose from USD 20.66 Billion in 2004 to USD 80.6 Billion by 2015. […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The sign “The Buck Stops Here” that was on President Truman’s desk in his White House office was made in the Federal Reformatory at El Reno, Oklahoma. Fred A. Canfil, then United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri and a friend of Mr. Truman, saw a similar sign while visiting […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale While negotiating the IMF package of assistance, the Sri Lanka government could consider a summit with Japan, South Korea, China, India, the EU, UK, USA and the Middle Eastern Arab States for a relief package. Such a package could potentially be up to USD 10 Billion if handled at the highest levels […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale In the immediate term, all political parties in Parliament should bury their respective hatchets, and agree on a political truce for the next two years. They could take the next step and agree to form a national government or a national governance council for two years. The theme of such a government […]

Raj Gonsalkorale The Sri Lankan Daily Mirror reports that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) have jointly called for a more engaged  role by the United States in promoting human rights, accountability, political resolution, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka (see https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking news/TNA-GTF-jointly-call-for-more-U-S-engagement/108-225498 The report went on to state, quote” The particular […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The lesson for all is the need for nurturing critical thinking and to question information and its veracity. In explaining the thinking behind naming the new YouTube channel as Panshu, Ven Galkande Dhammananda said that the philosophy of the WRI has always had a positive outlook and it has focused on what […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Ask not what you can do for the country, but what the country can do for you –Pandora revelations The Pandora revelations have shown how much some political leaders have loved themselves and the extent of their greed. Perhaps they have found a way to take this wealth to their next life […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain – that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist- Lysander Spooner Lysander Spooner is the well-known author of the […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Sri Lanka is at the precipice of an economic disaster. The country’s foreign debt is suffocating the country, it is its biggest immediate problem, and the problem for the foreseeable future unless urgent and drastic action is taken, now. The crisis arises due to several factors, the primary factor being the high […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale A medical heritage of a country could be cited as one of its best treasures and most powerful weapons. Sri Lanka has proven that its medical legacy was protected by ancient kings as part of governance policy and aspects, such as agriculture, belief system/spirituality and diet encompassing the concept of health. In […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The world needs an Emperor with full clothing to counter the increasing stridency of China. Unfortunately, the US has been progressively shedding its clothes beginning perhaps with the defeat in Vietnam. The many military incursions that followed, all basically abject failures in improving the lives of the people of the countries so […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviour. Keep your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” Mahatma Gandhi Felice […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein Sri Lanka is in dire economic strife, its politicians are a discredited lot, and are produced by a system that perpetuates corruption, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Inter community harmony is as facile as the cloak […]

Raj Gonsalkorale The multi religious and multi ethnic approach taken by the Walpola Rahula Institute (WRI) and its head, Venerable Galkande Dhammananda to advance social healing amongst all people in Sri Lanka and elsewhere is set to take a major step forward with the increasing focus on online programs that could potentially reach vast audiences […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale May I stress the need for courageous, intelligent, and dedicated leadership… Leaders of sound integrity. Leaders not in love with publicity, but in love with justice. Leaders not in love with money, but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the greatness of the cause – Martin […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale All animals are equal but some are more equal than others- George Orwell Presidential pardons in Sri Lanka seem to have conferred a constitutional privilege for some citizens to be more equal than others, even for those convicted of murder by the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court. Another feature […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Children’s education is among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world. Prolonged school closure and limited access to distant learning has deprived children of their universal right to education, particularly in poorer countries” -UNICEF The COVID pandemic has accentuated a disparity that already exists between facilities that are available […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale It was always known that the self-appointed icons of democracy only pay lip service to democracy and that self- interest and the singular desire to control a global agenda of their choosing takes precedence over everything else. The recent G7 meeting confirmed this. The G7 countries and their invitees gathered in the […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The President and the government is urged to at least postpone the decision made to ban the import of inorganic fertiliser at least for one year until it has had time to consult widely with experts and arrive at a more informed decision. Depriving some crops with inorganic fertiliser in the immediate […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Actual independence for the dominion of Ceylon came on February 4, 1948, when the constitution of 1947 went into effect. The constitution provided for a bicameral legislature with a popularly elected House of Representatives and a Senate that was partly nominated and partly elected indirectly by members of the House of Representatives. A prime minister and his cabinet, chosen […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an integral part of an open and effective international economic system and a major catalyst to development. Yet, the benefits of FDI do not accrue automatically and evenly across countries, sectors and local communities. National policies and the international investment architecture matter for attracting FDI to a […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Today, 21st May 2021 is the 29th death anniversary of this unassuming colossus who perhaps had done more for the people of Sri Lanka than many others before him and after him The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing – Edmund Burke Edmund […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Palestinians will yet again commemorate the Nakba (‘catastrophe’), a term that refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 and the Palestinians’ loss of their homeland. The mass expulsion of Palestinians was overwhelming in its scope. Arab Palestine was erased and replaced with Jewish Israel. It is estimated that between 750,000 […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The norms of society are the sum of our collective values and priorities – as society shapes us, we shape society. In addition to a sense of right and wrong for personal action, individuals possess a sense of right and wrong for collective action – what might be called social conscience. Individual […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale The burqa ban announcement caused a stir among Muslims, who saw it as yet another attack on their community. In the past few months, the government has undertaken a number of controversial measures under the banner of fighting extremism, which have increasingly intimidated the Muslim population and disregarded rule of law principles – Farzana […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Glory of technology is such that no one will object to introducing technology to land registries.  But will the land owners have their rights protected? We only admire the glory of technology as a duck gliding on water without seeing the paddling underneath. Land owners need to be alerted that their ownership rights may […]

By Raj Gonsalkorale Yet it remains the case that if Nigerian public and private sector players doing business with the Chinese elephant could improve their negotiating skills and be more ambitious about their negotiating positions, making better use of Nigeria’s ‘superpower’ qualities to minimise the drawbacks of its antlike ones, the future of Nigeria–China relations […]