Business

‘Let us refuse to call it refuse’

Published

3 years ago

2023/01/18

by Arjuna Senarathna

When a country is in crisis, every little saving, every small opportunity, every tiny chance must be seized with alacrity. If a single person refuses to buy foreign made goods because they are automatically subsidized by the defence of the rupee against the dollar that is indeed an opportunity taken to save something not only for the family but for the nation as well. If the entire nation stops purchasing them, then the saving will be massive. What is needed is an increase in knowledge, a deepening of awareness and the bravery to break a bad habit and take on a better and more meaningful one. It is not easy because the chance is hidden by habit that must first be stripped off for the potency of a small act to be revealed.

It is the same with the massive amounts of material we bring into our homes only to discard them by giving it the derogatory names “garbage”, “waste” and “refuse”. The issue here is that a chance is hidden at the point of its acquisition. When a person buys say… butter, that person has trained him or herself to think “I bought 500g of butter”. However, the reality is that the person has bought a plastic bag, a cardboard pack, a cellophane wrapper whose costs have been added to the butter. Well, we can consume the butter but can we consume the unasked for other “purchases” that we paid for? What do we do? We are mad enough to throw something we bought out the window. We feel we cannot deal with it. Having admitted to incompetence, we let the garbage collector and the municipal council or urban council have a go at solving the problem. Do they? No. They cannot solve it either. That is why they too try to get rid of it either in a hole in the ground or piled up into a mountain that subsequently proceeds to poison thousands and kill a few dozen on April 14th of this year or that.

In a nation in crisis, to continue with that bad practice is the worst thing imaginable when every bit and piece becomes precious and wasting anything for any reason whatsoever is a sacrilege.

Suppose a household or a workplace were to gather all of these inadvertently purchased materials and sell it? In an instant, the refuse has turned into a resource. For a typical family, it means that there is at least a few kilograms of material to sell a day. For a nation of 21 million people? If done right, it can only be called one word: “wealth”.

What is needed is increased knowledge of the potency of something that has hitherto been discarded. What is needed is a heightened awareness that with every bit of such material that is thrown away, a family is actually losing money. What is needed is a painless system through which they can get the material to a buyer who will pay cash on the barrelhead.

With World Vision’s PHILA project, such a system is indeed in place. With resource banks (not collection centres or garbage point since it is a resource of significant economic value), placed at strategic locations in three locales where the method was pilot tested, resounding success was seen as outlined in the diagram.

They will now proceed to make this a whole-of-nation effort with all local government officials getting involved when they hold their national forum to upscale its success to the entire island.

In a time of crisis, it is indeed a fantastic opportunity for each and every one of us to execute our responsibility as citizens, break bad habits and take on the challenge of reimagining our country as a clean island without actually trying too hard.

It only requires people to change their mind set. It only requires them to refuse to call it refuse. It only requires them to call it a resource. It only requires them to call it cash.

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Business

UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka mobilizes business to lead with purpose

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/4

Thilina Walpola

As businesses navigate an increasingly complex operating environment shaped by workforce transformation, evolving stakeholder expectations, technological disruption and shifting market demands, strengthening performance requires more than new strategies. It requires new ways of thinking, leading, and collaborating.

It was against this backdrop that UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka convened CATALYZE 2026: Social, bringing together business leaders, sustainability practitioners, policymakers, development partners and industry experts to mobilize collective action and equip businesses with the knowledge, partnerships and practical approaches needed to strengthen performance through responsible business.

More than a forum for dialogue, CATALYZE 2026 was designed to help businesses think differently about performance. It reinforced that long-term success is increasingly shaped by how organizations lead, uphold human rights, foster inclusive workplaces, strengthen ethical governance, and build cultures that enable innovation, resilience and trust. Responsible business is no longer separate from business performance — it is fundamental to it.

Aligned with the UN Global Compact’s 2026–2030 Global Strategy, the Forum reflected its three strategic pillars — Equip, Catalyze and Advance — by strengthening business capability, fostering collaboration and mobilizing leadership to accelerate progress on social sustainability.

UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka’s approach to social sustainability centres on driving this change — recognizing that meaningful progress comes not only through policies and commitments, but through the everyday decisions, leadership behaviours and organizational cultures that shape how businesses operate. CATALYZE 2026: Social encouraged participants to move beyond intention towards implementation, embedding responsible business practices into strategy, governance and organizational culture.

Opening the CATALYZE 2026: Social, Rathika de Silva, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka, spoke to the role of responsible business leadership in strengthening Sri Lanka’s global competitiveness:

“Sri Lanka has the workforce, resilience, and opportunity to compete not by being the cheapest producer, but by becoming the most trusted. As global expectations evolve, compliance is no longer simply a cost of doing business — it is the foundation of market access, and the decisions we make today will determine how strongly we compete in the markets of the future.”

The Forum featured keynote addresses, leadership dialogues and technical sessions on the issues shaping the future of business, including business integrity and anti-corruption, human rights, neurodiversity and inclusive workplaces, artificial intelligence and the future of jobs, the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), responsible sustainability communications, and workforce resilience. Together, these discussions highlighted how responsible leadership, inclusive practices, and strong governance contribute to organizational resilience, innovation, and long-term performance.

Business

A regional conversation on the future of English language teaching

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/4

Thilina Walpola

Free British Council online conference brings together leading educators from across South Asia to explore how creativity, inclusion and technology can help prepare learners for a rapidly changing world

The British Council has announced the South Asia TeachingEnglish Online Conference 2026, a free three-day event that will convene educators, researchers and teacher educators from across the region to examine one of the most pressing questions facing education today: how can schools equip learners with the creativity, adaptability and communication skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world?

Taking place from 23–25 July 2026, the online conference comes at a time when education systems across South Asia are grappling with the challenge of balancing curriculum demands, assessment pressures and evolving learner needs. While English remains a critical gateway to academic and professional opportunities, educators are increasingly seeking approaches that move beyond language acquisition alone to foster critical thinking, collaboration, learner agency and participation.

Business

The Ceylon Chamber convenes dialogue on energy security and standards for Sri Lanka’s energy transition

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/4

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a discussion titled “Energy Transition in Sri Lanka: Strategic Insights from Global Markets”, bringing together representatives from the public and private sectors, industry experts, academics, and other stakeholders to examine the opportunities and challenges associated with Sri Lanka’s evolving energy landscape.

Held at a time when countries around the world are accelerating their transition towards cleaner, more resilient, and technology-driven energy systems, the event provided a timely platform to examine renewable energy not only as an environmental priority but as a strategic pillar of national energy security, with implications for economic growth and long-term competitiveness. The discussion also considered the increasing importance of reliable energy infrastructure in meeting the growing demands of digital transformation, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, electric mobility, and data centres.

The programme covered a wide range of topics relevant to Sri Lanka’s energy future, including renewable energy development, energy security, regulatory and policy frameworks, electricity sector reforms, energy storage systems, grid modernization, investment and financing considerations, and international experiences in energy transition. Particular attention was given to the need for creating an enabling environment that supports innovation, attracts investment, including the technical and safety standards required to protect consumers and businesses as storage and solar adoption scales nationally.