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Challenging injustice and changing lives

Published

11 months ago

2025/03/2

BCIS International Relations Convocation 2024. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr Harini Amerasuriya who was the Chief Guest

By Zanita Careem

Priyanthi is a feminist, social development and communications specialist who has more than three decades of experience working in development, leading organisations and teams involved in implementing programmes with and for women and other groups disadvantaged by poverty and access to opportunities in diverse cultural, political and socio-economic contexts.

She has lived and worked in fragile and conflict affected countries such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Sierra Leone and Pakistan, as well as worked in Bangladesh,India, Kenya, and Nigeria. Her work has spanned coordinating and generating knowledge on issues that have been fundamental to international development thought and practice and ensuring that this knowledge is used in policy and programmatic decision making She brought women’s issues into the discourse on infrastructure by initiating a networked research programme – the Balancing the Load: women, gender andtransport programme for Asia and Africa supported by the Department for International Development (DFID), UK and also facilitated a 10-country Africa-Asia gender and transport study for the World Bank. She created the Gender and Transport (GATNET) online network that brought together researchers and practitioners in the transport sector.

Currently Priyanthi holds the position of the Executive Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), the education arm of the SWRD Bandaranaike Memorial Foundation that manages the BMICH and the other facilities at Baudhaloka Mawatha in Colombo.

Priyanthi is passionate about issues of justice and about fighting structural inequalities – whether they be inequalities relating to gender, access to knowledge and to technology, poverty and livelihoods. She is pleased that she is leading a team at the BCIS that in both its research and teaching is committed to explore the challenges faced by small states in a volatile global context; is focused on study in south-south perspectives in confronting these challenges; aims to critically understand and creatively challenge the dominant worldviews that influence the discourses of international relations; and analyses the changing dynamics of global power relations and the vulnerabilities that they create for people in Sri Lanka and other areas of the global south.

As someone in a traditional male dominated industry, what would you like to see change for women and how do you think this can be accomplished?

I worked in a male dominated sector when working with the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), now called Practical Action in Sri Lanka, and with the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD), a global network of professionals working largely in the transport sector, in London. I can understand your question about change in two ways: one, how can we challenge the domination of men in the sector, i.e. how can more women enter the sector. I think the sector must be more open to employing women – and this is happening because the attention to DEI – i.e. Diversity Equality and Inclusion – has forced male dominated sectors to bring in women, albeit reluctantly. I am not sure whether the discrediting of this type of thinking by the Trump administration in the USA will have a global knock-on effect. I believe male dominance in the technology and transport sectors (the two I worked in) is a result of stereotyping men and women’s roles in society, and even if there is a high participation of women in STEM education (in Sri Lanka it’s something like 49%) there are disparities within that sector where women are underrepresented in engineering and technology which are typically seen as male-oriented. In a patriarchal society, it is important that employers recognise that women continue to have certain care responsibilities and ensure that their institutional practices do not discriminate or penalize women employees when they have to attend to these responsibilities. What I would like to see happen is not just equity – where women and men are treated equally – but substantive equality where historic discriminations and current inequalities that women face are recognized and addressed.

The second point I want to make in response to your question is the change that I can expect to see not just for women working in these male dominated sectors, but how the sectors themselves will be able to foster greater gender equality if there is more gender balance in the workforce. So bringing a gender perspective into the decision making of the sector or the industry is very important, and the greater the gender balance within decision makers in the sector the more likely that the decision-making will take into account women’s issues.

Of course women’s representation in male oriented patriarchal structures don’t always result in better outcomes for women especially when women are trying to ‘outdo’ their male counterparts or women take male perspectives for granted. . Working as I do now as the Executive Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, I meet many women who have studies International Relations, but few who are challenging its very masculine framing.

You have been in various directional roles. What are some of your most memorable experiences?

I have lots of interesting stories – mostly about learning from my colleagues and the women and men I interacted with in the course of my work as an Executive Director in some very different organisations. Some of the more memorable experiences relate to how my approach to my work evolved.

So if you discount my time as a very junior researcher at the Marga Institute, my first ‘real job’ was as a Programme Coordinator responsible for directing the Lanka Mahila Samiti’s Small Enterprise Development Project in the mid 1980s. In this job I had to set up several District Revolving Funds and support the different Mahila Samitis in the districts manage the fund and access the money for different enterprises that they wanted to engage in – so coir rope making in Matara, chillie cultivation and other agricultural enterprises in Moneragala, small scale egg production in Matale etc etc. I realized quite early that I knew very little – it was not just that I was very young, but it was also that the Colombo environment I grew up in had given me no knowledge about coir rope making or chillie cultivation, or raising chickens for egg production!!!! So the experience of working with the Mahila Samiti was very humbling.

The highlight of that time was taking a group of women coir workers from the Matara District and a group of coir workers from Columbuthurai in Jaffna to Kerala. This was during the height of the ethnic conflict. The trip was able to bridge some of that polarization between Tamil and Sinhala people, as both groups found that they had a common occupation, making rope and were able to gain new knowledge by observing the Malayali workers and their organisations in what was the global centre for coir products. They were also able to bond as women. Sometime after, during the 1989 JVP insurgency when young men from the south were being targeted and killed, one of these women from Matara observed that it was only then that they were able to really understand how Valli (a Tamil woman who had travelled with them to Kerala) felt.

At ITDG (Intermediate technology Development Group), I had many experiences that shaped my management style. One was this woman social scientist we had recruited into our renewable energy programme. She was scheduled to go on a field trip to Deniyaya where we were implementing a village micro hydro scheme. But she had joined us after giving the birth to her daughter and she was still breast feeding the baby. So came to me with her problem. So I asked her to do the only practical thing that seemed possible in the circumstances and that was to ask her to take the baby and the nanny and go on the field trip! This initial decision then evolved into something akin to a feminist management policy where the organization recognized the multiple roles that young parents, mothers especially, but also fathers had to play.

With the younger generation reshaping the future, do you think women today will still face the same challenges as their predecessors?

I think we are very far from “smashing the patriarchy”. We have made changes but I don’t believe a non-patriarchal society exists anywhere. It is also frightening how far-right politics are gaining ground, and discriminatory and exclusionary attitudes are surfacing. So while maybe women in the next generations won’t face the SAME challenges as their predecssors, I think they will still be challenged to reach their full potential – because gender equality is still something we have to work for. One big issue that is now out in the open but which is not adequately addressed is the whole aspect of gender based violence, and domestic violence in particular.

Priyanthi Fernando Executive Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)

When we talk about women we must also recognise that they are not a homogenous category. And this is where we need to absorb the concept of intersectionality. Women will face different challenges depending on their age, their social status, their economic status, their ethnicity, their sexual orientation, their location etc etc and any combination of these. Women’s ability to address these challenges will also depend on their intersectional experiences.

I am a very privileged person, and at 72 years old, I want to say that I am hugely encouraged about what I see young people are doing and I do have a lot of confidence that the younger generation will address these challenges in their own inimitable way. In Sri Lanka I am particularly excited that activism is growing through intrinsically localized movements of artists, queer people, non-elite, non-privileged young people – and this augurs well for our future.

What challenges did you face during your career here and abroad?

I had few personal challenges to my career as a woman in Sri Lanka or as a brown woman abroad, especially in the UK. I come from a family of strong women, my aunt Manel Abeysekera, shattered glass ceilings and was the first woman in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, and both she and my mother, Soma Kannangara who was at one time the President of the Lanka Mahila Samiti, were my role models. Aunty Manel was surrounded by strong, independent career women; my mother was not a career woman, but she approached her voluntary work with confidence and commitment.

Although much has improved for women because of the female empowerment movement, there is also a downside. Your comments? What is the impact of this attitudes on the lives of women?

I think female “empowerment” is a problematic and dangerous term, especially when it is equated to women’s economic empowerment as it often is. This approach tries to suggest that if women are able to be active members of the labour force, earn some money, they will be empowered – this is also the underlying premise of many micro-finance schemes which we are now learning is not ‘empowering’ women but keeping them perpetually indebted. The conversation around increasing women’s labour force participation that is very much part of the ongoing economic discourse in Sri Lanka, hardly asks whether there are sufficient decent jobs being created for women (and men) or whether the push into the labour force will result in them occupying precarious jobs – at the bottom of global value chains in the apparel industry, in the informal sector as street sweepers etc etc.

The women’s rights movement and the feminist movement have a different take to those advocating women’s economic empowerment. They see the importance of women realizing their civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, and they see gender inequality and discrimination as the result of the prevailing structures of power.

What lies at the root of this attitude?

We come back to the patriarchy and our socialization into very patriarchal values and attitudes

You have recently taken a new job as the Executive Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) – can you tell us a little about why you decided to take it up?

The Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) was set up by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1974 to be the educational arm of the SWRD Bandaranaike National Memorial Fund (BNMF) and to be an institution that democratized learning and knowledge sharing on international affairs. The BCIS conducts certificate and Diploma courses on international relations, conducts research, and has public facing events that aim to create critical awareness about global affairs and Sri Lanka’s position in the global landscape among the public.

I was in Malaysia working for the International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific when the Aragalaya and the economic crisis happened. But listening to the news and the different interviews and discussions, I realized that despite Sujith Sivasunderam’s (historian and academic ) contention in ed we had a very insular approach to our approach. In this context joining the international relations community, and using it as a space through which to broaden the thinking of the wider public seemed like a challenging idea.

Are there any obstacles you have had to overcome as a woman in a leadership position?

Looking back at the work I have done, I am conscious that my ability to overcome obstacles and lead so many different Sri Lankan as well as transnational teams is a factor largely of my class privilege. Many of my batchmates at Peradeniya and colleagues in the different organisations I worked in had many more obstacles to overcome – and they made it too.

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From Vanishing Sea Snakes to DNA in a Bottle

Published

7 days ago

2026/01/18

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Ru on Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda's book terming a must read. Also in the picture Wildlife Nature Protection Society President Graham Marshall

Dr. Ruchira Somaweera on Rethinking Conservation

What happens when one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hotspots collapses almost overnight — and no one knows why?

That was the question facing Australian authorities in the early 2000s when Ashmore Reef, a remote marine reserve in the Timor Sea, suddenly lost what once made it globally unique: its extraordinary diversity and abundance of sea snakes.

“At one point, this place had more species of sea snakes and more individuals than anywhere else on Earth,” recalled Dr. Ruchira Somaweera, one of the world’s leading reptile biologists. “Then, within a few years, everything collapsed.”

Speaking at a packed Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Monthly Lecture, sponsored by Nations Trust Bank and held at the BMICH, Dr. Somaweera described how the mysterious disappearance triggered a major federal investigation.

“At the time, I was a federal government scientist,” he said. “We were sent to find out what went wrong — but it wasn’t obvious at all.”

Ashmore Reef, a protected area managed by Parks Australia, was still teeming with turtles, sharks and pelagic birds. Yet the sea snakes — once recorded at rates of up to 60 individuals per hour — had virtually vanished.

Ruchira making his presentation

The breakthrough came not from the water, but from policy.

For decades, traditional Indonesian fishers from Roti Island had been permitted to harvest sharks at Ashmore under a bilateral agreement. When Australia banned shark fishing around 2000, shark numbers rebounded rapidly.

“And sharks are the main predators of sea snakes,” Dr. Somaweera explained. “What we realised is that what we thought was ‘normal’ may actually have been an imbalance.”

In other words, sea snakes had flourished during an unusual window when their top predators were suppressed. Once sharks returned, the ecosystem corrected itself — with dramatic consequences.

“It was a powerful lesson,” he said. “Sometimes collapse isn’t caused by pollution or climate change, but by ecosystems returning to balance.”

The mystery didn’t end there. Some sea snake species once known only from Ashmore were now feared extinct. But instead of accepting that conclusion, Dr. Somaweera and colleagues took a different approach — one that combined science with local knowledge.

“Scientists often fail by not talking to the people who live with these animals,” he said. “Fishermen have decades of experience. That knowledge matters.”

Using museum records, fisher interviews and species distribution modelling, the team predicted where these snakes might still exist. The models suggested vast new areas — some the size of Sri Lanka — had never been properly surveyed.

When researchers finally reached these sites, often involving helicopters, research vessels and enormous logistical costs, they made a startling discovery.

“We found populations of species we thought were gone,” he said. “They were there all along. We were just looking in the wrong place.”

Even more surprising was where they were found — far deeper than expected.

Traditional sea snake surveys rely on night-time spotlighting, assuming snakes surface to breathe and rest. But footage from deep-sea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) revealed that many species live in the mesophotic zone, where light fades and surveys rarely reach.

“Some of these snakes are deep divers,” Dr. Somaweera said. “They don’t behave the way we assumed.”

That insight led to one of his most remarkable discoveries — coordinated, communal hunting in the Irabu sea krait off Indonesia.

“At 40 metres deep, on the slope of an extinct volcano, we found them hunting in groups,” he said. “They take turns flushing fish and feeding. That level of cooperation was never known in snakes.”

Beyond discovery, Dr. Somaweera’s work increasingly focuses on how conservation itself must evolve.

One of the most transformative tools, he said, is environmental DNA (eDNA) — the ability to detect species from genetic traces left in water, soil or even air.

“You no longer need to see the animal,” he explained. “A bottle of water can tell you what lives there.”

His team now uses eDNA to detect critically endangered snakes, turtles and sea snakes in some of Australia’s most remote regions. In one project, even children were able to collect samples.

“A 10-year-old can do it,” he said. “That’s how accessible this technology has become.”

The implications for countries like Sri Lanka are profound. From snakebite management to marine conservation, eDNA offers a low-impact, cost-effective way to monitor biodiversity — especially in hard-to-reach areas.

Dr. Somaweera ended his lecture with a message aimed squarely at young scientists.

“We already have a lot of data. What we lack is the next question,” he said. “So what? That’s the question that turns knowledge into action.”

After nearly two decades of research across continents, his message was clear: conservation cannot rely on assumptions, tradition or good intentions alone.

“It has to be evidence-based,” he said. “Because only action — informed by science — actually saves species.”

By Ifham Nizam ✍️

Life style

Driving the vision of Colombo Fashion Week

Published

7 days ago

2026/01/18

Thilina Walpola

Fazeena embodying confidence, culture and couture

Fazeena Rajabdeen

Fazeena Rajabdeen stands at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s fashion evolution as the Executive Director of Colombo Fashion Week.

With a visionary approach that bridges local talent with global opportunities, Fazeena has been instrumental in elevating Colombo Fashion Week into a sought-after platform for designers, buyers and industry innovators. In this interview, she shares insights on the growth of Sri Lanka’s fashion landscape, the challenges and triumphs of steering a major fashion event, and her aspirations for the future of the industry.

(Q) As Executive Director of Colombo Fashion Week, how do you define CFW’s role in shaping Sri Lanka’s fashion identity?

(A) CFW is fundamentally the backbone of Sri Lanka’s fashion industry. Over 23 years, we’ve built more than a platform, we’ve crafted an entire fashion ecosystem that didn’t exist before.

What I’m most proud of is that over 80% of the designers you see in Sri Lanka today have come through our development system. That’s not accidental, it’s the result of building infrastructure, including partnerships, brand development support, retail insights, and international networks. We’ve essentially created the conditions for a Sri Lankan fashion industry to emerge organically, rooted in our heritage but completely contemporary in its expression. This has resulted in the creation of few design education schools, fashion retailers, model academies.

CFW has given Sri Lankan fashion an identity that carries weight, one that speaks to craftsmanship, sustainability, and creative integrity. That’s the legacy we continue to build upon.

(Q) What has been your personal vision in steering Colombo Fashion Week over the years?

(A) My vision has always been about scale and sustainability, taking what was a seasonal event and building it into a year-round business ecosystem. My key focus was on developing the next generation through structured programs like emerging designers and CFW Accelerate, embedding responsibility into fashion through tools like the Responsible Meter, and expanding our reach with new editions and International partnerships.

We’ve moved from showcasing fashion to building the infrastructure that makes sustainable, commercially viable fashion careers possible in Sri Lanka. Another mission was to expand the platform so Sri Lankan designers aren’t just showing collections, they’re building brands that compete regionally, especially within South Asia.

(Q) Fashion Weeks globally are evolving. How has CFW adapted while staying true to its roots?

(A) The role of fashion platforms has evolved, as the development of fashion, the consumption of fashion and choices fashion consumers make has changed. At the core Fashion is an emotional choice hence engagement with fashion consumers remains high priority. CFW as a platform that leads the fashion industry, creates formats that effectively engage consumers with the fashion creators and with that open opportunities in Sri Lanka and internationally through BRICS, South Asia and Beyond. There are interesting new projects planned to push this forward.

(Q) How does CFW contribute to positioning Colombo as a regional fashion and lifestyle capital?

(A) CFW is known as a renowned South Asian Fashion Week and serves as a regional hub with its longstanding influence of 23 years in the region. That longevity alone has made us a reference point for South Asian fashion and we’ve become first-in-mind when people think of fashion here.

But it’s more than just presence. CFW has positioned the city with its synonymous brand name and interaction with influential people within the region as a lifestyle destination, not a peripheral market. That sustained visibility and the calibre of what we produce has put Colombo on the map as a regional capital where fashion, craft, and commerce intersect.

(Q) Sustainability and craftsmanship are growing conversations—How are those reflected in designer collections?

(A) Responsibility in fashion has been our cornerstone from the beginning. We’ve always championed Batik and traditional craft, and we’ve backed that with real resources through our craft funds.

What we’ve done differently is make sustainability measurable. The Responsible Meter we developed is a transparent scoring system that shows the environmental and social impact of each garment. Designers now build collections with accountability baked in from the start, not as an afterthought. This process is included in all emerging designer development processes.

(Q) Colombo Fashion Week has been a launch pad for many designers. What do you look for when curating talent?

(A) Above all—passion and drive. You can teach technique, refine a collection, connect someone to the right resources. But that hunger to build something, to push through the hard parts of turning creativity into a viable business That has to come from them.

We look for designers who understand that fashion is both art and commerce. They need a point of view, yes, but also the discipline to execute it consistently. The ones who succeed through CFW are the ones who see the platform as a starting point, not the finish line—they’re ready to put in the work to build a real brand, not just show a collection and continue with us in building that brand.

(Q) What role does CFW play in connecting Sri Lankan designers to global markets?

(A) CFW set out on a designer exchange programme through the BRICS International Fashion Federation, showcasing Sri Lankan talent at BRICS fashion weeks while welcoming international designers to Colombo. The platform positions Sri Lanka within the global fashion landscape while attracting international buyers and media. We have partnerships with the commonwealth countries and relevant fashion weeks. The interaction with global designers we invite during fashion week is primarily to focus on such interactions with Sri Lankan designers, opening doors for learnings and opportunities.

(Q) What can we expect from upcoming editions of CFW?

(A) Every edition has a unique focus to it and we work towards creating more expansion, more accessibility. We’re doubling down on our development programs, bringing in stronger international partnerships, deeper craft integration, and wider opportunities for designers at every stage.

We’re also looking at new formats and editions that create the Sri Lankan story in international markets.

We focus on being beyond a showcase; as the engine that drives Sri Lankan fashion forward regionally and globally. We’re building for scale and impact. The upcoming editions will reflect that ambition.

(Q) You have Co-founded the Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival, what inspired you to start and what was your original vision?

(A) It was a natural expansion, honestly. After years of building CFW and seeing the power of creative platforms, we realized there is space for the same thing for arts and literature, a space that celebrates Sri Lanka’s intellectual and cultural soft power.

The vision was simple: create a festival that puts Sri Lankan voices in conversation with regional and global thought leaders. Literature and the arts are incredible tools for cultural influence, and we weren’t leveraging that enough. Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival became that platform, a way to showcase our writers, artists, and thinkers while positioning Sri Lanka as a hub for meaningful cultural exchange.

It’s about soft power. Fashion opened doors, arts and literature deepened the conversation. Together, they tell a fuller story of who we are as a country.

(Q) What makes it unique in Sri Lanka’s cultural scene?

(A) It’s the ecosystem with its breadth and accessibility. We’ve built a festival that doesn’t silo creativity, it brings together literature, art, film, performing arts and music under one platform. That cross-pollination doesn’t really exist elsewhere in Sri Lanka at this scale.

What sets us apart is that we’ve made it deliberately accessible, students are free as our focus is the Youth. Projects and processes that empower the youth and foster creative talent from the grassroot.

(Q) What role does the festival play in promoting local writers, poets and literary talent?

(A) We platform both established names and emerging voices who haven’t had the visibility. The festival creates real dialogue and gives local talent stages they wouldn’t normally access.

We take the best of the world.

We’ve made it accessible, students get free entry, and we run a Children’s Festival for ages 5 to 11. It’s about building pathways early and giving Sri Lankan writers, poets, and creatives the exposure that launches careers.

Our winner of the first edition of the Future writers’ program, was recently awarded the acclaimed Gratiaen Award. We were happy we were able to mentor and pave the pathway for Savin and all future writers for the next generation.

(Q) What are the next dates to look out for?

(A) We have the HSBC Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival Edition 03 set to take place February 13th ,14th,15th 2026. This year’s Festival brings together creativity across all genres including the children’s festival, performing arts and Arts festival. We are proud to celebrate Sri Lankan and international Authors including the renowned author of the Bridgerton series Julia Quinn.

Following which the annual Summer edition of Colombo Fashion Week will take place in March 2026

This is for the start of 2026. looking forward to many exciting plans for the rest of the year.

Life style

The HALO Trust appoints Rishini Weeraratne as its Ambassador for Sri Lanka

Published

7 days ago

2026/01/18

Thilina Walpola

Focussed and Fearless

The HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian landmine clearance organization, has appointed Rishini Weeraratne as its Ambassador for Sri Lanka. In her new role, she will support HALO’s global mission by raising awareness of mine action, strengthening advocacy efforts, and championing initiatives to protect communities impacted by landmines and unexploded ordnance, particularly in Sri Lanka. She will also play a key role in HALO’s international engagement and communications initiatives.

HALO began working in Afghanistan in 1988. Today HALO operates in more than 30 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe and Caucasus, Latin America, and the Middle East. Its teams work daily to clear landmines, deliver risk education and restore land for agriculture, homes and infrastructure. HALO gained international recognition after Diana, Princess of Wales, visited its work in Angola in 1997 which helped accelerate support for the Mine Ban Treaty. Sri Lanka is one of HALO’s longest standing programmes. HALO has been operational in the island since 2002 and has cleared more than 300,000 mines and over one million explosive remnants of war, enabling thousands of families to return home safely. HALO is the second largest employer in the Northern Province, and its workforce is 99 percent locally recruited. Women make up 42 percent of the demining teams, reflecting HALO’s commitment to local empowerment and employment in post conflict communities.

Rishini Weeraratne, Ambassador for Sri Lanka, The HALO Trust:

“It is a privilege to support The HALO Trust’s mission. Although Sri Lanka is my home country and close to my heart, I am also committed to advocating for HALO’s work around the world. Millions of people live with the daily risk of landmines and unexploded ordnance. By raising awareness and amplifying the voices of affected communities, I hope to contribute to a safer future for families everywhere.”