Johnny de Silva et al
Pat Williama: Was there no end to his involvement in sports?
Category Archives: plural society
Entering Australia from Ceylon: Burghers and Amahs first to penetrate White Australia
Earl Forbes
The diplomatic relationship between Ceylon and Australia commenced even before the formal declaration of Ceylon’s Independence. Australia established a Representative Office in Colombo, on the 29th April 1947. On Independence Day, (4th February 1948) this representation was upgraded to High Commission status. As further indication of the importance placed on the relationship between the two countries, the Australian High Commission Office was moved from its temporary location at the Galle Face Hotel, to more permanent premises at Gafoor Building, in Fort, Colombo. Following diplomatic representation established in London, New Delhi and Washington, Ceylon established its fourth diplomatic office in Canberra. In January 1949, Mr J A Martensz was appointed as Ceylon’s first High Commissioner to Australia, (see Image 1). Mr Martensz was a member of the Ceylonese Burgher community. Although probably underestimated in importance in the planning stages of the Australia High Commission in Ceylon, immigration to Australia soon became a matter of growing contention in the workings of this office. Developments in both countries contributed to a great deal of expectation, as well as misunderstanding, in the early immigration process.
Filed under Australian culture, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, ethnicity, European history, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, legal issues, life stories, plural society, politIcal discourse, racist thinking, self-reflexivity, Sri Lankan scoiety, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes
VANNI HOPE continues Its Charitable Reach
“the reason someone smiles today”
ONCE AGAIN MANY THANKS FOR HELPING US TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN THE POOREST COMMUNITIES IN SRI LANKA.
A very big thank you to our sponsor
Our underprivileged and vulnerable community back in Sri Lanka still need our help and Vanni Hope intend to extend this assistance and would like your ongoing support.
HERE IS THE YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK = https://youtu.be/BB9UBY3cElc
Filed under accountability, charitable outreach, communal relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, governance, heritage, landscape wondrous, life stories, performance, plural society, reconciliation, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, teaching profession, unusual people, world events & processes
Laki Senanayake As I Knew Him
Ismeth Raheem: An Appreciation of Laki Senanayake (1937–2021)
Given Laki Senanayake’s stature and personality, I am confident that there will be a fair share of obituaries and appreciations that will attempt to capture something of the man and his work. This is a more personal account of my encounters with Laki, which span over half a century. By no means is this an overview of his life or work. For the most part this account is anecdotal, but it does strive to convey aspects of his personality, his passions and the work he created and inspired.
Filed under accountability, architects & architecture, art & allure bewitching, cultural transmission, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, Left politics, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, performance, plural society, Royal College, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, teaching profession, the imaginary and the real, tolerance, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes
The Power of Poetry: Learning from Ashley Halpé
Aparna Halpé, in The Island, 23 May 2021, where the title reads “Learning from My Father, Five Years After his Passing”
I was mingling with the audience at a poetry reading in Toronto, where I had been reading some of my new poems, when I was approached by an audience member. He asked me a question that I’ve encountered before in some form or another throughout my entire artistic and professional career… “Excuse me, are you by any chance related to Professor Ashley Halpé?” When I answered that I was his youngest daughter, the gentleman proceeded to tell me this story.
Filed under accountability, coronavirus, cultural transmission, education, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, language policies, life stories, literary achievements, patriotism, performance, plural society, politIcal discourse, riots and pogroms, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, tamil refugees, trauma, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes
Sri Lankan Dissidents: Their Work Commemorated via Their Archives
Fr Tissa Balasuriya
VISIT THIS SITE: https://dpul.princeton.edu/sae_sri_lanka_dissidents?fbclid=IwAR0r_CuHdd9OwgkvjStbaGXlscmQ7hwkI1uJRt1uETMLIebFoVq1bPr40vY
This collection documents the activity of a generation of Sri Lankan radical activists who, in their different ways, attempted to escape the claims of rival ethno-nationalisms and build alternative political and development projects, drawing on Marxism, Christian socialism, and feminism, among other inspirations.
Fr Yohan Devananda
Fr Michael Rodrigo & Fr Paul Caspersz
Filed under atrocities, communal relations, cultural transmission, education, heritage, historical interpretation, human rights, landscape wondrous, legal issues, life stories, performance, plural society, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom & censorship, religiosity, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, tolerance, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, welfare & philanthophy, women in ethnic conflcits, working class conditions, world events & processes
The Dutch Burghers in Sri Lanka Today
Prabath De Silva, in Daily Mirror, 21 January 2021, with this title “The Dutch Burghers in Sri Lanka”
“We are a vanishing tribe in Sri Lanka. The first paternal ancestor of my father’s family who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1774 was Pieter Scharenguivel. He was a Quarter Master in the service of the United Dutch East India Company which ruled the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka from the middle of the 17th century to 1796. The Dutch Burgher identity and consciousness within the family I grew up in was extremely significant. It played a role in the conversations, traditions, customs, food, perceptions and social interactions. During the British colonial rule, our community produced eminent surgeons, doctors, legal luminaries, judges, engineers, sportsmen, musicians , historians and artists etc.” , said Anne-Marie Scharenguivel (65), a management accountant and a member of Sri Lanka’s tiny Dutch Burgher community of less than 30000 people.
Mrs. Anne-Marie Scharenguivel
Filed under accountability, British colonialism, communal relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, discrimination, economic processes, ethnicity, European history, heritage, historical interpretation, immigration, island economy, landscape wondrous, language policies, life stories, literary achievements, patriotism, plural society, politIcal discourse, Portuguese in Indian Ocean, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, travelogue, unusual people, welfare & philanthophy, world events & processes
Henry Jayasena: An Appraisal in Appreciation — with Further Insights from Azdak’s Lore
Nandasiri Jasentuliyana
There was one other leading figure from the cultural world that I came to know very well, particularly through my association with Namel. It was none other than Henry Jayasena, acclaimed as an outstanding stage actor, film star, writer, producer, director, and translator, all rolled in to one. He is a legendary artiste of our times.
Filed under art & allure bewitching, cultural transmission, female empowerment, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, meditations, performance, pilgrimages, plural society, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, unusual people, working class conditions, world events & processes
Eduard Hempel Flourishes in Galle and Lanka
SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, in Sunday Island, 26 July where the title is “ A Seeker after Many Truths, The Lives of Eduard Hempel”
The canoe nudged its way through the deep brown water. It was thick and heavy, like treacle and the boat inched towards a tree trunk on the river bank. The boat sat low in the water, barely a few inches above the river. “Closer, closer,” said the voice at the stern. “I can’t really see it.”
“Well I can,” protested the voice from the bow. “Its close enough, isn’t it?”
” No, its okay. It doesn’t seem to be moving.” All of sudden the tree trunk moved. Coming suddenly to life, it slid down the river bank, crashing into the water.
“Don’t worry, they are much bigger on the Zambezi. It’s probably scared of us. That was why it was rushing into the water. Look they are all doing that.”
There was a series of splashes, each one louder than the other.
Filed under accountability, architects & architecture, art & allure bewitching, communal relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, life stories, modernity & modernization, patriotism, performance, photography, plural society, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, tourism, travelogue, unusual people, wild life, world events & processes
