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SAARC yet to achieve its potential - President

The SAARC created with the noble objective of consolidating on our civilisational strengths has failed to achieve its objectives in any substantial manner after two decades of existence, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said yesterday.

Delivering the keynote address at the second general conference of the South Asian Foundation (SAF) and the launch of the South Asian Foundation Learning Initiative (SAFLI), the President said the creation of organisations by distinguished citizens in the region was important in successfully undertaking what SAARC has yet failed to do.

The South Asia Foundation which was formed in response to the Colombo declaration issued after the 1995 SAARC summit is a voluntary, non-political organisation aimed at promoting greater solidarity, understanding, co-operation and peace among the people of South Asian region while promoting progress through education and sustainable development. SAFLI is its latest project which will enable the youth of the region to follow degree courses in subjects like sustainable development, women's empowerment, environment, peace and development.

"The South Asia region, as we are aware, is home to nearly one fourth of the world's population. It is the most densely populated and one of the two poorest regions of the world. Our region was also the cradle of one of the two most ancient civilisations. Yet today our peoples are steeped in dire poverty and ignorance," she said.

Pointing out the importance of open and distant learning in improving the quality of life of the people in the South Asian region, the President said that distant learning, though relatively new, is growing in a phenomenal way.

"The special importance of distant learning is that it can reach communities living in remote places with little access to formal education systems. It can meet the problems of shortages of trained teachers and lack of facilities. A whole new world of knowledge and technology can be opened up to rural groups. I believe that our people if brought together in a structured way could achieve what inter-governmental organisations have not yet been able to do," she said.

Chairman of SAF Sri Lanka and Member of Parliament Lakshman Kadirgamar, delegates from SAARC member countries and vice chancellors of universities were also present.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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