Monday, 11 October 2004  
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A+ for Amity Schools

Amity Schools, which were allowed to go into Limbo, in the UNP years, are now being received in a big way and we are glad to note that these schools, which are a brainchild of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, are making a significant contribution to national unity.

We urge the Ministry of Education to keep up the good work, for the seeds of peace which are sown today would tomorrow burst into the plants, the flowers and fruits of communal amity, religious tolerance and cultural plurality.

The Amity Schools project may be a long-gestation one but it helps to lay the foundation for peace which is the longing of every reasonable person in this country.

While Sri Lanka forges ahead towards a political solution to the ethnic conflict, which ensures the empowerment of the minorities, it is important that an atmosphere of cultural and religious tolerance and of mutual accommodation among communities, is steadfastly built-up with the State taking a lead role in establishing the basis for such a culture.

It is from this point of view that we welcome the Amity Schools project in general and the National Peace Camps venture in particular.

As indicated by this newspaper on Saturday, the National Peace Camps project has already taken shape in some provinces within the framework of the Amity Schools concept.

The rationale behind the latter concept was to bring together students from the country's communities, cultures and religions under one roof to enable them to interact with each other closely and thereby fertilize and strengthen bonds of friendship among themselves. An important by-product of this exercise would be mutual respect and acceptance among the communities.

As reported by us, Trinity College, Kandy, has already helped conduct a National Peace Camp in the Central Province by bringing together students from varied ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds for the purpose of close interaction. We hope this example provided by Trinity College would be emulated by other schools as well.

Finally it is love, brotherhood and understanding among our communities which would save this country. There are hardline groups in both North and South Sri Lanka which are even violently advocating control over Sri Lanka by a single ethnic group.

Need we say that this is a sure recipe for prolonged conflict and a possible renewal of hostilities? It needs to be recognized by all at least now that the denial of rights to any community only breeds war and conflict. There is no future for a conflict ridden Sri Lanka.

It could be seen, therefore, that the Amity Schools project is born of profound wisdom. We urge its complete implementation.

New vistas in advertising

Television viewers hate them. Television stations, on the other hand, love them. Advertisements are the staple diet of TV stations worldwide. The revenue earned from advertising helps the stations to stay on air and produce better, more costly programmes. Viewers may resent the intrusion of advertisements into their favourite TV shows, but that is the price one has to pay for the privilege.

Globally, the advertising scene is changing fast as clients and ad agencies increasingly discover new forms of media - mobile phones, the Internet, satellite radio etc. They are also aware that thanks to the latest digital technology, which will come to Sri Lanka in due course, viewers can skip the commercial breaks. This has become a thorn on the side of TV stations and advertisers, forcing them to explore new avenues to keep viewers glued.

These approaches were discussed last week at the MIPCOM international audiovisual trade show in Cannes, France. As advertising income remains the financial lifeblood of TV stations and is a vital ingredient for the growth of new media forms, the buzz at MIPCOM was all about exploring new advertising avenues.

Product placement, programme sponsorship and interactive add-ons to programmes seem to be favourite trends at the moment. Quality and humour could still save the day for the TV spot - research has proven that viewers will still watch clever, humorous advertisements. Television stations are also increasing the output of programmes that guarantee captive audiences - here in Sri Lanka, mostly teledramas and cricket matches.

Some of the ads we see on local TV are, truth be told, plainly excruciating. They virtually insult the intelligence of the viewers and force them to surf through the channels. Nevertheless, there are a few innovative, entertaining ads that many actually like to watch.

TV stations must also be mindful of the standards of the ads being telecast. Rupavahini, the national broadcaster, has taken the lead in this context by formulating a code of ethics for advertisements. Other TV stations have the option of following it. After all, cultural and social sensitivities must be taken into account in producing and airing advertisements.

Another positive development will be the introduction of an Advertising Complaints Commission, on the lines of the Press Complaints Commission.

TV stations must strike a balance between advertisements and the viewers' interests. Some programmes are literally littered with ads that it is almost impossible to remember the thread of the story/program during which they are telecast. Bombarding the viewer with ads is not the solution. TV stations must look for new approaches to hold the viewer's interest through the commercial breaks.

www.directree.lk

Kapruka

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.singersl.com

www.imarketspace.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


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