A musical extravaganza:

Fund raiser for mental health

Richmond Fellowship Lanka (RFL) is a Residential halfway home for the rehabilitation of those released from mental institutions to integrate them into their families and to society. The residential facilities are alongside the seacoast within the 100 meter ban. Thus, it has become necessary to shift the location of the half way home as this building too was affected.

Fortunately this home received a donation of a 40 perch block of land in the interior and are in the process of finding funds to build. So far RFL has raised 4 million of the estimated cost of the 6.5 million Rupees and now are in the process of raising the balance.

The main fund raising item is a musical extravaganza presented by Anneslery Malavana and 'Super Chimes' with an ensemble of popular singers.

This will be on July 9, at St. Joseph's College Auditorium. At 7 p.m. the artistes who have come forward to help Mental Health in Sri Lanka are Annesley Malavana, Indrani Perera, Sohan Weerasinghe, Mariazzelle Gunathilake, Ginger, Dalreen Suby, Keerthi Pasqual, Ronnie Leitch, Priyantha Fernando, Clifford Richard. Backed by Annesley and Super Chimes. Compere - Clifford Richard.

RFL is the only residential half way home for the mentally ill run on professional lines.

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The Mission to Seafarers sets sail on a new voyage

by Naomi Lazarus

The simple pleasures and conveniences we enjoy in our daily lives -the fresh cup of coffee in the morning, the car we drive to work every day in, or the mobile phones that keep us in touch with our family and friends - ever wondered how they came into our possession? It is very likely that all these commodities, the coffee, the cars, and the mobile phones, traversed thousands of miles by sea, before reaching their points of sale fat supermarkets, car dealerships, and tele-shops, where the consumer finally purchased them. Similarly, If you are an entrepreneur, contemplating the best mode of transportation to export your goods overseas, chances are that you would opt for sea freight. It is not surprising, therefore, that over 90 per cent of the global import and export trade is handled by sea.

Despite these statistics, that reveal our heavy dependence on cargo vessels to carry our goods across continents, we tend to overlook the scores of crew members, known as seafarers, who man these ships. It is the hard work of these men and women that ensures us access to the goods that are part and parcel of our daily lives.

The life of a seafarer is one of gruelling work, long hours, and separation from family, which affords little time for rest and leisure. Furthermore, with the advent of containerized cargo, vessels no longer need to endure long layovers at each port, providing little or no time for crew to spend ashore, away from the demands on board their ships. In this context, the service rendered by The Mission to Seafarers is valued and welcomed by all. Operating through a global network of 100 seafarers' centres, the Mission welcomes and serves over 605,000 seafarers around the world, in keeping with its mission 'to care for seafarers in ports around the world, offering a warm welcome, friendship and practical and spiritual support'. Among the services provided by the MSF are communicating facilities, transportation, recreation, and links to emergency services.

With its origins dating back to 1835, the Mission to Seafarers, also known as the Flying Angels Club, was set up as 'a world agency of the Anglican Church which cares for the practical and spiritual welfare of seafarers of all nationalities and faiths.' Upholding the same vision, the Mission to Seafarers in Sri Lanka was established in 1941, to cater to the needs of crew members stopping over at the Port of Colombo.

Despite its long history, the Mission in Colombo had fallen into disrepair and neglect until recently, when a renewed commitment by the Mission's headquarters in the United Kingdom, has spearheaded a reorganization of its activities, with the aim of serving seafarers better. As in other seafarers' centres across the world the Mission in Colombo would be headed by a chaplain of the Anglican Church, who is expected to arrive from the U.K. in August 2005.

Although affiliated to the Anglican Church, the Mission to Seafarers emphasizes its commitment to serve crew members 'of all nationalities and faiths', in keeping with the essence of Christian values and principles. Furthermore, the Mission in Colombo is also open to the public, regardless of their race and religion, who wish to avail themselves of the facilities at the centre.

The newly refurbished centre offers IDD, fax, e-mail and internet facilities at reasonable rates; a fully serviced bar and shop where drinks and other essentials maybe purchased; and a recreational lounge with television, karaoke, books and magazines. Plans are also under way to set up conference facilities on the third floor of the Mission, so that ships' crew, shipping companies, and other affiliated agencies may hold their meetings, for which a reasonable fee would be charged.

By offering these facilities to both seafarers and visitors alike, the Mission aims to earn a steady income to ensure its smooth operation and general upkeep, so as to avoid a repetition of the setbacks experienced in the past.

Credit is due to Wing Commander Noel Fernando, the Chairman of the Mission to Seafarers, Colombo who has seen it through difficult times in the past.

The Mission to Seafarers, Colombo has since been revamped, with the appointment of a new committee, and Clarence Welikala as General Manager.

In addition to taking care of the administrative functions at the centre, the staff makes daily visits to the vessels, docked at the Colombo Port, to meet with the captain and crew to inform them about the Mission and the facilities available.

Keeping in step with the reorganization of the Mission, the commemoration of Sea Sunday on July 10 could not have come at a more opportune time.

Approved by the United Nations, this date is dedicated to all seafarers across the world. The day's events begin with a thanksgiving service for seafarers at St. Peter's Church, followed by celebrations organized by the Mission. Sea Sunday this year, falling on July 10, 2005, is also significant, in that it has been chosen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and to remember the scores of seafarers who lost their lives in the war.

Sea Sunday - July 10, 2005 - Thanksgiving Service at St. Peter's Church, Fort - begins at 9.45 a.m. All are welcome.

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Teach my son to learn to lose - Lincoln

by Richard Dwight

In the now highly professional and commercialized game of Cricket, where materialism appears to be taking hold of both Cricketers and Administrative Officials alike, with the motive and objective turning out to be pecuniary - equally true it is of other sports as well and, of people in yet other areas of life. And so in the contemporary times we find ourselves in, it does seem aptly relevant for us to reflect on those great words of Abraham Lincoln, in a letter addressed to the Headmaster of his son's school. Incidentally, Abraham Lincoln, as we all know was the 16th President of the United States of America.

He made a name for himself for his remarkable literary artistry, his profound sense of the importance of government by, for and of the People and, the manner of his life and death. This letter so typical of the man, who bore malice towards none and charity for all, so meaningful for us today, runs like this. "He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader...Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. It will take time, I know; but teach him if you can, that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found...Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning. Steer him away from envy, if you can, teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick. Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books...but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hillside".

"In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat...Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him it is wrong...Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough. Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd, when everyone is getting in the band wagon...Teach him to listen to all men...But teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through".

"Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad...Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness...Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders, but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob...And to stand and fight if he thinks he's right.

"Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient...let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind."

"This is a big order, but see what you can do...He is such a fine little fellow, my son!".

Furthermore to succeed in any endeavour be it sports or otherwise, an environment of peace is absolutely essential. Realizing this fully, Rev. W.S. Senior, who loved, this country so deeply, in his 'Call of Lanka' pleaded thus in verse.

But most shall we sing of Lanka

March to a mighty purpose,

In the brave new days that come,

One man from shore to shore,

When the races all have blended

The stranger becomes a brother,

And the voice of strife is dumb;

The task of the tutor o'er;

When we leap to a single bugle,

When the ruined city rises,

March to a single drum.

And the palace gleams once more.

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Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds' recalls 9/11 terror

by Larry Fine

NEW YORK, (Reuters)

Every generation has its fears, and director Steven Spielberg does not shy away from the source of anxiety that his new science fiction epic, "War of the Worlds", plays on - the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

"It's certainly about Americans fleeing for their lives, being attacked for no reason, having no idea why they are being attacked and who is attacking them," says Spielberg.

Spielberg's version of the H.G. Wells classic 1898 novel about an alien invasion from Mars, which has inspired other famed treatments over the years, stars Tom Cruise and opens in U.S. cinemas on Wednesday.

This escape fare is no "E.T." or "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", Spielberg's earlier sci-fi tales about feel-good aliens. These space creatures are up to no good.

Orson Welles caused panic in the streets with his 1938 radio version of "War of the Worlds" which conveyed a Martian invasion as if it were actual news at a time when the nation was jittery about the threat of fascism and Nazi Germany.

A popular 1953 film version traded on U.S. Cold War worries over the spread of communism in the nuclear age.

The modern-day touchstones of fear are clear in Spielberg's film that bristles with vivid special effects and a pervasively percussive soundtrack sure to rattle your popcorn.

Alien war machines buried underground like sleeper cells are awakened in a storm of lightning. They tear up streets, crumble buildings and send cars flying.

Cruise's character shuffles back home covered in chalky dust, the detritus of destruction, just like the dazed survivors lucky enough to walk away from the real-life collapse of the World Trade Center towers. "The image that stands out most in my mind is everybody in Manhattan fleeing across the George Washington Bridge in the shadow of 9/11, a searing image that I've never been able to get out of my head," said Spielberg.

The director said he did not aim to turn the movie into a political polemic.

"There are politics underneath some of the scares, and some of the adventure and some of the fear," he admitted, "but I really wanted to make it suggestive enough so everybody could have their own opinion."

Fear, however, is just the backdrop for a character study about survival, values and the coming of age - for both an irresponsible father and his rebellious, adolescent son.

Rather than depict generals in drawing rooms and high-tech battles against the alien force, Spielberg tells an intimate story about love and family set against the chaos and desperation of a world under siege.

"I love how Steven Spielberg deals with families in his movies," said Cruise. "I find them to be very real, unique. When we started talking about the story, about a father and a family, I couldn't wait to play this character."

Cruise, who plays a self-indulgent misfit divorced from his wife and disengaged from his two children, is thrust into the role of protector on a weekend where he is left with the kids. He rises to the occasion, down to a touching lullaby to his young daughter, played by precocious Dakota Fanning, using a Beach Boys ode to drag racing.

There are preposterous moments, cartoonish escapes and heaps of corny charm, but also a dark edge to the film and a serious treatment of violence that does not descend to gore.

Spielberg said the movie also represents his own coming of age, contrasting the choices of the lead character in "Close Encounters", played by Richard Dreyfus, who left his family to join the aliens, with Cruise's mission.

The Oscar-winning director of "Saving Private Ryan" (1999) and "Schindler's List" (1994) noted that "Close Encounters" was made in 1977, before he had children of his own.

"Today I would never have a guy leave his family to go on the mother ship. I would have him do everything to protect his family. In a sense 'War of The Worlds' reflects my own maturity in my own life, growing up and now having seven children."

Spielberg, whose three other best-directing Oscar nominations included "E.T." and "Close Encounters," said he loves to swing between sci-fi projects and historical movies, which bring constraints of realism and accuracy.