Hambantota DCC launches 'Rhythm of Sea'

LAUNCH: The Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) launched its publication, Rhythm of the Sea, recently in Colombo.

Emeritus Chairman of Marga Institute, Dr. Godfrey Gunatilleke, made the keynote address and the Chairman of the Gratiaen Trust and Executive Director of the US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission, Tissa Jayatilaka, commented on the book.

The Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) was founded in 1993, and the Chamber was the first of its kind outside Colombo where a group of entrepreneurs had joined forces to form an alliance to promote business within a District. HDCC's vision is to act as the 'gateway' for development, ensuring social cohesion and economic success of the Hambantota District.

The HDCC was foremost in the immediate relief and rehabilitation work during the time of the tsunami and has to date assisted over 1800 post tsunami remonstration projects supported and funded by local and international organisations and a multitude of different countries.

The book was conceived following the publication of HDCC's 1st report on the tsunami where the Board of Directors of HDCC realised that the learning and the impact of the tsunami on the people and on Sri Lanka needed to be documented in a readable publication for future generations.

The book uses the Hambantota District, the second most severely tsunami-affected administrative region in Sri Lanka in terms of human and capital costs, as the backdrop. The book was authored by Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe, designed by Deshan Tennekoon, and printed by Gunaratne Offset Printers.

The book was funded and supported throughout the project by the Royal Norwegian Embassy of Sri Lanka and Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). The Project was initiated and envisioned by Azmi Thassim, Director General, HDCC and Ruvanthi Sivapragasam, Senior Program Manager of VSO. Ambassador, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Colombo Hans Brattskar was the Chief Guest.