Asia's global voice
The current visit
by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to China as one of the
participants at the BOAO Forum it is hoped would promote Sri
Lanka as an influential entity within Asia's orbit and an active
player in the affairs of the region.
The BOAO Forum was established in 2001 to enable leaders of
the Asian region to engage in personal level dialogue and build
an integrated economic plan for the region. The theme of this
year's Conference is "Towards a Greener Asia".
Leaving aside the purpose of the Forum this personal level
contact and camaraderie among Asia's top leaders while cementing
existing ties among some would also go a long way in easing
tension with regional adversaries leading to a positive outcome
on several fronts.
The coming together of Asian leaders to address issues of
common interests is a laudable move at a time the buzz word is
integration. It is through an integrated approach that much of
the problems confronting the Asian region could be better
addressed such as poverty and the scourge of terrorism.
Beside Asia's leaders forming themselves into a bloc could
also help enable them to raise a collective voice in the face of
military threats and economic embargoes directed at any one
member in the Asian family whilst protecting its common
interests in the region.
The call for an integrated economic plan for the Asian Region
comes at an important time when Western dominance of Third World
economies is becoming more and more manifest.
A united front it is hoped would enable to blunt this threat
to some degree and prevent their economies being swallowed up by
the Western interests. It is also hoped that this new alliance
would extend its mandate to other areas of common interests such
as understanding among the leaders on the need for support to
tackle the menace of terrorism sweeping most Asian States.
Recognition for inventors
Sri Lanka has won
international laurels yet again through two of its brilliant
sons who were picked for gold and silver awards at this year's
International New Inventions Exhibition in Geneva for their
creations in the computer field.
Both S.K. Charith Fernando and W.D. Vijithapala deserve the
salute of the entire nation for this rare feat by which they had
brought honour and glory to their Motherland. To be pitted
against foreign competitors in a field which is virtually second
nature to those in the sophisticated West and come out on top is
certainly a unique achievement which calls for their recognition
and bestowal of suitable honours in their Motherland.
This only goes to prove that Lankans are second to none to
any in the world in the professions and the skills department
and all that they need is the incentive and proper guidance to
give full rein to their creative talents.
The State no doubt should come forward to identify and
promote such individuals who show promise so that one day we
could depend on our own expertise in the development field as
against relying on foreign personnel.
We have seen over the years how Lankans have excelled in
various fields of endeavour and gained recognition overseas.
True, most of them have had the privilege of free education
courtesy of the State but more often than not what keeps them
from availing their expertise to the country is the lack of
incentive and official red tape.
Occasionally we come across in the media of a village youth
inventing some device or contraption that is of much utility
value locally. But nothing is heard of them thereafter. The
State should make an endeavour to bring such talent into the
open and nurture their creative skills with proper guidance and
financial backing.
The country possesses a vast reservoir of skilled talent
which sadly are not tapped and utilised due to a lack of a
programme to unearth such talent.
Therefore it is incumbent on the authorities to start looking
inwards for the required skills and expertise and formulate a
scheme to make this reality. |