Inspiring pride and passion among schoolchildren

Launch of the Mother Sri Lanka Schools Program:

To inspire pride and passion about Sri Lanka and to begin a dialogue among schoolchildren about what it takes to contribute positively and be a patriotic Sri Lankan, the Mother Sri Lanka Program will begin a program of debates and dialogue among the schools of the Southern Province in 2009.

“Through the small changes made every day by single individuals, including tiny schoolchildren, great changes can be made in society,” Janaki Kuruppu of the Mother Sri Lanka Program and Director, Strategy and Perceptions Unit of the Presidential Secretariat, said at the launch of the program on February 10 in Galle.

New Era

Sri Lanka is entering a new stage in her history - a new era of peace and prosperity - where the people of this wonderful country can unite and engage positively to re-make their future. Through programs such as the school program launched recently, Mother Sri Lanka urges all Sri Lankans - of all communities, religions, ethnicities, ages, gender and political persuasions - to commit to make a change and restore pride and honour in Sri Lanka, our Motherland.

The Mother Sri Lanka Program believes that committed action for change by individuals can make a change, when individuals can and must be the agents of change in their homes, communities, villages, countries. Today, we can engage to make the future more positive and make our lives better too. If we come together - regardless of our differences - the prosperous future will arrive sooner in our lives. We believe the rewards will be for all of us collectively, for each of us individually, BUT most importantly, the rewards will be for our children.

The Program has leadership and direction from the President’s Office and support from corporate sponsors and other entities.

Sri Lanka’s Treasure A Program To Inspire Our Children

On February 10, 2009, the Mother Sri Lanka Program launched an initiative designed to kindle pride and passion among schoolchildren and stimulate discussion on what it means to be Sri Lankan.

The program has launched a competition among schoolchildren to debate and begin a dialogue on the theme: “What can we, as children of Sri Lanka give back to our country” - “Apen Ratata, Rata Nagumata.”

The winning schools on a district level will then compete against winning schools from other districts on a provincial level - this competition will be among schools which have been judged as best entrants of their districts.

The winners of the provincial level competition will then compete with other winning schools in a grand all-island competition. The program was launched first in the Southern Province where the competition began in February 2009 and is scheduled to conclude by early April 2009.

This competition will then be held in the other districts and provinces and the final all-island competition will be held in the last quarter of 2009 under the patronage of the President of Sri Lanka.

In the Southern Province, the program will be carried out among 11 Education Zones; 39 Education Divisions; and 340 schools which have an ‘A’ Level stream. Through this program, Mother Sri Lanka hopes to stimulate pride and passion about what it meant to be Sri Lankan and how individuals, especially schoolchildren, can contribute to the development of this country.

The feelings that are awakened among young schoolchildren will remain with them throughout their lives and ensure that they become committed citizens who can contribute to the nation and their fellow citizens throughout their lives.

Children

Sri Lanka’s true wealth and her future prosperity lie in her children - how they view their world and their country, what inspires and drives them will determine how the country’s future develops.

Sponsors of this program include Associated Motorways and Phoenix Ventures (Platinum sponsors); and John Keels Holdings and Ceylon Biscuits (Silver sponsors).

Janaki Kuruppu said “After the tsunami in 2004, we Sri Lankans came together as one to help one another - we didn’t think in terms of race, religion, caste or social status. There was no spread of any major diseases and there were no acts of looting and other crimes. We didn’t succumb to this terrible event but were able to help one another to rebuild our lives and start again.

Unity

“When we won the Cricket World Cup in 1996, we celebrated as one people - we didn’t think like Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or another race but we celebrated as one - as Sri Lankans. We sat and listened and watched as one nation and celebrated as one nation,” she said.

“We must come together when there is sadness and joy,” she said. “This bond is a very strong and durable one. Mother Sri Lanka has been established to help revive this unity and ensure that it is strengthened and continued. Every citizen has warm and passionate thoughts about their home land.

Yet we do not act as one but separate individuals. Developing feelings of pride and passion in your motherland, Sri Lanka, transforming these thoughts into action, ensuring the results of those actions will positively impact future generations especially the future of our children is some thing we cannot postpone any longer.

In this new chapter of Sri Lanka’s freedom struggle, I would like to see you participate as a future leader and hero. ‘Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step’.

“Every one of us must develop these feelings of pride and passion. Let’s start with each one of us. Let’s ensure that we get our fellow citizens to have the same feelings about Sri Lanka. Let us once again revive pride and passion about Sri Lanka among us all,” Kuruppu said.

Education Ministry Deputy Education Director Piyadasa Marambage said: “As one who received a free education in Sri Lanka, as one who received free health care in Sri Lanka, as one who works in the civil service and draws a salary from the Government, I do not forget for one moment the great debt and responsibility I have towards society. I have enjoyed all this through the taxes paid by Sri Lankan society. We must never forget the debt we owe to our society.”

Marambage spoke about a friend of his, an engineer from Vietnam, a very cleaver professional but also a person who was compassionate and caring and one who always had great pride in his country. When Marambage visited his friend’s house and met his friend’s father for the first time, he asked what was the secret behind his friend’s outlook.

Super Power

His friend’s father’s reply was that his country fought the world’s leading super power for 30 years - they destroyed the country’s roads, houses, bridges, and much more was destroyed but they never could destroy our education system and also our pride in our country.

“We must remember that for over 25 years we have fought one of the worst terrorist organisations in the world and that we have gone through great tribulations. We must remember have fought and have won great freedoms for our people. At this moment we must remember all those who sacrificed to make our freedom possible and we must ask: “What we can now contribute to make Sri Lanka a better place for our children and children in turn,” Marambage said.

Victory

Today, in our hour of Victory and Need, we should once again come together to ensure that the promise of peace and prosperity dawns in this great country. And most importantly, our children feel pride to be Sri Lankan.

The Chief Secretary of the Southern Provincial Council, A Samarasinghe; the Provincial Education Secretary, B.M. Wijethileka; and the Provincial Education Director, N.P. Karunadasa spoke at the launch. This project will be implemented by the Ministry of Education and TERM (Tsunami Education Rehabilitation Monitor) under the guidance of the Mother Sri Lanka Trust and the President’s Office.

For more details on the School Program of Mother Sri Lanka, please contact Piyadasa Marambage on 0112787080 or Thushara Senanayake on 0112785650.