Communication breakdown lead to conflict

Dinesh DE ALWIS

Conflicts are increasing in the world. It will not stop either. All this happens because of a breakdown of communication and lack of economic opportunities.

War devastated a lot of lives,infrastructure and investments. But during the war in Sri Lanka, they received enough foreign investment, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga said.

He was addressing the annual symposium organized by the Kotelawala Defence University in Ratmalana yesterday.

"Just over one year after defeating LTTE, this symposium came at the right time. Addressing conflict and post conflict related papers are vital for economic progress. Benefits of the peace is visible in North and East. From independence to 2005 Sri Lanka's per capita income was around US$ 1,000. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa doubled it within five years," he added.

"Peace is must for a economic development the role of knowledge sharing is important for sustainable peace.

"Access to knowledge, Management of Information Systems, referring Website and data bases are key areas of communication.

"They link people and organizations. The improvement of research and development is vital for a country," he said.

Weeratunga said to maintain peace the media is very important.

"Traditional media has changed and social networks are emerging. Facebook, twitter and youtube are popular among the community. There is also a danger of ICT. There are fake facebook accounts. Sri Lanka must develop a security system to protect our resource from cyber crime and cyber terrorism. KDU can lead with the support of Police to establish a security system, he said.

"Government offices normally don't give information to other parties. Information is to share. but secret and sensitive information in those offices sometime fined their way into newspapers. Sri Lanka should develop a system to protect them. Trust cannot be generated by technology," he emphasized.

"There are 15 million mobile phones and the population is 20 million. There are 600 e-Nanasala centres and President Mahinda Rajapaksa wants to increase it to 1,000. ICT can remove geographical barriers. All parties should gather and work for common future. Communication construct bridges between people. This is a multi-ethnic society. Sharing information is needed. We must try for a trilingual society," he said.

Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff and Air Force Commander Roshan Gunathilake, Army Commander Lt.Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, KDU Vice Chancellor Maj. Gen Milinda Peris and Symposium Chair W C D K Fernando were also present.

The annual symposium under the theme "Sharing Knowledge for Sustainable Peace" was organized for the third successive year by the academic wing of the Kotelawala Defence University.

Thirty research papers were presented under environmental, social science, defence studies, technology and medicine.