SLT empower future sustainability

‘Preserving heritage for tomorrow’:

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the national telecommunications service provider of Sri Lanka, launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative under the theme ‘Preserving heritage for tomorrow’ several years ago, to conduct activities to raise awareness among the public regarding the valuable heritage of Sri Lanka and the importance of preserving this heritage for future generations.

Through ongoing, futuristic projects such as these, the company seeks to continuously embrace yet another facet of corporate social responsibility as a national corporate and aspires to assist others to embrace a more long-term vision and see beyond the ‘now’ and into the future.

Sinharaja awareness programs

The environment and its conservation have been topics of growing interest, raising questions regarding the recent escalated growth of issues such as global warming, climate change and loss of biodiversity which have taken on global significance.

Because this is such a crucial issue, there is an urgency to act fast, to minimize further damage to the environment, while actively promoting nature conservation and a ‘green’ environment to bring about changes that will last into the future.

To ensure lasting change that will be passed on to the future generations, it is important to impart these values to the younger generations who will be the custodians of the future.

In 2006, SLT entered into a partnership with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL), an independent organization affiliated to the Colombo University Zoology Department, to conduct environment conservation awareness programs at Sinharaja Forest Reserve for school students.

Under this initiative, SLT together with the FOGSL conducts three-day workshops at the Sinharaja Forest Reserve where participants receive knowledge and hands-on experience on nature conservation.

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988 by UNESCO, because of its rich biodiversity and heritage, which is unique to Sri Lanka.

Therefore, SLT has identified it to be the best place for students to gain knowledge on the importance of conservation and the high level of bio-diversity offered by Sri Lanka as well as experience Sinharaja’s diverse topography and remarkable proportion of endemic species.

Twenty students and five teachers are selected every month from schools across the island to participate in these workshops. Schools are selected from across the island irrespective of language, location or education stream.

The workshops are carefully and methodically designed to equip participants with in-depth knowledge and provide them with unique hands-on experience on the importance and practical aspects of nature conservation.

Students are also exposed to other skills including bird watching, mountain climbing and trekking and photography. They are also given the opportunity to conduct their own research, analyze their findings and submit a report, which helps to inculcate creativity and imagination in them while also imparting important skills in research, administration and documentation, time management and team working skills.

The main vision at the heart of this ‘Preserving heritage for tomorrow’ initiative is to bring about attitudinal changes that last not only for a few years, but for generations to come. Thus the company targets students mostly in the ninth or tenth grades who possess the capacity and time to continue what they have learned at the workshop and pass it onto others around them.

Thus, students are encouraged to actively continue what they have learned in their own schools and villages, by starting heritage societies, carrying out exhibitions-etc-to ensure that this experience is not an end in itself.

Up to now, 720 students and 180 teachers from 36 schools located across Sri Lanka have benefitted from this knowledge gathering workshop and have succeeded in obtaining ‘hands-on experience’ of the natural world heritage at Sinharaja Rainforest.

The schools that participated in these programs in the years 2009 and 2010 include Hingurakgoda Rajarata Vidyalaya, Kandy Mahanama MV, Kantale Agrabodhi National School, Puliyankulama Vidya Chakrawarthi MV, Gampola St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya, Mannar Siththivinayagar Hindu College, Vavuniya Rambikulam Vidyalaya, Ibbagamuwa Central College, Kalmunai Westley High School, Moneragala Royal College, Kerawalapitiya Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya, Mahawa Vijayaba Central College, Jaffna Mahajana College and Kandy Sylvester’s College.

SLT, as a responsible corporate citizen, has been the life-blood of this program, empowering the students and the resource persons to make this a reality - the company has not only succeeded in discerning the ideal place for students to learn about nature conservation, but SLT’s mutually beneficial partnership with the FOGSL, headed by Professor Sarath Kotagama, a renowned ornithologist in the country, also ensures the impartation of knowledge and skills of the highest calibre, value and credibility arising from the wealth of knowledge and expertise of FOGSL in the area of conservation and Sinharaja Forest.

Concept based calendars

Under the main theme of ‘Preserving heritage for tomorrow’, the company also produces thematic calendars and complementary items each year.

These items depict the heritage of Sri Lanka in terms of environment, art and culture. Sri Lanka has been richly blessed with several world heritage sites as inscribed by UNESCO.

These include Sinharaja Rainforest, the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya, the Dambulla Golden Temple, the old town of Galle and its fortifications, the sacred cities of Anuradhapura and Kandy and the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.

The country’s abundance of cultural and religious diversity has spilled over into the country’s arts as well - a majority of the country’s ancient art works have originated from religious values, depicted in numerous art forms such as painting, architecture, sculpture, music, literature, etc.

Sri Lanka also possesses a wide range of fauna and flora, genetic and ecosystem diversity.

Every year, SLT alternates the calendar concept between the three areas - environment, arts and culture.

Much time and effort is spent on conducting in depth research and study into the relevant subject area by consulting professional resource persons such as scientists or experts in the field prior to the designing and production of these calendars. Some of the past SLT calendars have carried themes such as endemic birds, endemic orchids, endemic fresh water fish, endemic butterflies and heritage of Sinharaja (biodiversity), Kolam masks of Sri Lanka and Gok Art.

The SLT Calendar has always maintained a fine balance between art and authentic information of the subject matter it deals with. Over the years, the SLT Calendar has also become known as the most sought after calendar in Sri Lanka, for its reputation as a collectors item as well as the wealth of educational and artistic merit it contains.

Through these calendars and complementary items, SLT seeks to portray the rich heritage inherent to Sri Lanka and draw peoples attention to it, with a view to inculcating in their hearts the urgency to preserve this unique legacy.

These on-going projects are designed to drive long-term altitudinal changes that have the potential of reaching out to a greater audience, making a lasting impact on generations to come.

The initial step towards attaining lasting change of any kind is through education and raising awareness, which is what the ‘Preserving heritage for tomorrow’ programs are all about.