Mother Sri Lanka initiates ambassadors

Sri Lanka's top business leaders and professionals were initiated, at a special event, as ambassadors of Mother Sri Lanka, a not-for-profit organization aiming to build patriotism and positive thinking in Sri Lankans towards their country. The cream of the business sector of Sri Lanka attended the event. The expectation is that these professionals and corporate and academic leaders will then use their vantage point as front-runners to spread Mother Sri Lanka's message of appreciation of the motherland and call to action towards giving back to the country.

As many of these leaders make frequent visits to foreign countries and have built enduring international relationships, it is also anticipated that the new members will circulate the true story of Sri Lanka overseas, whether it is to bring in new investment or negate false impressions. Membership into the movement will continue to be open even after the event.

Funded entirely by the private sector, the event saw a previously enrolled ambassador of Mother Sri Lanka, Justice Christopher G. Weeramantry, address the new ambassadors regarding their pivotal new role. He also acknowledged the great potential in the Sri Lankan people.

International Monetary Cooperation Senior Minister Dr Sarath Amunugama, who delivered the keynote address, outlined the methods in which the ambassadors could build up the country's image, change perceptions and give back to Sri Lanka.

He said, "It is a good thing for us to have this overreaching Sri Lankan culture, where we can interact with our fellow citizens irrespective of their religion, their caste, their community, even their language. We have to create that overreaching culture and we must all believe in it."

Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunge, who is a trustee of Mother Sri Lanka, also spoke at the event. "Sri Lanka needed a movement like this for a long time. It has been able to bring together children, businessmen, administrators and highly qualified professionals irrespective of the domain they represent," he said.

Mother Sri Lanka Trust Chairperson, Janaki Kuruppu, spoke about the initial stages of the movement, how it has since evolved and what is expected from the ambassadors. "We have our education, our communication skills, our experience, our knowledge. Each one of you has been selected because we believe that you have these qualities and we feel you are patriotic deep within your heart," she said.

Mother Sri Lanka is a movement, which was initiated in 2008 during a time when Sri Lanka was struggling with the challenges of war and the economic crisis. Its main aim was to change the perceptions and attitudes of Sri Lankans so that they learned to value their motherland and think of ways to help advance the development of the country in what little way they could.