Centre for Policy Alternatives on 17 January, 2014
1 Comment

Testimonials on Centre for Policy Alternatives

For many years during the ceasefire discussions and after I worked closely with CPA in Sri Lanka. A small, effective, dedicated group of people who believe deeply in a plural, diverse, democratic Sri Lanka, and who believe courageously in public policy based on facts. I’m supporting them and encourage everyone to do the same.

Bob Rae, the 21st Premier of Ontario, Canada

CPA is and has been an extraordinarily important institution, in Sri Lanka and internationally. It offers a combination of forward thinking, balance and genuine expertise that is all too rare. I have been honoured to participate in its activities in the past and I continue to follow its work with interest.

Cheryl Saunders
Laureate Professor, Melbourne Law School,
Director of Studies, Government and Public Law
Melbourne Law Masters

The CPA is quite simply the most outspoken, credible, and fair-minded civil society group in Sri Lanka. Without the CPA there would be virtually no independent and credible domestic critique of the Sri Lanka Government’s authoritarianism and other excesses.

Edward Mortimer
Chairperson
Sri Lanka Advocacy Campaign

CPA is one of the brave and credible Think Tanks in South Asia. It has had a distinctive role and voice, not just in Sri Lanka, but in discussions on the future of human, rights, democracy and public policy more generally. It has been animated by core constitutional commitments to fulfil the yet unrealised promise of a better democracy, more freedom, more effective governance and a world in which people are not targeted for their ethnicity. While infused with a normative passion, CPA has also rigorously pursued research into many of the most pressing issues of our time. Such organisations need to be supported. They are a necessary part of a vibrant democracy, an eco system that values knowledge, and the exercise of public reason.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta
President & Chief Executive
Centre for Policy Research

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting which was recently held in Sri Lanka demonstrated vividly the importance of Human Rights and governance issues in a country’s development. It’s final Declaration emphasizes the primacy of good governance and the observance of democratic norms especially as Sri Lanka moves forward in this post- war phase.

The work that the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has done over the years in shining a light on the many areas of State action that need to be corrected has thereby received the highest commendation. There is much that has been done but much more remains to be be done before we reach the promised land of peace, ethnic harmony and social justice.

CPA’s field of work necessitates eternal vigilance and unremitting commitment and in this it has been well served by a splendid team exceptionally led by a man of the highest integrity. As a founding father of the institution and a long time Board Director I am intimately aware of its capacity and potential. What it needs most at this critical time in our country’s journey is funding and resources to accomplish its tasks. Of determination and courage to do so it has no shortage.

Deshamanya Bradman Weerakoon

Sri Lanka has been at relative peace for nearly five years. Yet, in that time, the nation has not taken sufficient steps to build effective democratic institutions or strengthen the role of civil society. Without such progress, the promise of peace may never be fully realized in Sri Lanka. That is why the Centre for Policy Alternatives’ work is so vital and deserves the support of everyone who cares about the people of Sri Lanka.

Richard L. Armitage, 13th United States Deputy Secretary of State

The unparalleled track record of achievements of CPA under Sara’s leadership has drawn in many sponsors, most of them multi lateral agencies and international NGO’s with strict benchmarks for assessment of the outcomes, delivery of promises and efficient, effective and professional management of resources optimizing quality and productivity.

Chandra Jayaratne
Former Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce,
Sri Lankan of the Year 2001
Chartered and Cost & Management Accountant and Retired Chief Executive Officer, Aviva Insurance, Sri Lanka.

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is the leading research and advocacy public policy centre in Sri Lanka, focusing on governance, peace and human rights protection. In the last decade, it has taken the lead, in hostile circumstances, against the culture of impunity and continuing human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Its impressive record in this respect has to be sustained and supported.

Maja Daruwala, Director Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 9 January, 2014

Executive Directors Report 2012

Whilst the challenges of the previous year pertaining to resource constraints persisted, those pertaining to context were exacerbated by the government’s reaction to the passage of the first US led resolution on Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in the first quarter of the year, calling for the speedy implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which were made public with the Final Report of the commission in December 2011. Additional factors were the commencement of the impeachment process against the Chief Justice in the final quarter of 2012 along with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sri Lanka in the Human Rights Council. CPA was closely involved in raising awareness of the LLRC recommendations, advocacy in respect of the resolution and against the impeachment of the Chief Justice, as well as in the preparation and coordination of civil society submissions to the UPR. Another factor compounding context was the increasing tide of religious intolerance and attacks on Christian and Muslim places of worship as well as Muslim retail outlets. Groundviews launched a successful online petition against the attack on the Dambulla mosque, which was communicated to the Office of the President.

Read the full report as a PDF here, or download it from here.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 9 January, 2014
1 Comment

A list of Commissions and Committees appointed by GoSL (2006- 2013)

January 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has produced a table that contains basic information pertaining to Commissions of Inquiry (CoI) and committees appointed by the Government since coming into power in November 2005. Section I of the table examines the CoI and Section II contains information pertaining to key committees established during the specific time period.

The Commissions listed in this document do not include those established by the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka except for the special hybrid inquiry proposed in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat.The commissions and committees listed in this document are limited to those where information was publicly available as of 9 December 2013.

Download the full list from here or read it online here.

For earlier version of this background paper, published in 2012, click here.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 20 December, 2013

VILAASAM Video: Safeguarding Civil Rights of Plantation Sector Workers

As noted in our previous post, VILAASAMA which in olden day Sinhala means a ‘Missive’, and is translated into Tamil as VILAASAM, is the Report of the Project on Safeguarding Civil Rights of Plantation Sector Workers and highlights moments from the project and interviews with many of the stakeholders and beneficiaries involved.

The right to safely receive one’s correspondence, taken for granted in the rest of the country but fraught with difficulty in this area, can make the difference between receiving a rare university admission, a job in Colombo, a desperately needed remittance from a relative abroad…or not. In the lives of estate worker communities such rare opportunities may come only once or twice in a lifetime and be the difference between hope and a life of regrets.

Sponsored by the Australian High Commission Sri Lanka.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 14 December, 2013

Letter to Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka

The following text was sent as a letter addressing the Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka today. It was signed by Sudarshana Gunawardana of Rights Now Collective for Democracy on behalf of 16 civil society organisations.

This was faxed to the Human Rights Commission today (Friday 13.12.2013) and it will be sent to the HRC by registered post tomorrow.

###

Chairman,
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka,
165, Kynsey Road,
Colombo-08

13 December 2013

Dear Sir,

I write with reference to a report in the Sunday Leader newspaper of the 8th of December 2103 regarding the proposed commission on Torture to be established under the aegis of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission.  The report states that the establishment of such a commission is to be postponed. In particular, it states that:

“This decision was taken by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, together with the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit, responding to a request made by several civil society organisations who had sought a postponement of the investigations” sources said.

Subsequent to this report, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and other civil society organisations working to strengthen human rights protection in our country have had a number of inquiries from the media, seeking to ascertain as to whether any of us either individually or collectively made such a request.

We have informed the media that no such communication was initiated with the Human Rights Commission by us or indeed by the Commission.

Given the importance of the issue and the misunderstanding created in the media and accordingly in the general public, we write to ascertain from you the veracity of this report and if confirmed, the names of the organisations which made such a request.  Further, we request you in the public interest to publish the names of the organisations in the media without delay.

In the public interest, we will be copying this letter to the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit and releasing this letter to the media.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Await your response.

On behalf of the below mentioned civil society organisations,

Yours sincerely,

Sgd/
Sudarshana Gunawardana,
Attorney-at-Law,
Executive Director,
Rights Now Collective for Democracy

Cc: Ms. Karen Mckenzie, Commonwealth Secretariat, Human Rights Unit.

Signed on behalf of the following organizations:

  1. Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)
  2. Dr. Nimalka Fernando, Chairperson, IMADR-Asia
  3. J. C. Weliamuna, Attorney-at-Law, Convener, Lawyers for Democracy
  4. Mala Liyanage, Executive Director, Law and Society Trust (LST)
  5. Ruki Fernando, INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre,
  6. Rathika Innasimuttu, The Social Architechts (TSA)
  7. Britto Fernando, President, Families of the Disappeared (FoD)
  8. Shreen Saroor, Women’s Action Network (WAN)
  9. Philip Dissanayake, Executive Secretary, Right to Life Human Rights Centre
  10. Kusal Perera (Citizen’s Rights)
  11. Muhammad Muzzammil Cader, Non-Violent Peoples Movement
  12. Ainslie Joseph, Convener, Christian Alliance for Social Action
  13. Freddy Gamage, Coordinator, Centre for Policy Dialogue
  14. Herman Kumara, Convener, National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO)
  15. Padmini Weerasooriya, Mothers and Daughters of Lanka

###

Read the letter as a PDF here.