Asiri's Web Log
Church & Missions / Philosophy / Religion
6 Jul, 2019
One of the topics that has dominated the media recently is that of the ongoing dispute between Israel Folau and Rugby Australia. Folau is seeking up to $10 million in damages from Rugby Australia after it terminated his contract following an Instagram post that said gay people were headed to hell unless they repented. The Instagram post in question stated...
18 Sep, 2018
The following article was published in “The West Australian” (Opinion – Page 17) on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 under the title – Collaboration a key to learning by Annie Fogarty* We all know that our world is rapidly changing -the digital world with increasing connectivity, automation and artificial intelligence, is substantially changing the work we do and how we live...
28 Jul, 2018
The following article was recommended to me by a colleague. Via https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2018/07/25/4-key-practices-for-upskilling-workers-in-the-age-of-digital-transformation/#27b970661a3e 4 Key Practices For Upskilling Workers In The Age Of Digital Transformation Daniel Newman Jul 25, 2018, 10:08am Shutterstock How long have your employees been at your company? Do they possess the skills needed to lead you into the future and assist with your company transformation? Probably not,...
2 Feb, 2018
Via – Tyler G. Johnson Over the years I have noticed two distinct groups emerging in the Body. I have been a part of both camps. Below I quickly summarise each according to my experience. The first is what I like to call “the hungry”. These are the people who live a very passionate, and sometimes a seemingly desperate relationship with...
Education / General / Technology
13 Jan, 2018
Having been involved in roles supporting education over the past several years, I am always keen to look at what may lie ahead in order to be better prepared for the future. My brother Ruwan, who is an editor of a newspaper in Sri Lanka (LAKE HOUSE- The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited) sent me this recent article written by...
Church & Missions / Personal / Religion
7 Jun, 2016
Recently, at the invitation of a dear friend, I visited his local church to participate in a morning service. Incidentally, to me it felt like I had traveled back in time to a church that I was a part of over 30 years ago. The quality and the cosmetics had changed, but the driving energy was almost identical. While this in itself is not...
The island nation’s “democratic transition” leaves plenty to be desired. By Taylor Dibbert May 19, 2016 Sri Lanka’s civil war ended on May 18, 2009 — seven years ago. The country’s government forces defeated the Tamil Tigers, a group that had been fighting for a separate Tamil state in the nation’s northern and eastern provinces. Credible allegations of abuses committed by Sri...
14 May, 2016
Many of us go to work – in order to perform a task – to make a “living”. However, what I gain from going to work is a whole lot more than monetary compensation being paid to me by my employer. While it is a continuous, ongoing process and not a series of intermittent events, I am blessed to have found employment...
I remember while growing up in Sri Lanka, my father used to tell me that unless I studied hard to become a Doctor, Engineer or a Lawyer, I would end up in the teaching profession just like my mother. I never could figure out why he felt that to become a Teacher would be detrimental to my future well-being. Perhaps...
Church & Missions / General / Politics
18 Jan, 2016
Refugees and Asylum appear to be at the top of the policy and media agenda these days. Incidentally, I am blessed to be a part of an organisation that actively assist refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. One of the most productive opportunities I’ve had included helping to set up a school for refugee children in Christmas Island (2014) as a part...
3 Jan, 2016
Personally, I’m not opposed to the notion that as Christians (followers of Christ), we need to be relevant to the times and culture that we live in. However, as of late I have seen a number of productions presented by certain churches which appear to show everything else but “Jesus” – such as a recent Christmas production by Hillsong church. (To find the video...
27 Sep, 2015
The war is over. An oppressive government is no more in power. What will happen next…? By Tamara Kunanayakam A US-sponsored draft resolution against Sri Lanka is back on the Human Rights Council agenda, this time with a vengeance and despite the Ranil – Sirisena government’s conciliatory and obsequious pro-Washington, pro-Western stance! There is no more Mahinda Rajapaksa to blame,...
24 Aug, 2015
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Lao Tzu Is your leadership damaging team morale? Leadership effectiveness can make or break the strength and performance of a team, with research from Gallup, amongst others, showing that the major impact on employee engagement...
By Dharisha Bastians Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of the United National Party (UNP) which bagged the most seats in Monday’s Parliamentary race,took oaths as the 23rd Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and head of its newly-elected Government yesterday. In a simple ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat, Wickremesinghe was sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at 10:20 a.m., officially kicking off...
20 Aug, 2015
Steve Jobs Knew How to Run a Meeting: Here’s How He Did it. At 31 years of age, Steve Jobs left Apple and started NeXT. Here’s an inside look at a company meeting, and what you can learn from it. BY JUSTIN BARISO Steve Jobs’s management style has been described in many ways, both positive and negative. Love him or hate...
By Ranga Jayasuriya 1.Whither democracy in Sri Lanka? The general elections on Monday will test that unique property of democracy once again. The conduct of the election itself, so far, is considered freer than in the past, as acknowledged by the election observers; the choice on Monday would be between whether Sri Lanka would consolidate on its democratic transition or...
by Tisaranee Gunasekara “History, despite its wrenching pain, Cannot be unlived, but if faced With courage, need not be lived again.” Maya Angelou (On the Pulse of Morning) For Lankan Tamils, the cruellest month had to be July. No defeat or tragedy which befell them was as universal as Black July. It was a general conflagration which spared no Tamil....
20 Jul, 2015
As a result of a discussion with my (older) son regarding his interest in possibly following a career in IT, and subsequent to related (limited) research, I discovered an article which seems to describe a growing trend in the industry according to some. I told my son that if he wanted to work in IT, he’d be better off ensuring that his...
Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. The incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the United People’s Freedom Alliance‘s candidate, seeking a third term in office. The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa’s government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party...
I seem to often hear the word “serendipity” these days which makes me feel quite home-sick for my country of birth – Sri Lanka. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this word stems from an old name for Sri Lanka coined by “Persian” traders – Serendip. However, most of the initial excitement and emotion that may well within me would be...
4 Dec, 2014
“A Hallelujah Christmas” by Cloverton I’ve heard about this baby boyWho’s come to earth to bring us joyAnd I just want to sing this song to youIt goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor fall, the major liftWith every breath I’m singing HallelujahHallelujahA couple came to BethlehemExpecting child, they searched the innTo find a place for You were coming...
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