tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82913066903317292082024-03-14T00:02:25.034+05:30Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training InstituteBIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-28381090359059288402023-05-16T19:15:00.001+05:302023-05-18T09:06:19.679+05:30NAVAL DIPLOMACY TO COMPLEMENT ISLAND STATE’S GLOBAL REACH <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBYAh7M6RDG2yRhDd6VtWBfZihSTeaeZEuyfuft5RvydGULdRU7_WyLjh-rqhC-h37YDoIgHCsOPotbIXdXX-oDmry8h5uSvMS6CQniRLKxEpsvTrqzdizUtBq0fvtPke-_lsRXRh3bnRdNOlbM9OvU_ucjk7ljlJBHJ-RAB2qVxB5cmlJFCjO7ISVCw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="975" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBYAh7M6RDG2yRhDd6VtWBfZihSTeaeZEuyfuft5RvydGULdRU7_WyLjh-rqhC-h37YDoIgHCsOPotbIXdXX-oDmry8h5uSvMS6CQniRLKxEpsvTrqzdizUtBq0fvtPke-_lsRXRh3bnRdNOlbM9OvU_ucjk7ljlJBHJ-RAB2qVxB5cmlJFCjO7ISVCw=w592-h309" width="592" /></a></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">Figure 1. Regional Cooperative
mechanisms in place for Indian Ocean<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Today’s global geo-strategic environment
is based on maritime activity; and matters maritime are embedded from economies
to governance. Thus, as islanders it is indeed </span><span style="text-align: justify;">important for the population to </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">understand the need of </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">navy in today’s global context. The above
figure 1. illustrates </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">some of the
regional cooperative mechanisms of global scale available in the Indian Ocean
region and it is pertinent to note that the Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) is
directly or indirectly involved as a </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">partner in </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">these maritime cooperative mechanisms.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In today’s geo-strategic posture
and in diplomacy , the Navy is continuing to be an integral and valuable
component. Naval prowess is in fact a deciding criterion of diplomacy, and Gunboat Diplomacy is a
terminology that originated through this necessity. During the cold-war era it
was the naval might that flexed muscle to carry forward national interest beyond maritime jurisdictions. A good example was the
1962 Cuban Missile crisis, where Navies were poised to unleash their devastating
arsenal, based on what their political masters decided.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Countries pursue their strategic
goals based on their national aspirations. These national aspirations in
today’s context are economic in priority. It is economic power that keeps stability and strength of a country that in-turn
keeps their status in global power-playing.
The Chinese Military doctrine (2017) indicates that there is no economic
development without security and no security without economic development. Many
countries have similar policies promulgated as Policy papers, White Papers or an
Outlook document. All these poised to indicate the intentions of the
Governments. The Governments evaluate each other through these policies and
also from the action taken by respective Navies to decide how policy oriented
the Governments are.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When Boxing Day Tsunami hit
Indian Ocean region countries in 2004, Indian Naval prowess was exhibited to
the global audience. Within the course of hours Naval ships started sailing to
distressed areas with essential relief materials. This prompt and swift action
highlighted India’s capacity and capability in global scale thus boosted Indian
Government’s credibility and acceptance as a relief provider. The Navy had all
the necessary equipment’s to meet the Government’s higher strategic objectives.
They had hydrographic ships that can undertake the emergency survey demands to
make stricken harbours safe for access and operations, they had medical
facilities to support urgent lifesaving treatments, ships had integral
helicopter facilities to lift essential needs and had communication facilities
to coordinate the Command-and-Control measures even on the remote areas. To
undertake all these disaster management a Navy needs trained manpower and also
ability to work independently without burdening the State to which they came to
assist. And all these does not happen overnight; these preparations are an
end-result of a long-term process from manpower to equipment’s investments. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Navy’s have their own unique way
of keeping relations and ship visits (or port calls) takes high precedence in
this aspect. For any Navy; whether regional or extra-regional, Sri Lanka is a
favoured port visit for several reasons. They range from the location advantage
(almost half-way from Bab El Mandab in the west entry point to Malacca Strait
in the east), infrastructure convenience (availability of berthing space,
logistic support, safe and convenient harbour access, air connectivity etc.),
administrative convenience (such as protocol process, friendly environment etc.),
safety and security. Since 2010 we had nearly 600 warships belonging to 28
nations making port calls to Sri Lanka as per SL Navy records. Sri Lanka Navy
has accorded customary welcome to all these warships and most importantly all
such is recorded in public domain. All these ship visits are recorded in public
domain and one reliable source of information is the SL Navy website; <a href="http://www.navy.lk/">www.navy.lk</a> for any interested researcher.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another Naval foreign relations
engagement is the Joint Exercises, done in-country or in foreign country. These
were being done well over three decades and continue as per the planned
schedules among the navies. One of the foremost in-country joint exercise is
the CARET (<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Cooperation Afloat
Readiness and Training</span>) with US Navy and US Marines whilst the most
important outside engagement is the RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) done again with
navies in the Pacific rim nations. Through these joint exercises the navy
builds the foreign relations as such involve higher level exchanges benefitting
both parties. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another foreign relation exercise
is the Ship Visits by SL Naval vessels in regional naval engagements. All
friendly foreign countries prefer to have the participation of other navies in
their exercises and manoeuvres and these are reciprocal in nature. For example, when Pakistan Naval ships
visit Sri Lanka, they expect SL Navy also take part in their engagements in
Pakistan, as it is an indicator of their naval cooperation. Thus, when SL Navy
does not take part when invited in these regional engagements that always
triggers diplomatic inquiries on the reasons for not participating! For these
regional naval engagements what matters is the participation and not the size
or the strength of the Navy, and all will cherish the company in the host
country.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another major foreign relation
exercise the SL Navy conducts is the Galle Dialogue; the International Maritime
Security seminar hosted since 2010. This forum has proven itself as the only
maritime forum in south Asian region where all neighbourhood navies meet and
greet. These engagements in a way shows the island nation’s foreign policy and
the stand on foreign relations. In today’s geo-strategic environment in the
presence of USA’s Indo-Pacific policy and the Chinese Belt and Road, this
prominence has become ever more important. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As briefly explained above, Sri
Lanka Navy is there to engage in foreign relations whether in peace or in war.
This is the reason why all naval personnel must have a broad outlook of
regional and extra-regional affairs. As practitioners, they remain the frontline
engagement which may decide the status of the statehood, and several such
engagements in the past stand testimony for this. In 1987, Indian State of
Tamil Nadu showed that they are sending a flotilla of fishing vessels with
essential goods destine for population in Jaffna Peninsula besieged under the
ongoing Operation Liberation; the Wadamarchchi Operation. SL Navy was tasked to
prevent this flotilla flying ‘’Red Cross’’ flag crossing the IMBL
(International Maritime Boundary Line) whilst hectic diplomatic engagements
were going on. The remarks by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu that the
flotilla will continue at any cost to Jaffna heated up the possible skirmishes
at sea. The Navy responded with all available fleet units forming a barricade
at IMBL enforcing a naval blockade that prompted the Tamil Nadu relief flotilla
to turn-back with no shot fired!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Statecraft needs a Navy to
exercise the sovereign rights and quiet often these are needed in a flash,
therefore navies need to be fully geared up to meet these State interests at
all times. Some good examples are available in contemporary history where
weaker navies embarrassed the State when such was called upon to perform their
classic role. When the naval ships operate far away from their national
jurisdiction, the Commanding Officer of the naval ship is expected to make
decisions based on ground realities, international law and political
directives. Thus, Navies keep learning through each other learning how
situations were handled although one might not have faced similar situation
yet. These are an integral part of naval cooperative engagements as such are
connected with foreign relations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The SL Navy even operates far
away from its maritime jurisdiction in pursuance of the national interest. The
fleet of ten (10) Offshore Patrol Vessels operates even in the Arabian Sea (to
the west of Maldivian archipelago) hunting drug peddlers. This is yet another
foreign relation exercise apart from being part of the maritime security
related action. Such operational deployments require much understanding and
coordinating in political front too. The success of high-sea drug interdictions
since 2017 has brought much recognition to the SL Navy in the region and beyond
not only among the navies and law enforcement agencies but also from the global
alliances operating in the Indian Ocean as watchdogs, monitoring bodies and even
the United Nations. Through these operations, the world measures the commitment
of the Sri Lanka Government to ensure the Indian Ocean remain safe and secure
for all seafaring nations. Today, Sri Lanka chair the Working Group on Maritime
Safety & Security of IORA and soon Sri Lanka going to assume the
Chairmanship of IORA thus the Navy stands at forefront in establishing the
credibility and partnership of Sri Lanka in the eyes of the IORA member States
as well as the maritime powers of the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; line-height: 18.4px;">Figure 2. The Sri Lankan Maritime Jurisdiction</span></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuKDo4yk6fkQ1USFsDMmmpAhU9EZZ4JSmM1f5fMxZv2vKlpLeWNGud74vPD2xEjh2utLziO9U8zZYPZhTfZrcNQnge0X2PC0yBgktYg8TkBbk9UtEFDBAcEAYtog9wrFKMoR378l5DNtjIDSDKWPW_ANoKbx4i5nvGrmNunozgbN110uUiDWCKNvjq5A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="823" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuKDo4yk6fkQ1USFsDMmmpAhU9EZZ4JSmM1f5fMxZv2vKlpLeWNGud74vPD2xEjh2utLziO9U8zZYPZhTfZrcNQnge0X2PC0yBgktYg8TkBbk9UtEFDBAcEAYtog9wrFKMoR378l5DNtjIDSDKWPW_ANoKbx4i5nvGrmNunozgbN110uUiDWCKNvjq5A=w408-h285" width="408" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">In meeting all these national
interests, the Navy must stand ready and fit. Navies cannot be made overnight,
as it is a long-term investment that equip Navy to be professionally competent,
physically fit and psychologically enduring to bore the pressures of the
decision making. With Indian Ocean coming to the global attention than never
before, the pressure on the Navy will be much more and much dependent; from
both internal and external sources. The Navy in one way is an indicator of the
maritime affinity of a nation; how much the population know about their navy is
linked to how much the people are aware of their oceans, their maritime
knowledge and maritime environment. Therefore, the complimentary nature of how
the Navy is operating and the exercise of the foreign policies or relations is
a subject matter that all the islanders must develop if to use the oceanic
sphere for the island’s advantage.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>References </i><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><i><a href="https://lk.usembassy.gov/sri-lanka-and-u-s-militaries-commence-joint-training-exercise/#:~:text=CARAT%2FMAREX%20Sri%20Lanka%20is,partnerships%2C%20and%20enhance%20maritime%20interoperability"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">https://lk.usembassy.gov/sri-lanka-and-u-s-militaries-commence-joint-training-exercise/#:~:text=CARAT%2FMAREX%20Sri%20Lanka%20is,partnerships%2C%20and%20enhance%20maritime%20interoperability</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/" style="text-align: justify;">https://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/</a></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Latha; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.galledialogue.lk/"><i>https://www.galledialogue.lk/</i></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>By Rear Admiral YN
Jayarathna (Retd)</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu0XTEkjSTa18m_UxVXZAznLTgNheznw2nxzWMvjXia3yiVoTDJ_xi-IoPKKmp1_KT04XdsM-WTRcaxbnsIlfhr5s9qmCs2Y37uJjOJX4NAeBlHzveQVeL-pTfmWq1Ci1FftkChojUrqDwcc3sNYH63HLH5aNqnZxi-zhEciCWA1dcZrMmQOxD1QM-g/s531/Y%20N%20Jayaratne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu0XTEkjSTa18m_UxVXZAznLTgNheznw2nxzWMvjXia3yiVoTDJ_xi-IoPKKmp1_KT04XdsM-WTRcaxbnsIlfhr5s9qmCs2Y37uJjOJX4NAeBlHzveQVeL-pTfmWq1Ci1FftkChojUrqDwcc3sNYH63HLH5aNqnZxi-zhEciCWA1dcZrMmQOxD1QM-g/s320/Y%20N%20Jayaratne.jpg" width="249" /></a></i></div><i><br />Rear Admiral <b>YN Jayarathna</b> was the
Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy and concurrently holding the appointments
as the Chief Hydrographer of the Navy and the Joint Chief Hydrographer to the
Government of Sri Lanka.</i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i>He is an International Hydrographic
Organization’s Category A qualified Hydrographer with vast knowledge on
oceanographic affairs around the island nation. As the Chief Hydrographer he
initiated Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) architecture and was
instrumental in setting up the Mean Sea Level (MSI) for Sri Lanka. He holds a Master’s
Degree in Defence Studies from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and another Masters
in Hydrography from University of Goa, India. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; text-indent: 0.5in;">He retired after 35+ years of illustrious
and unblemished service in the Sri Lanka Navy on 21</span><sup style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; text-indent: 0.5in;">st</sup><span style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; text-indent: 0.5in;"> June 2022 on
reaching mandatory retirement age of 55 years. During his career He has held
the appointments of Director General Operations, Director General Training and
Deputy Director General of Sri Lanka Coast Guard managing Tsunami in 2004 and
Maritime Disasters. Further he represented the Government in Sethusamudram
Expert Committee and was a member in the DEOCOM project which prepared the
claim for Outer Continental Margin for Sri Lanka.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, "serif"; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i>He is presently on contract with the UN as
an International Consultant for Undersea Cables lectures widely on Maritime
Security and Ocean Affairs.</i></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-35890146091417409362023-04-03T16:08:00.002+05:302023-05-18T09:07:51.930+05:30The making of Southeast Asia: International Relations of a region by Amitav Acharya. 2012 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The preface of Acharya’s book underscores the
principal assumption driving his argument: that regions are socially
constructed. In other words, the policymaking elite’s desire for a Southeast
Asian regional identity coupled with “intraregional patterns of interaction,
play a crucial role in the making of Southeast Asia as a region” (p. xi). The
book builds on the first edition published by Oxford University Press under the
title </span><i style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The Quest for Identity: International Relations of Southeast Asia </i><span style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">in
2000</span><i style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">. </i><span style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The second edition contains two new chapters, one of which
(chapter 2) draws upon secondary (historical and anthropological) literature
and the second (chapter 8)</span><i style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> </i><span style="font-family: Garamond, "serif"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">explores several non-traditional security
threats facing the region. To complement this lengthy text, Acharya also adds
an interesting collection of historical pictures interspaced in different
sections of the book. This brings the book to a hefty 410 pages divided into
nine chapters. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTc-BdA0TxdybRcvi3jfdu5p8FAf3J-u0FRP9QIBB2762J90mP9EOk6GRzgbvlOQ6zd6pI4tH8eUuHk_lJY_xg_erGVPcUIikX37QjBEkddpkVSdOq2rbv1nvgBI3NU_MhAFL-wb0oboQ6nmNR-VqZE7vYwTxzqngQ5a-MCIsaOfc1bIli2EY--ulfQA/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="320" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTc-BdA0TxdybRcvi3jfdu5p8FAf3J-u0FRP9QIBB2762J90mP9EOk6GRzgbvlOQ6zd6pI4tH8eUuHk_lJY_xg_erGVPcUIikX37QjBEkddpkVSdOq2rbv1nvgBI3NU_MhAFL-wb0oboQ6nmNR-VqZE7vYwTxzqngQ5a-MCIsaOfc1bIli2EY--ulfQA/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The book begins by addressing <i>the elephant in the
room</i>: can one reconcile “the region’s immense diversity” and its numerous
“countervailing forces” (p. 1) to devise a Southeast Asian identity? Acharya’s
argument is that Southeast Asia can be viewed as a ‘region’ with a strong sense
of regionalism driving regional integration. In his view, “diversity is not a
deterrent to apply the label of region to Southeast Asia” (p. 5). In the
opening chapter, Acharya claims that regional perspectives on Southeast Asian
politics and international relations remain scarce. He argues that scholarly
studies often adopt “externalist” perspectives by comparing Southeast Asia to
other regions and conclude that the former’s intraregional interaction is not
comparable to other “coherent regions” (p. 2). By quoting several scholars, he
makes the case that “important post war (Post World War 2) texts devoted to
Southeast Asia consists of chapters on individual countries and pay little
attention to the region as a whole” (p. 2). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya justifies the adoption of ‘international
relations’ in the subtitle of his book at the onset. He argues that “the
history of Southeast Asia’s international relations is, to a great extent, a
history of attempts to forge regional unity” (p. 3). In other words, because
much of the impetus for regionalism and a regional identity was born out of post-independence
foreign policy decisions, the latter’s development is intrinsically tied to the
relations between Southeast Asia states. Thus, Acharya firmly establishes
International Relations as the lens through which he assesses the emergence of
the Southeast Asian identity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya also tackles the main arguments advanced by
scholars who do not view Southeast Asia as a region. In response to claims that
differences in language and between the mainland and maritime parts of
Southeast Asia create irrevocable differences, Acharya affirms that “cultural
and political interactions took place within and across the continental and
maritime domains long before the colonial era” (p. 8). He goes on to adopt
Fisher’s regional conceptualization by affirming that Southeast Asia can be
distinguished from the rest of Asia owing to the following: first, Southeast Asia
lies wholly in the humid tropics while parts of India are within a temperate
zone, secondly “the remoteness of the region from human settlements in the vast
continental interior of Asia and the related fact of its location as a maritime
crossroads” (p. 9) and finally that the geographical and geological complexity
of India and China pales in comparison to Southeast Asia. By adopting this line
of reasoning, Acharya does not discount the diversity within Southeast Asia but
instead contends that differentiating Southeast Asia from the rest of Asia is
more empirically important. Moreover, diversity within Southeast Asia should
not be grounds to dismiss the idea of “studying the dynamic, interactive and
ideational factors that create” the region of Southeast Asia (p. 10). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chapters 2 and 3 draws on an extensive array of historical
studies which Acharya rationalizes by stating that “secondary sources,
especially those written by eminent scholars of Southeast Asia, become primary
material” because they imagined “regionness” (p. 34). To what extent this
conceptualization (of convoluting primary and secondary sources) can be
justified is a moot point, especially because some historians continue to dispute
the boundaries of Southeast Asia and even whether the idea of Southeast Asia is
a marker of geopolitical convenience as against an actual identity-based region
as Acharya claims. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya’s constructivist perspective is informed by
Anderson’s work on Nationalism. By slightly altering Anderson’s argument,
Acharya maintains that “regions are socially constructed rather than
geographically or ethno-socially preordained” (p. 12) which warrants examining
Southeast Asia as a region built on a regional identity driven by regionalism. He
contends that by ‘imagined’, “I mean an idea of the region” and by socially
constructed “I imply that regional coherence result primarily from
self-conscious socialization among the leaders and peoples of a region” (p.
23). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya identifies regionalism as a process which
involves “intraregional interdependence, institution-building and regional
identity” creation. Homogenization, required for the latter, is achieved
through “a diffusion of norms, policies and practices of regional organizations
and associations, formal and informal” (p. 26). While Chapters 4 through 7
discuss how regional identity is built, it is important to note that Acharya
focusses on a top-down identity creation (i.e., from an elite level) as against
assessing how social and economic interactions within the region created a bottom-up
regional identity. To claim therefore, that a regional identity is forged by
examining the post-colonial states’ international relations leads the reader to
question whether a top down or elite driven regional identity creation actually
trickles down to the general public in Southeast Asia or not. One could make a
case that Acharya’s argument would have been strengthened had he employed
interview or survey data of the general public to verify this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In order to reconcile the fact that Acharya adopts a nation
building approach to a region building exercise, he argues that “regional
identities complement rather than replace state and national identities” (p.
24). However, in chapters 6 and 7 Acharya’s empirical research demonstrates several
instances where nationalism was at odds with the formation of a regional
identity. The fact that Acharya does not acknowledge this at the outset of the
text gives the reader an idealistic image of the regional identity creation
process until s/he encounters chapters 6 and 7. In his conclusion, however, Acharya
draws a somewhat sobering image, accepting that nationalism may have
“undermined prospects for (deeper and faster progress in) regionalism” (p. 292).
Consequently, the reader gets an impression that Acharya’s assumption changed
over the course of this text. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Vietnamese communists for instance saw regionalism as
a means of “advancing their goal of national liberation” (p. 108). Even so,
this support was short-lived because once the Vietnamese communists realized
that regionalism was failing to advance the cause of national liberation, they
strongly opposed regional efforts to build a regional organization. Efforts at
enhancing a regional identity also suffered as a result of divergent
ideological positions. Philippines and Thailand argued that the greatest threat
facing Southeast Asia emanates from Communism and that the United States should
remain firmly ingrained in regional affairs. Indonesia, on the other hand, felt
that the latter would challenge its ascendancy as a regional leader and
consequently opposed this. Even Acharya, at a later point in the text
acknowledges that nationalist leaders in Southeast Asia accepted that “their
ties to former colonial powers were often much stronger than those to their own
neighbors” (p. 115). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The challenge nationalism posed to regionalism was one
among many internal issues challenging the progress of regionalism and regional
identity creation. Other factors include identity based and ideological based
contentions (particularly from the threat of communist forces) as well as
ethnic separatism and its associated challenge to regime survival, which diverted
governments away from region building efforts (p. 122). Apprehensions concerning
the establishment of a formal regional architecture also impeded the speed of
regional identity building. For instance, Sihanouk of Cambodia was under the
impression that the ASEAN was a “patently pro-Western and anti-Chinese”
initiative which he had no interest in joining even though the ASEAN invited
Cambodia to be a member (p. 156). Similarly, Myanmar also refused on the
grounds that the presence of the US military bases in the Philippines was a
violation of the latter’s ability to make independent decisions as a member of
the organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya maintains that the “smallness of Southeast
Asian countries” and their “inability to achieve self-reliance without
collective efforts” motivated their desire to pursue regionalism. However, even
so, bilateral and plurilateral tensions negatively affected the progress of
regionalism. A notable case is the <i>Konfrantasi</i>. Acharya unfortunately
gives passing reference to this as a “problem” discounting the hurdle this may
have placed on efforts to strengthen regionalism in Southeast Asia (p. 126).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The book distinguishes between the conceptual
exercises of “region-naming” and region-building. In his view “while the ‘naming’
of Southeast Asia may have been accomplished by Allied Powers and Cold War
geopolitics”, region-building is an outcome of regionalism and a regional
identity creation process. As a consequence, regional building cannot be
ascribed as an outcome of external factors alone (p. 37). In fact, Acharya’s
constructivist argument is that the process is more internally driven than
exogenously created. However, whether one can add East Timor into Southeast
Asia and how identity-based patterns of socialization can reconcile having a
“single coherent whole” (p. 41) when East Timor is excluded from the ASEAN,
even when it signaled a desire to join the institution in 2011, is an issue
which Acharya overlooks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In addition, although Acharya quotes historians
extensively in Chapters 2 and 3 and acknowledges that trade fundamentally
transformed Southeast Asia over time – creating a cosmopolitan culture and
commercial prosperity – he also claims that the importance of trade in the
making of Southeast Asia has not received sufficient scholarly attention (p.
75). This statement is surprising especially given that scholars such as Reid
(who Acharya quotes in other sections) focused primarily on trade linkages
between Southeast Asian polities prior to and during the arrival of the
European colonizers. Moreover, Acharya’s decision to characterize pre-colonial
polities of Southeast Asia as “states” is a point which historians may also
dispute. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya’s study recognizes synergies often neglected
by other scholarly research on Southeast Asian region-building efforts. For
instance, his identification of the “link between authoritarianism and
regionalism” is a welcome addition in the text (p. 127). However, Acharya does
not convincingly explain the link between the two. Although he argues that
authoritarian trends in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and
Indonesia became a source of solidarity, how this translated into a regional
identity is not sufficiently discussed (p. 130). Another contention Acharya
makes is that the movement away from the United States, particularly during the
tenures of Marcos in Philippines and in Thailand in the 1960s is reflective of
a growing “regionalism” (p. 130). This statement is debatable. The use of just
two countries during specific period of time to claim that their tendency to
wean themselves out of dependency from the United States created a sense of
regionalism is misleading (p. 192). A similar issue arises with regard to
Acharya’s claim that nonaligned Southeast Asian nations (using the examples of
Indonesia and Malaysia) viewed the SEATO as a flawed approach to regional
security. Conversely, he forgets to mention the fact that other Southeast Asian
countries such as Thailand and Philippines who were members of the SEATO were
also part of the nonaligned movement. To argue therefore, that nonaligned
nations did not prefer to be associated with the SEATO is inaccurate (p. 137).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya discusses at length the US exit from Indochina
and the Nixon doctrine which impressed upon Southeast Asian states the
necessity to develop regional security measures given the impending US
disengagement from the mainland. In his view, the apprehensions generated by
this possibility significantly influenced Southeast Asian nations to refrain
from escalating existing bilateral disagreements and instead endeavor to
enhance cooperation to meet common challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Even so, the ASEAN faced significant internal
challenges since its onset. A year after the ASEAN was formed, Philippines
clashed with Malaysia over Sabah. ASEAN initially responded by “avoiding
publicly voicing any views on the dispute”. As tensions increased ASEAN
attempts to urge restraint eventually paid off as the two parties suspended
hostile action against the other (p. 165). This example clearly shows how the
ASEAN matured as it encountered significant bilateral disputes between its
member states and through this process intensified regionalism which may have
contributed to the engendering of a regional identity in Southeast Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Although Acharya discusses Vietnam’s intervention into
Cambodia at length (pages 180-190) he does not discuss the effect this had on
the process of regionalism in Southeast Asia. He argues that for Southeast
Asian states “it was China that posed the long-term threat to Southeast Asia;
Vietnam could be a bulwark against Chinese expansionism” (p. 190). Even so,
this was not a collectively adopted stance. Countries such as Singapore and
Thailand “saw Vietnam as the main threat to regional peace and security” (p.
191). Therefore, this division in perception towards Vietnam may have driven
significant wedges between ASEAN members. Unfortunately, Acharya’s account does
not include an analysis on this topic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Acharya’s discussion of Japan’s contribution to the
economic development of Southeast Asia is often not included in other textbooks
on Southeast Asian contemporary economic and political history (p. 203). This
is another welcome addition to the body of scholarly work on Southeast Asia.
However, in discussing this topic he does not sufficiently explain how the
unique dynamics of decision making within the ASEAN (i.e., ASEAN Way)
influences the regionalism process in Southeast Asia. This lacuna is also
evident when Acharya outlines in Chapter 7 the importance that the ‘ASEAN Way’
mode of decision making played in the AFTA and other regional frameworks (including
but not limited to the ASEAN Security Community, an ASEAN Economic Community
and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community). Why ASEAN Way is unique to the region
and the significance it has in engendering regional unity and consensus (pp. 225-6)
is an interesting domain of study which Acharya could have delved a bit further
into. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the face of recent Chinese maneuvers in the South
China Sea, Acharya contends, rather optimistically, that the ASEAN will take
proactive measures to protect its constituent states interests and that the
organization “would remain at the center of the evolving security apparatus in
the Asia-Pacific” (p. 223). In hindsight, we can conclude that Acharya was
mistaken given the predominant positions adopted by the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue and the AUKUS Security initiative in matters concerning regional
security. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chapters 8 reads as a catch all segment where Acharya
attempts to – rather haphazardly – sum up all the contemporary non-traditional
security issues facing Southeast Asia. This treatment is problematic
particularly because his attempt to discuss the challenges imposed by
globalization, environmental governance, transnational terrorism, pandemics, and
incursions by China into disputed maritime territory in a single chapter fails
to do justice on any one issue. Not only is the reader not given any nuance but
if s/he is not well versed on the problem, they may also fail to comprehend the
unique features and gravity of the issue. The only exception to this is
Acharya’s discussion of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 which originated in
Southeast Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In addition, by limiting his perspective to regional
solutions (in particular, ASEAN based solutions) for trans-regional challenges
like the Tsunami of 2004, Acharya limits the breadth of the solution to a specific
geographical boundary instead of opting for a discussion of how regions and
regional bodies can work collaboratively to tackle trans-regional challenges
(p. 250). Finally, a significant omission in the text is Acharya’s decision to
not discuss the ASEAN charter in detail and its implications on regionalism.
Instead, he mentions in a single paragraph the adoption of a Charter without
highlighting its significance for the organization or its contribution in
building a regional identity (p. 258). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Therefore, even as the book can be recommended for
students and academics on Southeast Asian affairs, it bears significant
weaknesses. The main value in Acharya’s book is the fact that he complements
existing narratives which point to the sense of “regionness” as an outcome of
“proximity, shared history, similarities in culture and heritage as well as
more dynamic variables such as commercial, strategic and political interactions
before and after the colonial period” (pp. 209-10). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In sum, Acharya’s book is an engaging primer on the
region written in clear and accessible prose. It is an impressive treatment of
Southeast Asian regionalism, appropriate for students and scholars interested
in Southeast Asian politics and international relations. To quote Beeson, “The
idea that regions anywhere can be brought into being by the social practices of
their members—or by the actions of elite policymakers, at least—is an important
one and central to Acharya’s explanation of Southeast Asian development.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Book%20Review.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Iskoola Pota"; mso-bidi-language: SI-LK; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Nevertheless, in addition to its many problems identified above, we are also
not given any assurances of the region’s collective capacity to handle
transnational threats it may face in future – in other words we are not
compelled to deem that Southeast Asia, as a consequence of the creation of a
regional identity, can be greater than the sum of its parts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Book%20Review.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Iskoola Pota"; mso-bidi-language: SI-LK; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"> Mark Beeson, (2015) “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
Making of Southeast Asia: International Relations of a Region”, <i>Perspectives
on Politics, </i>12(1), 275-276.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Mr. Shakthi de Silva </i></span><p></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Postgraduate candidate of the Lee Kuan School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.</i></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Recipient of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Award of the XIIIth Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs Course of the BIDTI </i></span></p>
</div>
</div>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-73057349256629833302023-01-10T12:12:00.003+05:302023-01-10T12:12:35.178+05:30Diplomacy; The Subtle Art of Co-existence in an Ever-Changing World<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em;">Initially, during the enrollment in the Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs course, I viewed this programme as a bridge to the amazing world we live in, where I could expand my contours on global affairs. Day by day, and session by session, through the eminent knowledge and experience that this course gifted, I now view this programme as a mentor for existence, cooperation and understanding in the ever-fluctuating globe.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-507568 aligncenter" height="400" src="https://www.sundaytimes.lk/230108/uploads/Methmuthu.jpg" style="background-color: unset !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.1872px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px auto 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: unset !important;" title="Methmuthu" width="600" /></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Moving back to the very first day of lectures at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI), I recall how elated and excited I was to participate for the session. I remember the very first glance through the course guide; it comprised of substantive and pragmatic modules related to diplomacy, and the separate module on International Law captured utmost interest since my career was based on law. Starting from the initial day of commencement of lectures, the BIDTI ensured that the lectures were conducted by experienced Diplomats which included Ambassadors and renowned officers of the foreign service and professionals in their relevant fields. It is undoubtable that the engagement with such experts compounded the overall expertise delivered by the Course. A personally memorable session for me was the session on ‘Media interviews’. The students during this session were given the opportunity of representing the role of a diplomat and being an interviewee on behalf of the country. The key takeaways of this interview yet remain unforgotten. The Staff of the BIDTI was extremely welcoming and accommodated us throughout the entire programme unhesitatingly.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The entirety of learning, expertise, and engagement I gained from this program exceptionally benefited me as I’m currently a law graduate that merge diplomacy and world affairs with my profession. As a person who was involved in the course, and currently engages in diplomatic relations, I view diplomacy as the ‘Subtle art of co-existence and peace that nurtures mutual understanding across boundaries’. Fabrication of this art is a necessity that is non-ignorant, and the BIDTI plays a pivotal role in facilitating this fabrication. This art of diplomacy decorates the world in achieving better heights through unity and peace.</p><p align="right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;">Methmuthu Abeywickrama</span></p><p align="right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;">L.L.B. (Hons.),<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />University of Colombo</span></p><p align="right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;">Awardee of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Award at the 24th Convocation<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />of the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI)</span></p><p align="right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published in the Sunday Times Newspaper - 8th January 2023</span></i></p><p align="right" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.92em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder;"><br /></span></p>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-77334379968169221332022-06-15T10:30:00.000+05:302022-06-15T10:30:10.554+05:30 Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs – An Experience like no other<p><span style="font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeZmvKGeGNzUVBR_Wu5J_zmhvAmvKUz0mS19KcDqIpHW-OKwc2aWthdJLGCzLvNsV5ypl56GkSRCK476qPEney9XGy10yghaYxblVmk0VzHDYI6B2IXwmldDLB2p_aFX9Jr-lMf_XCMOKfkhsJyAcoAuPHWz0W3Bo3kEgrFb0A43XaRrAwwGi73PB/s509/E.M%20Sithmi%20Nimashi%20Edirisinghe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="477" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeZmvKGeGNzUVBR_Wu5J_zmhvAmvKUz0mS19KcDqIpHW-OKwc2aWthdJLGCzLvNsV5ypl56GkSRCK476qPEney9XGy10yghaYxblVmk0VzHDYI6B2IXwmldDLB2p_aFX9Jr-lMf_XCMOKfkhsJyAcoAuPHWz0W3Bo3kEgrFb0A43XaRrAwwGi73PB/w121-h130/E.M%20Sithmi%20Nimashi%20Edirisinghe.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>In a rapidly evolving world in which major new developments take place in the blink of an eye, a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of the international arena is immensely beneficial for all individuals. Following the Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs offered by the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) is the ideal opportunity for any individual to gain extensive knowledge about the field of international relations.<p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6347a5b-7fff-2443-8f91-220e159aef6c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first set foot in the BIDTI, I was a little fledgling who had just left school and was still months away from starting university. The knowledge I had pertaining to the field of diplomacy was practically non-existent. Fortunately, we were blessed with an extremely conscientious panel of lecturers who were well-aware of the fact that they were catering to a diverse group of students from different educational and professional backgrounds. Starting at the very basics of diplomacy, we went on to explore more complex realms like International Organizations, International Law (which I particularly enjoyed) and contemporary affairs. Our lectures were graced by the presence of esteemed speakers ranging from experienced diplomats to heads of organizations, all of whom disseminated knowledge and skills that are invaluable, not just for future diplomats, but to anyone with a passion for international affairs. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the speakers were passionate about their relevant fields, and they always invited queries and comments, and lively discussions would ensue. The participants of this diploma hailed from diverse fields of work and study - students, members of the armed forces, employees of the private and public sectors, were all brought under one roof, and this diversity made for a rich and exciting learning experience. To this day, the aroma of Nescafé transports me back to my time at the BIDTI, when coffee breaks would turn into enthusiastic discussions with my friends, until the administrative staff would peek out and usher us back into the lecture. The Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs was never limited sitting and listening to our lecturers drone on – we experienced team building activities, group presentations, and one fine day, we even got hands-on experience on hosting a dinner and a reception! Being a part of this amazing journey, I developed a passion for diplomacy and international affairs which eventually led me to picking International Relations as one of my subjects at university. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This diploma has been intricately designed with the utmost care to ensure that its participants would receive an in-depth and all-encompassing knowledge in the field of </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;">diplomacy. Ms. Pamela Deen’s quiet and unwavering strength, and determination to give all her students the best exposure possible, has brought this learning experience to new and amazing heights. I started the diploma as a complete amateur in the field of diplomacy, but I walked away with a wealth of knowledge and confidence that has benefitted me in numerous ways, and will continue to do so for years to come. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-522d66b8-7fff-6340-f275-4d6e5882f2f4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our maiden lecture of the diploma, we were told, “Diplomats are made, not born”. The BIDTI, in its Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs, has truly substantiated these words. Deviating from conventional teaching and learning methods, this course brings its participants both theoretical knowledge, and a practitioner’s perspective. For aspiring diplomats as well as individuals who are passionate in the field of diplomacy, this will be a truly unique and life-altering learning experience, and will inculcate in them the potential to take on the world. </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; white-space: normal;">By E.M. Sithmi Nimashi Edirisinghe</b></span></div></span>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-49915301703845683212022-06-15T10:11:00.005+05:302022-06-15T10:11:27.945+05:30BIDTI – ‘A Truly Remarkable Experience’<p><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Does it make sense to talk about warfare without the understanding of multilateral relations among states? What about the association that impacts peacebuilding through public diplomacy? These topics have created an endless fascination in me since my high school days of Model UN to representing my university at the National UN, New York and the Harvard UN, Rome leading me to a keen interest in what revolves around us through questioning the linkage between a vast majority of subjects.<p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGU8Emx74Sn_kEv3UknWR93I3WoG6wTnSSoW8vbZVTLW32KkFo6-mt8CXO9YIhSbff_IH9kGY-diTjB7WO8U12ywhbkOQbaTv1Q3eGV2GubmbcNsF9GVVYcaheoasks0V7Y3naYT3Baisjw4WNOGtpGEfIoX21T7syemQ558QYtSZ7xEWKwC7xAMN/s254/Sonali%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="220" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGU8Emx74Sn_kEv3UknWR93I3WoG6wTnSSoW8vbZVTLW32KkFo6-mt8CXO9YIhSbff_IH9kGY-diTjB7WO8U12ywhbkOQbaTv1Q3eGV2GubmbcNsF9GVVYcaheoasks0V7Y3naYT3Baisjw4WNOGtpGEfIoX21T7syemQ558QYtSZ7xEWKwC7xAMN/w157-h182/Sonali%20.png" width="157" /></a></div></span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e41de6e8-7fff-f939-3d87-109c1eb15c49"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 10.05pt; margin-top: 0.05pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was a great force in me to pursue the understanding of how these topics affect our nation and the history that lies upon it. With my desire to pursue a career in the Sri Lankan foreign service I came across BIDTI that offered the course I longed for. It had an exemplary structure of topics that covered a wide variety of understanding.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 7.8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As eager as I was, I would turn up early to grab a front row seat. It was exciting and I was amazed by the diverse group of colleagues (friends) I met that had similar interests but with the most intense debates of our views and opinions. It always kept our class entertained.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 10.55pt; margin-top: 0.1pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They came from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds that allowed us to interact and understanding different perceptions distinctly. Another portion that brightened our time at BIDTI was the teatime NESCAFE indeed!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 7.6pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BIDTI has always excelled of providing an exceptional panel of lecturers that included Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Senior government officials/ representatives, Senior Academic Lecturers and Artists. We were able to question our practical and theoretical experiences with them to gain a better understanding of the subject. It is truly a remarkable institute, and it still stands high as the country’s premier diplomacy training institute since early 90’s.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 12.9pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were extremely lucky to have completed majority of the course in a physical classroom just before the Covid Virus widespread. With the struggles to adapt to the new normal, BIDTI never failed in providing us an online platform to complete the course. Our examinations were held at the class hall as usual with the mandatory safety and precautionary measures.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 12.95pt; margin-top: 0.05pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This course conveys the subject matter with a degree of authenticity that imbues its students with a sense of purpose and a confidence needed to begin changing the world for the better as diplomats.</span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Carlito; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By Sonali Weerasinghe</span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 5pt; margin-top: 0.05pt;"><span style="color: #292929; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special Award Winner of the Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs Course</span></p><br /></span>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-43456496627639121452021-04-30T08:27:00.001+05:302021-05-08T08:35:00.126+05:30Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs - A Must for Everyone!<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Growing up in India, the subjects of
History and Geography and how they influenced International Relations always
fascinated me. Though circumstances made me a banker, my passions always lay with
the world of Diplomacy. In January 2019, my husband’s posting brought me to Sri
Lanka. Within weeks of arriving, at a diplomatic event at the Indian High Commission,
I was suggested to explore the ‘Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs’ course
at BIDTI. The following day, I walked into the offices at BIDTI to find out
more. When I went through the curriculum, I simply couldn’t believe my eyes. A
course offered by Oxford University UK which I had dreams of pursuing but was
out of my reach was being offered right here in Colombo! This was a dream come
true! I still recollect the skepticism I felt when signing up for this Diploma,
reminded of the fact neither did I have a background in the subject nor was I a
Sri Lankan citizen. All my hesitations were simply met with a welcoming smile
by the staff at BIDTI and I was ushered for an interview with the Director
General, Ms. Pamela Deen. Walking into her office, her persona was so enamoring
that I actually was nervous, an emotion which is not familiar to me. With her
gentle smile, she welcomed me to the country and graciously accepted my
application to join the Diploma.</span></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The course began in March and little
did I realize that this would be one of the best one years of my life. Week
after week, Ms. Deen would invite speakers ranging from Ambassadors, Law
Experts, Heads of International Organisations, individuals one would rarely
have an opportunity to meet in the normal course of life. The Diploma taught us
not only about Diplomacy but also about International Law, Current Affairs,
International Organizations and Sri Lanka itself. From the history of Diplomacy
to the origins of the UN, challenges in the Middle East, Trade Law, Human Rights,
the content of each topic was designed in a way that within a limited period of
time, one had learnt almost everything that was needed to know about the world.
The sessions were interactive and each question was answered with equal
enthusiasm. From a college student who looked forward to lectures being
cancelled, this course converted me into someone who’s life now centered around
Mondays and Tuesdays each week. The aroma of <i>Nescafé</i> signaling the break, the chatter before classes and during
the break, and passionate discussions after classes with my peers added to the
experience. The nervous energy in the room when Ms. Deen announced the exam
dates still makes me quiver with fear. <i>WhatsApp</i> chats with the
classmates would be abuzz discussing syllabus, tentative questions etc.
Examination day would arrive and that again had its own excitement. Even the
pandemic couldn't stop our learning for too long. After a brief hiatus, the
institute resumed lectures online ensuring continuity of the program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I must emphasize the two
main highlights of the program for me. As an Indian citizen and probably the
only foreign national in the course, I was impressed with the respect and
knowledge the dignitaries expressed for my country. Not once in that room did I
feel like an outsider either by my peers or by the distinguished speakers. I
can say with pride that thanks to the knowledgeable speakers I actually began
to understand my country and appreciate its strengths even more. The second
aspect that still fills me with awe and admiration is the energy and enthusiasm
of Ms. Deen. Her passion for this course needs to be applauded. The whole
course has been designed to perfection, and the speakers are chosen with such
dedication. Keeping up with the ever evolving world, new topics are continuously
added. Accomplishing this Diploma, not only equips you with the knowledge and
awareness about current international relations and their deep rooted history,
but also with immense self confidence. As a citizen of the world, I truly
believe that this course should be a requirement and not a choice for every
individual. The residents of Sri Lanka are truly fortunate to have access to
this program.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By Anju Bhatia </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_B-CoCFqat0/YJX_WKVpPTI/AAAAAAAAAYw/ZiZ85nZJXyItcgQypWBLvQN6bXgclC3jgCLcBGAsYHQ/s488/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="387" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_B-CoCFqat0/YJX_WKVpPTI/AAAAAAAAAYw/ZiZ85nZJXyItcgQypWBLvQN6bXgclC3jgCLcBGAsYHQ/w159-h200/image.png" width="159" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><p></p>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-72195779351195211142020-08-24T09:17:00.002+05:302020-08-24T09:17:15.410+05:30 Learning experience to change your path and set forth for an unforgettable exposure<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thirst
for knowledge, learning, exploring diversified fields and thirst for the
exposure in different arenas led me seek my passion towards exploring a
completely new field which broadened my horizons and line of thinking. I still
remember the day I came across the advert for the Diploma in Diplomacy and
World Affairs offered by the renowned institute of Bandaranaike International
Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) and was eagerly waiting for the course to
commence. After going through the names of lecturers and the core modules
entailed in the Diploma I knew beforehand that this journey towards learning
the integrities and core concepts of becoming a Diplomat and exploring this new
aspect will be a remarkable experience. Being a student of BIDTI gave me that
very reason to grow my enthusiasm and venture into the world of Diplomacy which
entailed a wide scope on International Law, World Economics, International
Relations, Geo-Political studies of Sri Lanka and other interesting subjects.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_95kVew7LI/X0M3p7id5eI/AAAAAAAAAMw/mVNJKsuqJIsTsEObALJAT3-v_n3GdliFACLcBGAsYHQ/s1704/Ms.%2BMunasinghe%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="1077" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_95kVew7LI/X0M3p7id5eI/AAAAAAAAAMw/mVNJKsuqJIsTsEObALJAT3-v_n3GdliFACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ms.%2BMunasinghe%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being
a Lawyer, I gained a wide knowledge on marine laws, laws on territories, cross
border conflicts and other principles of international law in a sound manner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say this experience and exposure I
received was one of a kind because of the composition of the course structure
to entail practical as well as theoretical aspects of the subject matters that
were taught to us soundly. The practical etiquette and dining experience we
received would vouch for that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
knowledge I had pertaining to this subject matter prior to following this
Diploma was minimal, however, at the end of this Diploma I was able to broaden
the horizons not only in terms of knowledge but in terms of skills and
attitude as well. The esteemed panel of lecturers continuously engaged with the
students and lecturers were quite supportive in clearing out the doubts of
students pertaining to the subject matter taught in class. We have had
interesting discussions, debates, clarifications raised in class which is quite
different to how conventional lectures are being conducted. I was awed and
amazed to see how my fellow batchmates took part in those discussions and how
the lecturers constantly encouraged such discussions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being a Lawyer and a freelance corporate
trainer working for the corporate sector whenever I sought assistance from the
institute pertaining to queries I raised, the administrative staff had always
been extremely helpful and willing to support the students in every way in
completing this endeavour. Lectures and exams were conducted as per the
scheduled timelines which enabled the students to plan, organize and very well
prepare for the upcoming exams and lectures. Winning the Lorna Devaraja
Memorial Prize and becoming second in the batch was due to the utmost support
and guidance received from the lecturers who not only taught us the subject
matter but ensured that we brought rational thinking and logic in answering
the queries which pre-prepared the students to face the exams successfully. I
will vouch for this learning experience to change your path and set forth an
unforgettable exposure in the future!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">SENURI MUNASINGHE <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attorney
– at – Law <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Masters
in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management – University of Colombo<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Msc.
In Business Psychology – University of Coventry <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Professional
Qualification in Human Resource Management – CIPM Sri Lanka<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bachelor
of Laws (Hons) University of London <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Associate
of Trinity College of London<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Associate
of University of West London<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diploma
in Diplomacy and World Affairs – BIDTI <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Diploma
in Strategy & Innovation – HRMI, Sri Lanka<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></i></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> This article was originally published in 'The Sunday Times' Newspaper,</span></o:p></span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>16th August 2020.</i></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-8748436528030323682020-08-24T08:43:00.005+05:302020-08-24T08:43:43.191+05:30From the orthodox ‘diplomacy’ to the new age of diplomacy; The requisite to apprehend the know-how of diplomacy.<p style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In a world of a miscellany of living organisms, humans are renowned for their cognitive and mental capacity to form systems of inter-personal relationships that stretch way beyond the nucleus of the immediate family. There are ample of research that go to form the opinion that today human intelligence stems not to simply solve ecological problems but rather to promote the survival of humans in large and social groups. Henceforth the importance of understanding the thoughts and emotions of others, traits such as empathy, patience, theory of mind and primacy attributed to the use of symbols, tools and language have proven to be necessary for the flexible cooperation of humans in large numbers.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DH2I0zb8QMg/X0Mv6q9h0QI/AAAAAAAAAMk/xtLo_u1xAwM-tfBlelRHFviW4bMU2RzJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_4713%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DH2I0zb8QMg/X0Mv6q9h0QI/AAAAAAAAAMk/xtLo_u1xAwM-tfBlelRHFviW4bMU2RzJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_4713%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">With the orthodox belief that diplomacy solely aims to initiate cooperation during peace and war, it is also correct to be of the stance, that to assert your opinion or idea, to know how, when and where to say it without compromise to a relationship you share and without jeopardizing your affairs, requiring tact are also found to be synonymous to diplomacy. The novel age of diplomacy perceives technological and ecological disruption as posing a threat to the mere existence of the humankind calling for action of humans alone or humans organized in the form of states and nations to have become inadequate to the address issues in the society prevalent today. This scenario today is manifestly why the know-how of diplomacy needs to be in high demand which the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) has pioneered in and aspired to engage in within Sri Lanka to harness skills, impart knowledge and inculcate values and good conduct to all individuals aspiring to be a representative of the state.</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">As a second year law student at Kotelawala Defence University, who set foot into the BIDTI, I was not very enlightened of the discipline of diplomacy. But my passion and desire to educate myself on global affairs, international relations and geo-political situations around the globe has made me stay on the constant watch out for affairs of the globe since my childhood. My dream to transform a mere passion into a reality was immensely advocated by BIDTI with the commencement of the course of “Diplomacy and world affairs.”</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">At BIDTI, I was exposed to a fully-fledged lecture series that entailed not only matters of interest to diplomacy and world affairs but also attributes that are proven to be necessary to the conduct of a diplomatic personnel. BIDTI’s initiative to groom persons to make them eligible diplomats to represent the nation in a global platform has proven to be commendable in not only imparting knowledge but also in making sure that the students have harnessed proper etiquette and conduct. At BIDTI, from being educated of interests of world affairs and hot topics in global networks to engage in thought-provoking, eye-opening, candid conversations with distinguished professionals in the field has become a true learning experience let alone a sheer privilege.</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Along with lectures on the history of diplomacy, working of renowned world organizations, regional conflicts, comprehension of the regime of international law, discourses on economic diplomacy, international trade and current topics that set the world on blaze the BIDTI aims at making individuals have a firm grasp of the happenings around the globe by way of its eminent panel of resource persons ranging from academics, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and also visiting scholars from both the public and the private sector.</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">BIDTI exposed me, a mere university student to a diversified student body where I came across officials of the armed forces, civil servants, media personnel, private sector employees and students all in one hall inquisitive to grasp the best of every possible lecture we had. Every lecture I remember was an interactive one where students would ask every little question that intrigued them.</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">BIDTI as an institute has beyond a doubt catered to the needs of individuals who are interested in developing their knowledge in diplomacy and world affairs along with the quality education provided via a very well structured syllabus, discourses by professionals in the field blending in academics with a practitioner’s perspective which gives ample insight to an avid learner.</div></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">E.A. Kushendri Edirisinghe</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Recipient of the Vernon Mendis Memorial Award and Distinction holder of the Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs (Batch XVIII)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>This article is originally published in 'The Sunday Times' Newspaper, 26th January 2020 </i></span></div>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-59267072641298827512020-08-20T13:50:00.003+05:302020-08-20T13:51:15.402+05:30Learn Diplomacy at BIDTI <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Diplomacy is often interpreted by most
only in the conventional sense – the art of statecraft. To the common man: the
sensitive world of well dressed, serious men and women discussing matters
regarding politics, international agreements or something of a similar
nature. The first image that comes to mind are the dark suited officials who
shake hands with some political figure or speak at an international forum like
the United Nations. It isn’t entirely a wrong image – but there’s more to it
than that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">What most people don’t realize is that
diplomacy is something we all employ on a daily basis. Humans, as the world’s
most social creatures cannot avoid interactions with others. Regardless of
whether it’s family, friends or complete strangers, we will interact. At home,
school and work; or even on the road, we rely on diplomacy to bargain for a
better outcome. Diplomacy is about being sensitive to the needs and
expectations of another and acting with tact. It is about using one’s awareness
to make decisions that provide favourable results. A well-reasoned explanation
to a being late for work, thus avoiding a pay-cut, is diplomacy. Convincing the
mother to allow you to spend a few hours outdoors with friends, in exchange for
some chores, is diplomacy. Intervening in a lovers’ quarrel to settle the
matter and bring peace to both parties, is diplomacy. It is probably the most
well used but least identified skill in any social setting in today’s world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">My experience with BIDTI runs 6 years
back. I had just left school and was expecting to commence my higher education
in the field of medicine. Model United Nations had been one of my interests in
school, and even though medicine ultimately became my career choice, I could
not give up easily on being a diplomat – a problem solver, a negotiator, a
solution provider. The Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
provided me with the opportunity to further my aspirations. It remains Sri
Lanka’s premier diplomacy training institute, providing guidance and training
for many local and foreign trainees since 1994.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-803DuwXbS5I/Xz4yJ9ohLGI/AAAAAAAAAMY/4h4YEQUrYU8H11LMcKjT2zkhwDiMQ7QNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2369%2Bcopy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-803DuwXbS5I/Xz4yJ9ohLGI/AAAAAAAAAMY/4h4YEQUrYU8H11LMcKjT2zkhwDiMQ7QNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_2369%2Bcopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Throughout my time there, initially as a
school leaver and later a medical student, the atmosphere created at the BIDTI
was itself a stimulus. The lectures were based on topics that were vital in
understanding diplomacy – not only for utilization in understanding statecraft
but also as a means of training oneself. Amidst lectures of world history,
regional conflicts and the Sri Lankan legal system, we experienced first-hand
how to face media interviews; learnt about personality development and even how
to host the perfect dinner – down to laying out a menu and proper table
etiquette. It isn’t just a series of lectures at the BIDTI, it is an
experience. Engaging with eminent senior professionals, both local and foreign,
who have years of experience in their disciplines, discussing and sharing their
know-how in an optimized learning environment is what BIDTI provides. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">As interesting the topics of
conversation were, the connections made at BIDTI were truly special. People
from various walks of life were touching shoulders regularly – students of
multiple disciplines, diplomats in training, ministry officials, journalists,
pilots, lawyers, doctors, career military personnel, various other government
and private sector employees – the list goes on. Discussing and debating
sensitive and relevant topics over coffee and being exposed to facades that we had
no prior knowledge of, was a regular occurrence. We’ve passed put now, but some
of those bonds initiated by BIDTI, last a very long time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">With the distinguished multidisciplinary
panel of lecturers including multiple ambassadors, high commissioners and other
dignitaries, the well suited and structured curriculum and an optimized
teaching and learning experience provided by the highly trained staff; the increasing
number of diploma and postgraduate diploma holders of Bandaranaike
International Diplomatic Training Institute remain a testimony to the quality
education it provides. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Isuru Anushka Perera<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Recipient of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Award and Distinction holder of the Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs
(Batch XVIII)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i>This article originally appeared on the 'Sunday Observer' Newspaper, December 8 2019, page 47.</i><b> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="" lang="" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-59741584346867990922020-04-21T09:18:00.000+05:302020-04-21T09:19:29.436+05:30As COVID-19 Intensifies in the Global South, so has Gender Inequality<h3>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-358fa21a-7fff-7bb5-bee9-3f3c95a04c90"><span style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A look into why gender-sensitive responses matter. </span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_GNYQOgN8wE/Xp5ZL1p5H9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/Ya__8S1rJPcbr1WGzlA0gWU6_zS-VqiAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/covid%2B19%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_GNYQOgN8wE/Xp5ZL1p5H9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/Ya__8S1rJPcbr1WGzlA0gWU6_zS-VqiAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/covid%2B19%2B%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e230ce03-7fff-107a-2220-c3bb2efdf2a4"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sahana</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.4pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">1 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">applies a thick coat of foundation over her blackened eye – a scarring reminder of her intoxicated husband’s – expected -- outburst last night. A continent away, Rafiya</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.4pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">2 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">holds on to the last few morsels of tinned fish for the week. Being a sex worker in her locality, food aid can be hard to come by. And with signs of infection on the cards, Valentin</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.4pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">3 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">grapples with the decision to loosen his chest binding; the odds did not work in his favour. A few borders away, a single mother, Geetha, begs to have her job back. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The truth that COVID-19 impacts all genders is a seed that states and decision-makers
find difficult to digest. Therein, it goes without saying that the need for
gender-sensitive response mechanisms to fight a deadly pandemic has become palpably
clear. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gender inequality is both universal and multi-dimensional. But the
political, social and economic workings of gender between the global North and
the global South have obvious demarcations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that countries with
higher gender parity scores positively correlate with higher levels of
development. In other words, social indicators often go hand in hand with
economic ones.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: lime;">According to the Institute, the five impact zones that pervade the
global South, in particular, are low labour-force participation in quality
jobs, low maternal and reproductive health, unequal education levels, financial
and digital exclusion, and girl-child vulnerability.<sup>4</sup></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: lime;"><sup><br /></sup></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Are economic indicators the only obstacle in the way of closing the
gender gap in the global South? Certainly not. Culture has a significant role
to play in perpetuating patriarchal norms and institutions. Despite progress in
the developed world, the global South has not trodden far in terms of reforming
the laws they inherited by their colonizers. Unsurprisingly, these age-old
legal systems inevitably influence the societies they govern. Thereby, the
systemic oppression of women, violent notions of masculinity, male control over
resources and gender-based violence become the norm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: orange;">A study by Northwestern University indicates that a woman is much less
likely to influence household decisions, enroll in college, enjoy the freedom
of choice and join the workforce if she hails from a developing country. The
same woman, on the contrary, is more likely to face impunity for being a victim
of gender-based violence.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference">5</span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="background-color: orange;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These patterns of inequality are part of a bigger picture. In the face
of COVID -19, the collateral damage that comes with it has not only become
palpably clear but marks a clarion call for leaders of developing states to
adopt a gender-inclusive lens in addressing the pandemic.</span></div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</div>
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fCeuPI0BKrQ/Xp5edgr4FxI/AAAAAAAAAIE/1lB2iKJPG6wtWJrx3vPKHj62Ie5pvJWugCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MPOTY_2014_Family_Advocacy_Program_illustration_showing_the_effects_of_domestic_violence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fCeuPI0BKrQ/Xp5edgr4FxI/AAAAAAAAAIE/1lB2iKJPG6wtWJrx3vPKHj62Ie5pvJWugCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MPOTY_2014_Family_Advocacy_Program_illustration_showing_the_effects_of_domestic_violence.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Spikes in domestic abuse and intimate-partner
violence</b></div>
</b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The number of calls reporting domestic abuse to
support centers during the Covid-19 outbreak has doubled in most countries,
according to the UN. As much of the world goes into lockdown, abusive
households can make women feel trapped and helpless. Regrettably, attitudes
towards domestic violence in the developing world are beyond the pale.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">36% of people from mid to low-income countries think that domestic
violence is justified, according to a survey conducted by the University of
Bristol.<sup>6</sup></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><sup><br /></sup></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To break down the findings of this survey even further, 47% of people
from South Asia and 38% percent from Sub-Saharan Africa said that domestic
abuse is excusable. These are mind-boggling numbers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The feasibility of long-term response mechanisms varies across regions.
For example, the same interventions designed for a country in a Nordic state
may not necessarily adapt well in a low-income country that just witnessed the
end of civil conflict. The pandemic is one of several crises in which states
witness an increase in domestic violence cases. In the past, cases spiked
during and after a natural disaster, the end of civil conflict or during
economic recessions. Psychologists point to the common thread that runs through
all these incidents; men project their need for power and authority over their
wives or partners to feel more in control. To this end, domestic abuse and
intimate partner violence is very much about securing power and gaining control.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As leaders grapple to address the spike in domestic abuse cases with
code words and helplines, the urgent need to push for legislation and long-term
interventions are clear. However, policy-makers and those at the top must keep
the following in mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the age of women-only carriages in public
transport, crisis communications apps and anti-rape devices,<sup>7</sup> the
need to shift our intervention methods from victim-centered to that of
normative change and holding perpetrators to account, are paramount. Policy-makers
and activists at the forefront of creating change deserve applause for the
short-term mechanisms that have been successfully adopted but are often caught up
with the want to see an immediate change that efforts to challenge traditional
notions of masculinity and rehabilitate perpetrators are often ignored or ‘set
aside’ for later. Such measures can
positively translate into boys and men becoming allies to the feminist cause,
community mobilization, adopting gender-conscious syllabi in all levels of
education and other forms of long-term strategies.</span></span></div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Impact on LGBT+ communities </b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alu7JaAVaRM/Xp5gO84-yfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/cM0cfaglC7YYZOHqfZckBRubQhgDLlOSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/beach-2824073_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alu7JaAVaRM/Xp5gO84-yfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/cM0cfaglC7YYZOHqfZckBRubQhgDLlOSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/beach-2824073_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The point previously
made on low economic indicators and a culture built on patriarchal values and
its positive correlation with gender inequality deserves reminding. Law
enforcement in the Philippines, for instance, uses humiliation as a punitive
measure against the LGBT community to enforce public health measures. Human
Rights Watch reports of dehumanizing acts that force them to dance or kiss on
video; a disturbing image that reveals the need for better oversight and
accountability.<sup>8</sup> Miles away, in Uganda, police arrest those at a
shelter serving for LGBT people in Kampala. Their justification? Being guilty
of “negligent acts likely to spread infection of </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt;">disease.” </span><sup style="color: windowtext;">9</sup></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><sup style="color: windowtext;"><br /></sup></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xllrhhxz-_k/Xp5g3WTnc_I/AAAAAAAAAIY/c-mvN6GTMtIHs3krbYFvS0gbdcywT7ulACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/people-2577925_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xllrhhxz-_k/Xp5g3WTnc_I/AAAAAAAAAIY/c-mvN6GTMtIHs3krbYFvS0gbdcywT7ulACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/people-2577925_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Minorities of any category, much less the
LGBT community, have always been subject to discrimination. Social stigma
prevents LGBT people to secure employment and therefore, they often become daily-wage
earners and sometimes join the sex worker industry,” remarked Rosanna
Flamer-Caldera, an LGBT+ activist and Executive Director of Equal Ground Sri
Lanka. “During crises situation such as the present Covid-19 pandemic, the
challenges that an LGBT person faces is magnified a thousand-fold.” She also
pointed out that in the recent past, thirteen of fifteen calls made to the
support line set up by Equal Ground were inquiries of a perverse nature and not
ones that conveyed a genuine need for emotional help. Additionally, to be
constrained in a house during curfew with a family that does not accept you can
be a huge burden on one’s mental health.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Civil society organizations need to work in solidarity
with the LGBT+ community to not only ensure that emotional support is provided
to those who need it, but that they also have equal access to healthcare
services as well as other necessities as anybody else. </span></span></div>
<h4>
<b>The plight of sex workers</b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUUGgpqoEqE/Xp5heC04bHI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Rw4HxPhI2WYeehgg-eLsQ1shOblu4BR7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/africa-4856283_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUUGgpqoEqE/Xp5heC04bHI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Rw4HxPhI2WYeehgg-eLsQ1shOblu4BR7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/africa-4856283_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Those in the sex worker
industry constantly grapple with the burden of either being invisible in the
eyes of the public or completely marginalized with regard to rapid response
measures of COVID -19. Much of the global South adopts restrictive laws that
criminalize sex work. Sex workers, whether male or female, are often forced to
take to the streets due to homelessness and societal prejudice.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“The government’s response, in the face of this
outbreak, to our plight as sex workers have been disappointing. They promise
many things, but once they find out our profession, we are cornered and discriminated,”
says Maheswari, a 48-year-old mother who works as a sex worker in Sri Lanka and
advocates for their basic rights.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Speaking to her, it became increasingly clear that wider
coverage by the media and stronger support by community organizations can do
much to pressure governments to reform laws that criminalize sex work. For her
and many others, aid and relief efforts are cut off due to the heavy stigma
associated with their profession. “I don’t want anyone’s sympathy right now,”
she said “only legal reform that stops equating us with criminals,” she
concluded. Additionally, as relief efforts focus on various vulnerable
communities, sex workers are often seen as undeserving of food aid and other
necessities. From having no access to a fair trial to being unable to admit her
children in a school, the stigma facing both males and females like Maheswari is
harrowing.</span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Working mothers and the division
of labour</b></h4>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBW4fkAOiOk/Xp5iCq8aWaI/AAAAAAAAAIo/RHGxBBucXAsUybiqBry5JQTjvRY8AIsZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/women-1994996_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBW4fkAOiOk/Xp5iCq8aWaI/AAAAAAAAAIo/RHGxBBucXAsUybiqBry5JQTjvRY8AIsZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/women-1994996_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Despite efforts by employers
to create flexible work environments, the burden that falls on a working mother
as she ‘works from home’ while juggling child care and household chores deserve
serious attention. Most societies imbued in patriarchal norms dictate that
responsibilities like child care, cooking and cleaning are a woman’s ‘job.’ For
mothers that have to take care of elderly parents in addition to their
children, the burden is ten-fold. A report by the Asia Pacific wing of the
Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group points to the fact that women are
at an even greater risk as food insecurity looms in the backdrop of most
developing states.<sup>10 </sup>As the onus falls on women to provide food on
the table and care for the children, self-isolation and lockdowns can increase
their exposure to gender-based violence when these (gendered) expectations are
not met. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Similarly, single mothers are at an increased risk of
struggling to make ends meet especially at a time where most employees face job
insecurity and unexpected lay-offs. School closures and the inability to send
their kids to daycare can cause severe burnout and mental health problems.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Psycho-social support and concessionary loans can be
incredibly helpful during and in the immediate aftermath of the COVID -19
outbreak.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Parting thoughts </span></b><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not too long ago, the
Covid-19 epidemic was understood as a temporary stumbling block in outlying
Wuhan. As long as the rest of the world was concerned, it was an invisible
virus that was rather mistakenly understood as “not that big a deal.” Come
March 2020, the pandemic spread like wildfire. States with colossal defense
budgets are suddenly lacking in hospital beds and life support equipment. Capitalism
has reached a standstill and the so-called ‘Third World’ struggles to fund the
fight against an invisible enemy.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dejfP0cnNgs/Xp5inLYY87I/AAAAAAAAAIw/6UHnOxV6qjQY2VKai6G7nJDd6ISqjLstwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/covid19%2Binsider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1136" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dejfP0cnNgs/Xp5inLYY87I/AAAAAAAAAIw/6UHnOxV6qjQY2VKai6G7nJDd6ISqjLstwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/covid19%2Binsider.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i>Source: businessinsider.com</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"><br /> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is one
lesson to be learned, it is that Covid-19 certainly does discriminate. It
discriminates against norms and institutions that favour the archetypal
patriarchy. Public health measures have become increasingly militarized and
gendered politics are still the norm. A better understanding of the
intersectional nature of the gendered impacts discussed thus far and better,
context-specific and long term strategies built on normative change will
certainly lead the global South to the kind of change they seek to witness in
this lifetime.</span></span></div>
<h4>
<b>References</b></h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Meaning: Patience <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Meaning: Dignified <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Meaning: Strong healthy <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup>4<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></sup><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Mekala Krishnan,
“Miles to Go: Stepping up Progress toward Gender Equality,” McKinsey &
Company, accessed April 8, 2020,
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview/in-the-news/miles-to-go-stepping-up-progress-toward-gender-equality)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Seema Jayachandran, “The Roots of
Gender Inequality in Developing Countries,” <i>Annual Reviews</i>, February 20,
2015, </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-080614-115404"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-080614-115404</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">)</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Domestic Violence Is Widely Accepted in
Most Developing Countries, New Study Reveals,” ScienceDaily (ScienceDaily,
October 31, 2018), </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181031141437.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181031141437.htm</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">)</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For more information: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/anti-rape-condom-unveiled-20050902-gdlzik.html"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.smh.com.au/world/anti-rape-condom-unveiled-20050902-gdlzik.html</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Ryan Thoreson, “Philippines Uses Humiliation as
COVID Curfew Punishment,” Human Rights Watch, April 8, 2020, </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/08/philippines-uses-humiliation-covid-curfew-punishment"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/08/philippines-uses-humiliation-covid-curfew-punishment</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> Neela Ghoshal, “Uganda LGBT Shelter
Residents Arrested on COVID-19 Pretext,” Human Rights Watch, April 3, 2020, </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/03/uganda-lgbt-shelter-residents-arrested-covid-19-pretext"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/03/uganda-lgbt-shelter-residents-arrested-covid-19-pretext</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><sup><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></sup><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">“The COVID-19
Outbreak and Gender: Key Advocacy Points from Asia and the Pacific,” <i>Asia-Pacific
Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group</i>, accessed April 7, 2020,
https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field office
eseasia/docs/publications/2020/03/ap-giha-wg-advocacy.pdf?la=en&vs=2145</span></div>
<h4 style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vduuJWTpqZY/Xp5pj2tfL6I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/CPpnGjkVkv0Aayz7zvqos7pSYuLIySv6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/r.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vduuJWTpqZY/Xp5pj2tfL6I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/CPpnGjkVkv0Aayz7zvqos7pSYuLIySv6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/r.png" width="200" /></a><b><span lang="EN-GB"> About the Author</span></b></h4>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-indent: -48px;">Renushi Ubeyratne is a gender justi</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-indent: -48px;">ce advocate majoring in International Relations at the University of Colombo.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-28180134012856719982019-11-07T16:18:00.000+05:302019-11-07T16:42:57.339+05:30A perspective on Sri Lanka’s medical tourism and way forward<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Medical
tourism is defined as ‘travelling across international borders to receive some
kind of medical treatment such as dental care, cosmetic procedures, elective surgical
care, fertility treatments, etc. (Kelly, 2013). The Medical Tourism Association
describes it as people living in one country travelling to another country to
access better quality medical, dental and surgical care than they are receiving
in their own country (Medical Tourism Association, 2014).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The terms “medical tourism’ and ‘health tourism’ are used
interchangeably in works of literature (Munro,2012). The term ‘health tourism’ has a
broader concept than the term ‘medical tourism’, as it covers the three related
domains are known as Medical tourism, Healthcare tourism and Wellness tourism (Chen
et al., 2012).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PC8Prugb-qU/XcPu731n4GI/AAAAAAAAADI/uVh7JlLwz_4OLX4F9vu0KqEPPHVLeMgiACEwYBhgL/s1600/Screen-Shot-2017-05-08-at-10.47.29-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="875" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PC8Prugb-qU/XcPu731n4GI/AAAAAAAAADI/uVh7JlLwz_4OLX4F9vu0KqEPPHVLeMgiACEwYBhgL/s200/Screen-Shot-2017-05-08-at-10.47.29-AM.png" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The quality and cost of medical care, personal preferences
(Personal experiences, Income, etc.) as well as the technological, economic,
political, socio-cultural and legal profiles of the destination country are aspects
considered by medical travellers when selecting medical destinations. The
primary aim of any medical traveller is to choose the best destination
possible, to obtain the desired medical care in the highest quality at the lowest cost (Kara, et al., 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This article will look into medical tourism in a global
context, and explore where Sri Lanka stands in this field. The article will
then discuss the country’s future prospects regarding the field as well as strategies
that can be used to become the pioneers in the field of medical tourism in near
future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Medical tourism in a global context. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Globally, there is emerging competition
among countries to promote medical tourism. In the past, rich people from
developing countries travelled to developed countries aiming for high-quality
medical care. However, trends have changed as there is a flow of medical
tourism in both ways. Developing countries such as Thailand, India, Malaysia,
Jordan, Turkey, Mexico, Cuba and Chile are becoming the most popular medical
destinations (Hadi, 2009). Thailand has pioneered in medical tourism because of
its flexibility in pricing; while India is offering medical care at the lowest
cost due to its large pool of well trained medical practitioners, medical
plurality and several accredited hospitals that cater to medical travellers
(Herrick, 2007). Singapore plays a different role, as costs for medical care are
comparatively higher than in other countries. Yet Singapore remains well reputed
for its responsiveness and superior quality of medical facilities (Hadi,2009).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where do we stand?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sri Lanka has been a tourist destination for a long time due
to its location and various attractions. In past years, Sri Lanka has drawn
attention as a global health destination (Attygalle, 2015). The concept of
medical tourism is not new to Sri Lanka, as Maldivian nationals have long-standing relations with Sri Lankan private healthcare institutions (Annon, 2014).
At present, medical travellers from other countries also visit Sri Lanka for
affordable high-quality medical care, particularly for organ transplants. However,
the medical tourism industry in Sri Lanka is still in its early days of
development. According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration sources,
only 0.48% of tourists came to Sri Lanka for health purposes.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The lack of government involvement in prioritizing medical
tourism is one of the main drawbacks to achieving the status of the main medical
tourism destination in the South Asian region. The private sector in Sri Lanka
are pioneers of improving and promoting their medical and surgical treatment
facilities and diagnostics which indicate that Sri Lanka is truly on its way to
becoming a complete medical tourism destination in the future (Attygalle, 2015).
Sri Lankan Private health care institutions are well equipped with modern technology
and well-trained staff including medical specialists with international
experience (Anon, 2014).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Medical tourism industry creates a win-win situation
between medical care and general tourism, which is beneficial to the country
and its citizens. In many countries, medical tourism is now becoming the
backbone of their tourism industry; because it interrelates with many other
industries such as transport, accommodation, food, leisure and recreation. Thus,
leading to the development of those supportive industries at the same time.
Therefore, medical tourism will be one of the most lucrative industries, which
would offer tremendous economic benefits to destination countries and promote
their overall economic development and improve social benefits as well (Anon, 2014).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where do we want to be?</span></i></b><br />
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfSAXmBN3bI/XcPubv9ZgtI/AAAAAAAAAC0/wnsU3z4aShgq5nL1qbm8R1Z8tUzjLpfJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sri%2BLanka%252C%2Bdoc%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="719" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfSAXmBN3bI/XcPubv9ZgtI/AAAAAAAAAC0/wnsU3z4aShgq5nL1qbm8R1Z8tUzjLpfJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Sri%2BLanka%252C%2Bdoc%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sri Lanka has the capacity to cater to more
medical travellers. The country has several internationally accredited
hospitals with new medical facilities and technologies alongside well qualified
medical specialists and staff. </span><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">However, information on socio-demographic
characteristics of the travellers, types of services they are seeking, factors
for them to choose their medical destination and their expectations are still
lacking in Sri Lanka. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Therefore,</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sri Lanka still has no clear understanding
of what medical travellers value the most, and what they are looking for when
they come to Sri Lanka for medical care services.<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Health care planners cannot get the policy
decisions towards directing the expansion of medical tourism services.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> There is a lack of collaboration with
other key stakeholders in tourism.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to Koggalage, (2017), Sri Lanka is currently catering
medical services to travellers mainly from Maldives, India and Seychelles.
Majority of them sought care for surgical conditions, especially transplant
surgery and orthopaedic surgery; while most of the medical conditions were
respiratory, renal or neurological conditions. Most of them were either self-funded
or were covered by health care insurance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Out of these tourists, majority of them had previous
experiences having medical treatments in Sri Lanka. But they were dependent on
their family members and friends for information. Their flights, medical care
and accommodations were arranged either by themselves or their family members in
most instances. The majority had sought medical care out of their home country on
recommendations by family members and friends. Non-availability of the required
medical facility in their home countries was also the leading cause to travel
abroad. (International Medical Travel Journal, 2018).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Among many reasons, the availability of high quality medical
professionals, internationally accredited hospitals and superior customer care
in hospitals were the leading medically related reasons to select Sri Lanka as
their medical tourism destination (Koggalage, 2017). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Non- medical reasons include the availability of direct flights from
their home countries, convenience in obtaining a visa from Sri Lanka, cultural
similarities, political and security stability, good internal transport system
and shopping facilities (Koggalage, 2017).</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ways to improve medical tourism in Sri
Lanka. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To become the centre of excellence in medical tourism in
future, health and non-health sectors of Sri Lanka should work together. The
health sector of Sri Lanka should,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Improve and expand the training of
medical professionals and develop the sub-specialities demanded by medical
travellers such as transplant surgery, orthopaedic surgery and nephrology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Private hospitals should take measures
to improve the promotional activities on medical tourism mainly targeting the
countries in the region as evidenced by the study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The private hospitals that engage in
medical tourism in Sri Lanka should take necessary measures to improve
hospitality and communication skills of their medical and non-medical staff
through regular in-service training programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The public-private partnership process
should encourage the private sector and the government sector to minimize the
idling times of medical equipment and operation theatres as well as minimize
the rising health care burden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The private and government hospitals
should be encouraged to obtain the international accreditation certificates by
the Joint Commission International (JCI) as it’s the one of the key reason to
travel for medical reasons.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The non- health sector of Sri Lanka,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Should encourage the formulation of friendly
policies and laws in relation to tourism. (E.g. lesser tariffs, visa on
arrival, etc…)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Should take adequate measures to
improve transport and accommodation facilities to medical travellers and their
families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Should take adequate measures to
support the private hospitals to acquire the latest medical technologies as
demanded by medical travellers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">References<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anon.,
2014. Medical Tourism in Sri Lanka. Available at;
http;//www.flyingexotic.com/medical-tourism-in-Sri-Lanka/ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Atygalle,
R., 2015. The lure of local remedies. Available at
http;//lmd.lk/health-and-wellness-2/ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chen,
P.et al., 2012. ‘Exploring the medical tourism development barriers and
participation willingness in Taiwan; An example of Mainland Tourist’. <i>International
science index</i>,6(8), pp 1351-1356<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hadi,
A.,2009. “Globalization, medical tourism and health equity.” In symposium on
implications of Medical Tourism for Canadian Health and Health Policy, Ottawa,
Canada, pp1-29, November, 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Herrick,
D., 2007. Medical Tourism; global competition in health care, Dallas, Texas;
Institute of Policy Analysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">International
Medical Travel Journal, volume 2, June 2018, pp 18-20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kara,
D. et al., 2011. ‘Consumer decision components for medical tourism: A
stakeholder approach’. In 16<sup>th</sup> Graduate Student Research Conference
in Hospitality and Tourism, January 2011, Houston.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kelly,
E.,2013. Medical Tourism, In WHO patient safety programme, October 2013. WHO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Munro,J
, 2012. What is medical tourism? Medical Travel Quality Alliance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -.3in;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Koggalage,
P.D., 2017.Medical Travellers’ perspectives in selecting in-patient services in
private hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka, PGIM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s1600/Dr..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; clear: left; color: #25a186; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; font-family: "times new roman", times, freeserif, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="168" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s200/Dr..jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="162" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;"></span></span></div>
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Dr. K.Y.D Perera MBBS(Col), PGDCH(Col), PGDHQPS(Col), MSc (Medical Administration) is a Medical Officer and Medical Administrator. He was a former Medical Director at District General Hospital, Hambanthota and a former Deputy District Director of Health Services at Puttalam district. He is currently reading for his Doctorate in Medical Administration at Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo and is a student of the BIDTI.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;"> The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is</span></em></o:p></span></div>
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<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-18450283334232434352019-10-10T17:17:00.003+05:302019-10-11T08:03:13.729+05:30Communism, Nationalism, Racism to Separatism (The rise and fall of Tito’s Yugoslavia)<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Yugoslavia,
the land of the South Slavs was formed after World War I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although they spoke a common language (Servo-Croatian),
the country comprised of six ethnic groups, with different histories, different
beliefs, and distinct identities. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">During the last century, this nation achieved an incredible
rise to power and had a devastating collapse in the span of nine decades. Yugoslavia
experienced a variety of governmental structures<sup>1</sup>. The Kingdom of
Yugoslavia was established in 1918, only to be substituted in 1943 by the
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. Just three years later, the Federal People’s
Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed under the influential leadership of Josip
Broz Tito (1892-1980)<sup>2</sup>. The country which existed for 85 years and flourished
under Tito’s leadership, is now non-existent. It is argued that the continuous
adoption of various ideology caused instability and eventually led to the
collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The objective of this article is to
describe the rise and fall of Tito’s Yugoslavia relating to the four different
ideologies elaborated below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i>1. </i></b></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b><i>Tito’s Communist
ideologies (1943-1987)</i></b></span></span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">After
the Allied victory in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">World War II</span></a>, Yugoslavia was formed and
forcibly held together by Tito under communist rule. It was a federation of six
republics with borders drawn along ethnic and historical lines: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina" title="SR Bosnia and Herzegovina"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Bosnia and Herzegovina</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Croatia" title="SR Croatia"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Croatia</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Macedonia" title="SR Macedonia"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Macedonia</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Montenegro" title="SR Montenegro"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Montenegro</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">,
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Serbia" title="Socialist Republic of Serbia"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Serbia</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">, and </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Slovenia" title="Socialist Republic of Slovenia"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Slovenia</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">which was In addition, two autonomous
provinces were established within Serbia: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_Vojvodina" title="SAP Vojvodina"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Vojvodina</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
and </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_Kosovo" title="SAP Kosovo"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Kosovo</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. Each of the
republics had its own branch of the </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Communists_of_Yugoslavia" title="League of Communists of Yugoslavia"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">League of Communists of Yugoslavia</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
party and ruling elite, and any tensions were solved on the federal level<sup>3</sup>.
The Yugoslav model of state organization-as a "middle way" between planned
and liberal economy had been a relative success, and the country experienced a
period of strong economic growth and relative political stability up to the 1980s, under the rule of president-for-life </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josip_Broz_Tito" title="Josip Broz Tito"><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">Josip Broz Tito</span></a></span><sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">4</span></sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgHkWtRPIEY/XZ8VOqFOEqI/AAAAAAAAACI/8R9_x67OltEpLmebHwNqJCWA9tXQR4YBwCEwYBhgL/s1600/tito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgHkWtRPIEY/XZ8VOqFOEqI/AAAAAAAAACI/8R9_x67OltEpLmebHwNqJCWA9tXQR4YBwCEwYBhgL/s320/tito.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">imgur.com</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Tito entered politics at a unique time
in the nation’s history; as Yugoslavia shifted from a monarchy to a federation,
he became one of the country’s biggest advocates for a communist-style of
government. A visionary leader, Tito believed in empowering a plurality of
independent centres of political authority. Consequently, the Yugoslavs
defected from the communist bloc in<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">1948. This pluralistic worldview
carried over into Tito’s leadership of Yugoslavia itself. Consisting of six
national republics and two autonomous regions, Tito was able to unify these
disparate people into one communist entity. In his thirty-seven years as leader
of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito instituted a policy of “polycentrism” which
unified the culturally diverse people. However, the policy collapsed upon his
death, due to the ineffective leadership of the collective presidency, economic
troubles, and ethnoreligious unrest; resulting in the country’s disintegration<sup>5</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In order to protect Yugoslavia from the
influence of major world powers, Tito introduced a policy in which the nation
opted to remain neutral amidst worldwide conflict. Known as the Non-Alignment
Movement, the policy was largely brought into effect in response to the United
States conflict with the Soviet Union in the Cold War. As the nuclear arms race
between the two world powers intensified, Tito expressed concern about becoming
involved. Upon initiating the policy of neutrality, Tito decided to host the
first “Conference of Non-Aligned Heads of State.” The conference took place in
Belgrade in 1961 and had twenty-five countries represented<sup>6</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Tito’s unique leadership made it
possible for the Non-Alignment Movement to strengthen, posing threats to major
world powers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Within the eight constituencies, the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formally comprised three religions
predominantly Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Islam. Through a policy of “polycentrism,” Tito successfully unified these notably distinct republics
into one federation<sup>7</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">For many years, Yugoslavia aligned
itself with the Soviet Union. However, after Tito came into power, he sought to
distance the nation from the center of Communist rule. Yugoslavia disassociated
itself from the Communist bloc in 1948. To Stalin’s dismay, the Yugoslav
Communist Party stayed in power and continued on as before; not falling to
capitalism as the Soviets predicted. The federation’s success in this regard
caused other Communist rulers to question the merits of obedience to the Soviet
Union<sup>8</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Tito built a relationship amongst the
Yugoslavs “in which people believe in one another and had confidence in one
another.” Through polycentrism, he decentralized economic and cultural life,
allowing the power to rest with the people. To Tito, this policy was a means of
“uniting the citizens of a country in one front”. Along with the right kind of
leadership, Tito demonstrated to the world that there was more than one path to
socialism—that a republic as diverse as Yugoslavia could stay united<sup>9</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">As the Tito era came to an end, the
world was in a period of great conflict. These conflicts foreshadowed the
disintegration of Yugoslavia, for the federation’s success was founded in
Tito’s cult of personality. Without Tito’s leadership, the fragmentation of
Yugoslavia would prove to be unavoidable<sup>. </sup>On May 4, 1980, Josip Broz
Tito died at the age of eighty-eight. He left an impressive legacy having ruled
over Yugoslavia for nearly four decades. After his death, the nation had a
literacy rate of 85%, a population of 21.3 million, and a GDP of $26 billion. But
most significantly, he left behind “Titoism,” an ideology his successors would
fail to grasp<sup>10</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Tito’s utmost goal was for Yugoslavia to
remain a Communist state, in spite of Western influence. In 1974, Yugoslavia
amended its Constitution with the intent of preparing for a transition between
leaders. Under Tito’s direction, the Constitution dictated the formation of a
nine-member collective presidency; six people would represent each of the six
republics, whereas two would represent each of the two autonomous regions, and
one individual would rule the party. In 1978, Tito suggested an amendment to
the Constitution in which one member of the collective presidency would serve
as the overarching president of Yugoslavia, serving a single one-year term. Upon
Tito’s death, the collective presidency went into effect, with the amendment
that established one predominant leader. Thus, a continuous line of men and
women succeeded Tito. This disrupted the nation each year as a new person took
office, adding more instability to the federation. Though the intent of the proposed Constitutional changes was pure,
the collective presidency made Yugoslavia unpredictable. Tito had amended the
Constitution in an attempt to prevent a dictator from succeeding him; instead, he
paved the way for economic collapse and the ascension of an ideological rival<sup>11</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">However, a combination of factors led
to debilitating economic collapse in the years following Tito’s death. In 1982,
Milka Planinc was elected head of the collective presidency. Meanwhile, with
Tito dead, both the USSR and the United States felt confident that Yugoslavia was
no longer a major threat considering Tito’s death. In 1984, the Reagan
administration introduced a policy in a National Security Decision Directive to
target Yugoslavia’s economy; the United States sought to topple Communist
Nations, forcing Eastern Europe to participate in a market-oriented
economy. Western trade barriers halted economic growth in Yugoslavia, forcing
the government to take out the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans. In 1982,
the federation’s foreign debt reached 16.9 billion in US dollars. By 1988, the
foreign debt topped twenty-one billion in US dollars with 217% inflation
increase<sup>12</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">While ineffective leadership and
economic collapse were highly detrimental to post-Tito Yugoslavia, ethnic
conflicts became the federation’s ultimate downfall<sup>13</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">2. Nationalism- adopted by Slobodan
Milosevic (1987-1989)</span></i></b></h3>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Slobodan Milosevic, an ideological
rival of Tito’s, proved to be the primary instigator of the ethnic clashes. In
the late 1980s, Milosevic was garnering support for himself in Serbia</span><sup style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif;">14</sup><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Without Tito, Communism was failing in
Eastern Europe; Milosevic proposed a different style of rule, advocating for
“incendiary Nationalism.” In the 1980s, Shambolic was elected President of the
Republic of Serbia. In a thirty-hour meeting that spanned from September 23 to
September 24, 1987, Milosevic engineered President Stambolic’s ouster,
effectively taking over Serbia. From that moment onwards, he declared Serbia to
be “Communist by name and Nationalist by choice”</span><sup style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif;">15</sup><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">3.The period driven by Slobodan
Milosevic’s Racism ideologies (1987-1992)</span></i></b></h3>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">After becoming President of Serbia in
1987, Milosevic began to exert authority over Yugoslavia, encouraging
nationalistic tendencies. In 1981 a year after Tito’s death, ethnic Albanians
held riots in Kosovo, rebelling against Yugoslav rule. In Tito’s time, these
conflicts were quashed; however, the Serbian president deliberately resurrected
these nationalistic grudges. When Milosevic took power, the two largest ethnic
groups of Yugoslavia were Roman Catholic Croats and Orthodox Christian Serbs.
Conscious of this fact, Milosevic used nationalism to set the stage for a
brutal civil war that spread across the federation. He orchestrated wars that
pitted the Serbs against Slovenes, Croats, Albanians, Kosovars, and Bosnians,
with the intention of realizing his dream of a “Greater Serbia.”As a result of
a practice called “ethnic cleansing,”millions of people were killed or
displaced during the conflicts with the Serbs. The war in Bosnia and
Herzegovina alone resulted in two hundred thousand deaths and left millions of
people without homes. Both in 1991 and 1996, opposition forces attempted to
oust Milosevic</span><sup style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif;">16</sup><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"> which became a reality in 2000.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In 2001, Milosevic was sent to The
Hague to be charged with war crimes; he was discovered dead in his cell in
2006. Slobodan Milosevic left a dark legacy: Serbian Nationalism served as a
key part of inciting ethnic conflicts in Yugoslavia<sup>17</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">4. Separatist movements flourish (After
1991) </span></i></b></h3>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">By 1992, the Socialist Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia was in ruins. Slobodan Milosevic’s goal of replacing Communism
with Nationalism succeeded. Slovenia and Croatia were the first to secede in
1991, with Macedonia following shortly thereafter. In the following year,
Bosnia Herzegovina also declared its independence. In order to resolve
longstanding ethnic conflicts in Bosnia, the Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995
created two self-governing entities within the nation, dividing the Serbs and
Muslim-Croats. After the secession of Bosnia Herzegovina, only Serbia and
Montenegro remained in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which
later transformed to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Due to the years of
turmoil in the federation, the international community refused to recognize the
new republic. Thus, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia divided into successor
states in 2003<sup>18</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRPv6VVWH_A/XZ8UlYZZMiI/AAAAAAAAACA/Vf-YnEY-v74Izb4j-4jBOraFiQv_nbndQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/boundaries-Yugoslavia-1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yRPv6VVWH_A/XZ8UlYZZMiI/AAAAAAAAACA/Vf-YnEY-v74Izb4j-4jBOraFiQv_nbndQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/boundaries-Yugoslavia-1992.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Encyclopedia Britannica</span></i> </div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Conclusion</span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">For thirty-seven years, the Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia thrived under the leadership of Josip Broz
Tito’s. He unified the diverse nation, growing both an educated population as
well as a healthy and robust economy. Significant for his cult of personality,
Tito introduced policies of ‘nonalignment’ and ‘polycentrism,’ which
revolutionized the nature of Communist government. Upon Tito’s death in 1980,
marred by the unproductive leadership of a nine-member collective presidency
and riddled with foreign debt, Yugoslavia started to dissolve</span><sup style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif;">19</sup><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">When Slobodan Milosevic was elected as President
of Serbia in 1987, all hopes for Yugoslavia maintaining a Communist-style of
government was lost. Through widespread ‘ethnic cleansing,’ he coordinated the
deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. During Milosevic’s rule,
Yugoslavia’s various republics began to declare their independence. All that
Tito had worked for, all that he had strived to create, was lost<sup>20</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In the span of eighty-five years,
Yugoslavia managed to rise to the status of world power in control of the
majority of Eastern Europe and to completely fall out of power, ultimately
disappearing off the map<sup>21</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Nevertheless, Tito’s legacy as a
benevolent dictator will not be forgotten. He demonstrated the importance of
respecting different cultures and the inherent power of neutrality to the world.
He developed a new archetype for a leader, one who above all values the input of
the masses, as opposed to the input of the elite. On the idolatry of leaders,
Tito once said, “If a man separates himself from the people, if he tends to be
set on a pedestal, then he will only inspire fear or hatred…the people are
those who are the motive power, they are the ones who inspire their leaders and
the leader is but the organizer and the formulator of the people’s thoughts”<sup>22</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Although Yugoslavia no longer exists,
Tito, the leader of the republic for nearly half of its existence, will serve
as a role model for centuries to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><i><b>References</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Borowiec,
Andrew. <i>Yugoslavia after Tito. </i>New York: Praeger Publishers, 1979.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Kennan,
George F. “Polycentrism and Western Policy.” <i>Foreign Affairs, </i>Vol. 42,
No. 2 (Jan., 1964): 171-183.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Borowiec
1979.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Kennan
1964.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">The
Non-Aligned Movement. “The Non-Aligned Movement: Description and History.” Last
modified Sep. 21, 2001. http://www.nam.gov.za/background/history.html.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Graff,
Donald F. “A Quiet Transition in Yugoslavia.” <i>The Telegraph </i>(United
Kingdom), May 28, 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">The
Non-Aligned Movement. “The Non-Aligned Movement: Description and History.” Last
modified Sep. 21, 2001. <a href="http://www.nam.gov.za/background/history.html">http://www.nam.gov.za/background/history.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">The
Non-Aligned Movement. “The Non-Aligned Movement: Description and History.” Last
modified Sep. 21, 2001. <a href="http://www.nam.gov.za/background/history.html">http://www.nam.gov.za/background/history.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Ibid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Ibid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Stankovic,
Slobodan. <i>The End of the Tito Era: Yugoslavia’s Dilemmas. </i>California:
Hoover Institution Press, 1981.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">ibid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">ibid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Kamm,
Henry. “Yugoslavia’s President Says Crisis Harms the Country’s Reputation.”<i>New
York Times, </i>Oct. 19, 1988.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">ibid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Simons,
Marlise and Alison Smale. “Slobodan Milosevic, 64, Former Yugoslav Leader
Accused of War Crimes, Dies.” <i>New York Times</i>, Mar. 12, 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Ibid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Rees</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "cambria math" , serif;">‐</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Mogg, William. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">The Strains of Yugoslavia without Tito.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">The Times </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">(London, England), Apr. 17, 1988.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Binder,
David. “Fare Well, Illyria!” Unpublished Manuscript, 2002.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Ibid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Simons,
Marlise and Alison Smale. “Slobodan Milosevic, 64, Former Yugoslav Leader
Accused of War Crimes, Dies.” <i>New York Times</i>, Mar. 12, 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;">Olivia
Hinerfeld. “The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia”, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">St Mary's Academy</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> of
Portland State University,</span> Young Historians Conference, 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s1600/Dr..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background: transparent; clear: left; color: #25a186; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="168" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s200/Dr..jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="162" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.4px;">Dr. K.Y.D Perera MBBS(Col), PGDCH(Col), PGDHQPS(Col), MSc (Medical Administration) is a Medical Officer and Medical Administrator. He was a former Medical Director at District General Hospital, Hambanthota and a former Deputy District Director of Health Services at Puttalam district. He is currently reading for his Doctorate in Medical Administration at Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo and is a student of the BIDTI.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.4px;"><em style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.4px;"><em style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is </span></em></span></div>
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<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17881235657009433604noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-82025838579969627952019-07-30T15:11:00.002+05:302019-07-30T15:13:54.609+05:30A postscript on the Easter bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUhN8Fga_RI/XUAOTKCqvEI/AAAAAAAAASk/d7r_4eb1QLczHsrJeOARnE98Wd41EO7_QCLcBGAs/s1600/_106901152_gettyimages-1138498129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUhN8Fga_RI/XUAOTKCqvEI/AAAAAAAAASk/d7r_4eb1QLczHsrJeOARnE98Wd41EO7_QCLcBGAs/s1600/_106901152_gettyimages-1138498129.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The Easter Sunday bomb
attacks exposed the defects and shortcomings of Sri Lanka’s security
establishment.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">A series of coordinated
bombings on that day rocked Sri Lanka, killing at least 257 people and wounding
500 others. The attacks, carried out by two Muslim extremist groups were the
deadliest the island has witnessed since the end of its civil war 10 years ago.
The attacks targeted three churches as well as four hotels in the Western Province.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since 2009, Sri Lanka
enjoyed a negative peace. Having ended a war that lasted close to 30 years, the
bomb blasts evidently caught people by surprise. The prospect of encountering
terrorism of this nature appears to have not been registered even within the
security establishment of Sri Lanka. Security experts, since 2009 in
particular, have focussed on the maritime security aspect of Sri Lanka’s
security and as a consequence failed to notice the emergence of internal
security threats. Lately, public criticism has been directed at the political
hierarchy in Sri Lanka for their failure to detect and circumvent terror
threats. Moreover, the advent of foreign security forces to the country in the
aftermath of these attacks, voicing the need to ‘protect’ Sri Lanka and ensure
its security and safety needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this regard, the
geographical, geo-economic and strategic salience of Sri Lanka’s position
carries significant utility for major powers. Western nations may view the
island as a node in the global strategy to ‘contain China’. Beijing on the
other hand, may view Sri Lanka as a critical junction in its Belt and Road
Initiative. Despite the intentions and blueprints of foreign major powers, the
Government’s decision to focus on foreign powers and their activities in the
Indian Ocean whilst overlooking the internal security dynamics of Sri Lanka was
a significant shortcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when
extremists’ groups garnered some attention, it was chiefly centered around the
“Awa” Tamil extremists group in the North. Despite the government’s efforts at
establishing peace and harmony in the island, one can posit therefore that this
endeavour has also not been efficacious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to Theresa May,
“National security is the first duty of a government”. However, in the case of
Sri Lanka one has reason to doubt whether the government adequately paid
attention on guaranteeing the island’s national security. The
lack of intelligence exchange, the absence of intelligence specialists and the
lack of an effective national security policy for the island was starkly
visible in the aftermath of the attacks. Sri Lanka must do more in future to
prevent a further recurrence of terrorism in the island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB">By Dulanjani Wijesinghe <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
MA in International Relations (Reading), University of Colombo</div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><em style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-34527192438856337932019-07-01T14:45:00.000+05:302019-07-01T16:00:31.839+05:30Trends in Asian Journalism: Moving Towards a Digital Era.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Introduction</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Due
to the increase in technological advancements worldwide, access to
information has also increased dramatically. Details of a particular event can
reach a large audience instantaneously. These changes are due to the ever
increasing access to the internet and availability of smartphones; resulting
in more individuals having access to information through blogs and social media
platforms. This article will compare “traditional media” with “New Media” and examine
why new media has become an increasingly popular source of information. Along
with the advantages of new media, the article will explore the negative effects
of new media in society and how civil society organizations can mitigate them
whilst using new media to create a more positive impact in Asian societies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YRcdVP-wbY/XRnIwptlfhI/AAAAAAAAAR4/A7f-f3Rewyg6RfBtnEUvq1Dc-plfGUiLwCLcBGAs/s1600/proxy.duckduckgo.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1400" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1YRcdVP-wbY/XRnIwptlfhI/AAAAAAAAAR4/A7f-f3Rewyg6RfBtnEUvq1Dc-plfGUiLwCLcBGAs/s640/proxy.duckduckgo.com.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“New
Media”: the new player in Asian Journalism.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">New
media mainly refers to “computer-enabled media” such as blog sites, instant
messaging applications and social media platforms.<sup>1 </sup>In Asia, the use
of new media has substantially increased, particularly in South East Asia.
According to statistics by <i>Google,</i> since 2015 South East Asia has had
330 million users, making it the region with the third largest number of
internet users worldwide.<sup>2</sup><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These
developments are largely due to socioeconomic factors, such as an expanding
market for smartphones, which makes them more affordable. In addition, increasing access to the internet throughout Asia makes information readily
available to the population. Moreover, according to recent statistics, a large
proportion of Asian countries have the fastest internet connections worldwide.<sup>3</sup><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">New
Media V.S Traditional Media<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1F4w3n2gY6Y/XRnImZCMNQI/AAAAAAAAAR0/f5LjalwHFnwi0fnwFjwreNB9C4OwR1aQwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="608" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1F4w3n2gY6Y/XRnImZCMNQI/AAAAAAAAAR0/f5LjalwHFnwi0fnwFjwreNB9C4OwR1aQwCLcBGAs/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
comparison to conventional media such as newspapers, television and radio, the
internet enables information to be retrieved instantly. The variety of medium
through which information can be obtained makes the internet more attractive.
In contrast to newspapers from which information is delivered through text, the
internet offers a number of modes to engage with its audience. Information
through the internet can, for example, be obtained in the form of text, audio or
video.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
range of information available to the individual must also be taken into
account. Due to a host of search engines and a multitude of websites,
individuals now have wider access to information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
study in 2015 concluded that newspapers are no longer the “gatekeepers” of news.
Previously, traditional modes of media had control over the flow of information
to the public. Thus, information was then censored and delivered in an ethical
manner to appeal to all consumers. With the rise of social media, the flow of
information has dramatically changed creating “citizen journalists”. Social
media provides a platform where ordinary citizens can express themselves in the
form of eyewitnesses of a particular event. Consequently, social media has
revolutionized the journalistic landscape, resulting in multifaceted sources of
information where the consumer has autonomy of the kind of information
consumed.<sup>4<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Social
Media= Social Unrest??<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTbKI6a4lnI/XRnJO_kAkvI/AAAAAAAAASE/AM_usFSueCc4fCzfxynAjaj_xBsdli2ggCLcBGAs/s1600/proxy.duckduckgo.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTbKI6a4lnI/XRnJO_kAkvI/AAAAAAAAASE/AM_usFSueCc4fCzfxynAjaj_xBsdli2ggCLcBGAs/s200/proxy.duckduckgo.com.jpg" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Due
to multiple sources of information and the lack of verification before it is
shared, social media has become an unreliable source of information. The
ability of the user to choose the information they consume also creates a bias
as more often than not, individuals only select the information that reinforces
their current world view. This is known as the “echo effect”. In addition, the
ability for the public to have control over the flow of information results in
biased information, resulting in increased popularity of “Fake News”. <sup>5</sup><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">These
characteristics can be particularly detrimental to Asian societies considering
the presence of multiple cultures, religious and political beliefs. Misinformation
or Disinformation can easily create divisions in these societies. A recent
example would be the ethnic tensions in February 2018 in Sri Lanka, which was
fueled by the negative use of social media.</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">6</sup></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite
the negative effects of social media in Asian societies, it can still be used
in a positive manner for the betterment of society. According to recent
studies, there appears to be a decreasing market for traditional media. However,
information obtained from conventional media outlets is more reliable and is
relatively unbiased. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According
to recent studies, there is also some consideration for a fusion between old
and new media, as conventional media outlets are becoming more digitalized.<sup>7</sup>
In addition to new media outlets, civil society organizations can also use the
same method of employing social media platforms to transmit information to
create a more inclusive society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">References</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>1. </b> <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Alden,
Chris and Amnon Aran. <i>Foreign Policy Analysis: New approaches</i>. London: Routledge,
2016.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>2.</b> Sipahimalani,
Rohit and Rajan Anandan. “330 million internet users accelerating the growth of
Southeast Asia's internet economy.” <i>Google Blog. </i>Dec 12, 2017. <</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><a href="https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/sea-internet-economy/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/sea-internet-economy/</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>3. </b>L</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">ee,
Justina. “Asia-Pacific upgrading internet connectivity.” <i>Nikkei Asian Review.</i>
June 06, 2017. <</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Asia-Pacific-upgrading-internet-connectivity" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Asia-Pacific-upgrading-internet-connectivity</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>4. </b>Price,
Gareth. “Opportunities and Challenges for Journalism in the Digital Age: Asian
and European Perspectives.”<i> Chatham House.</i> August 2015. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/field/field_document/20150826JournalismDigitalAgePrice.pdf" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/field/field_document/20150826JournalismDigitalAgePrice.pdf</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>5. </b>Son,
Johanna. “Southeast Asia: Time for a Pushback in Media Spaces.” <i>Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung</i>.
27 Feb 2018. <</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><a href="https://th.boell.org/en/2018/02/27/southeast-asia-time-pushback-media-spaces/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://th.boell.org/en/2018/02/27/southeast-asia-time-pushback-media-spaces/</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>6. </b>Safi,
Michael and Amantha Perera. “Sri Lanka blocks social media as deadly violence
continues.” <i>The Guardian. </i>7 March 2018. <</span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/sri-lanka-blocks-social-media-as-deadly-violence-continues-buddhist-temple-anti-muslim-riots-kandy" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/sri-lanka-blocks-social-media-as-deadly-violence-continues-buddhist-temple-anti-muslim-riots-kandy</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>7. </b>Newman,
Nic. “Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2019.” <i>Reuters
Institute and the University of Oxford. </i>Jan 2019. <</span><a href="https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-01/Newman_Predictions_2019_FINAL_2.pdf" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-01/Newman_Predictions_2019_FINAL_2.pdf</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Tharindi Rangoda is a Media and communications intern (Asia Regional) at Oxfam. She has a </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">BSc International Relations (Second Class Honours Upper Division) from the University of London. </span></span></h4>
<em style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em>
<em style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;"> The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />
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</div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-18192652380231759272019-06-19T17:12:00.001+05:302019-06-26T11:30:15.778+05:30Reconciliation through sports diplomacy: An overview of the 1995 Rugby World Cup<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was an anti-apartheid political revolutionary who served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was
the country’s first black President and the first elected in a fully
representative democratic election. This article discusses the trials and
tribulations of the South African President and how sports diplomacy played a significant
part in the country’s efforts at nation-building. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NSc2Z6Uqps/XQopvucVpGI/AAAAAAAAARc/6GY4azEEEQEgjXsW6SZLjArbbuL1tg8WgCLcBGAs/s1600/mandela%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NSc2Z6Uqps/XQopvucVpGI/AAAAAAAAARc/6GY4azEEEQEgjXsW6SZLjArbbuL1tg8WgCLcBGAs/s320/mandela%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mandela decided to get involved
in anti-colonial and African nationalist politics after South Africa’s National
Party’s white-only government established a system of racial segregation that
privileged the white community in the country. As a result of his political
activities, he was arrested and imprisoned on several occasions (Nelson Mandela
Foundation, n.d.). Having served 27 years of life in various prisons, Mandela
was freed by President F.W de Klerk in 1990 owing to growing domestic and
international pressure. Mandela and de Klerk jointly led efforts to negotiate
an end to apartheid, resulting in the 1994 multiracial general election which
enabled Mandela to lead the ANC to victory (South African History Online,
2013). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During the Dutch colonization (1652-1815), the British colonization (1815-1910),
the era of Union of South Africa (1910-1948) and from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1948<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
1964 - the apartheid era, native South Africans suffered tremendously within
their homeland. Racial segregation and white minority rule, officially known as
apartheid - an Afrikaans word meaning “separateness”, came to dominate life in
South Africa, particularly between 1948 - 1964. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Civil, political, economic and cultural rights of native Africans were
severely repressed during this time. A small minority was able to control the
lives of a majority of native Africans through the apartheid system. “Apartheid
laws forced different racial groups to live separately and develop separately...It
tried to stop all inter-marriage and social integration between racial groups…
[The Apartheid system also] had a fearsome state apparatus to punish those who
disagreed” (South Africa History Online, 2016). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the laws which came into effect
through the Apartheid system include the following:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Population registration act (1950) - Through
this Act people were registered according to their racial group. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Group area act (1950) - started the physical
separation between races, especially in urban areas.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bantu self-government act (1959) - This Act stated
that different racial groups had to live in different areas. Many lost their
homes and were moved out of the lands they had lived for generations. In most
cases, native Africans were moved to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>undeveloped parts of the country (South Africa
History Online, 2016).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The international community, in an effort to diplomatically isolate the
apartheid regime, chose to ban the country from appearing in international
sporting events such as:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Olympics <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> . </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Commonwealth games <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chess Olympiads <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cricket encounters<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soccer matches <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rugby World Cups</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the end of the apartheid however, South Africa was readmitted to
international sports federations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite Mandela’s success at the presidential elections in 1994 and the
end of the apartheid rule, divisions still persisted between the country’s
white and black community. Racial tensions emerged in a heightened form with
many in the native African community urging Mandela to act in a vindictive manner
towards the White community. As a result, the task of healing the nation after
decades of apartheid rule fell squarely on Mandela’s shoulders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the exclusion of the South Africa national rugby team (the Springboks)
from two editions of the Rugby World cup (i.e. 1987 and 1991), in 1995 South
Africa became the hosting nation for the Rugby world cup. South Africa’s rugby
team had hitherto chiefly been a ‘white-only’ team. In that sense, one can
argue that the Springboks were a symbol of apartheid. Speaking with <i>ESPN</i>,
George Gregan, a player from the Australian team stated:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It was interesting, the coloured people when
we first made it to Cape Town [in 1995] were right behind the Wallaby team [the
Australian Rugby team]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>, saying
'we're going for you, we want you to beat the Springboks'; which was quite
surprising (Mitchell, 2015). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In his address to the people, Mandela called upon all South Africans to
throw their support behind the nation's rugby team - the Springboks. Speaking about
the significance of this action Carlin, a journalist at the time, suggests that
“the thing about rugby was that it was really a powerful symbol of a deep
racial division…For the white population as a whole, a symbol of their pride
and identity ... For the black population, the Springboks were a symbol of
apartheid” (Effron, 2013). In the months leading up to the World Cup, Mandela
invited Springbok captain Francois Pienaar to meet with him and asked the team
to be his ambassadors of peace, representing both the white and black
population. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shocking the world, the Springboks took down the ‘giants of rugby’ and
with the intensifying support of native Africans; the Springboks swept through
the initial rounds, and then downed France in a rain-delayed semi-final. Against
all odds, the Springboks then took down the mighty All Blacks, and in the
process united their previously divided nation. The <i>Sydney Morning Herald</i>
notes down the aftermath of South Africa’s rugby win in this fashion: “It was
nation-defining for South Africa, a transcendent moment in the transformation
from apartheid to multi-racial democracy” (Sydney Morning Herald, 2013). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To quote Mitchell, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It [Rugby] was once a symbol of division, the
separation between white and black South Africa, but in the hands of one
amazing man [Mandela] it became a symbol of hope, unity and peace. Rugby; once
a white man's game became the unifier of a once broken, but now proud nation;
and it was Rugby World Cup 1995 that helped pave the way for Nelson Mandela to
bring together the 'Rainbow Nation’ (Mitchell, 2015). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">References<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Biography of Nelson Mandela. <i>Nelson
Mandela Foundation</i>, n.d. <<a href="https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography">https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography</a>><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
South Africa’s first democratic
elections. <i> South African History Online, </i>April 25, 2013.<i> </i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
< <a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/south-africas-first-democratic-elections">https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/south-africas-first-democratic-elections</a>><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
A history of Apartheid in South
Africa. <i>South African History Online, </i>May 06, 2016.<i> </i><<a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa">https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa</a>><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Effron, Lauren. "Nelson
Mandela: ‘A South African Lincoln.’" <i>ABC NEWS, </i>December
5, 2013. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/nelson-mandela-1995-rugby-world-cup-south-africa/story?id=12789149">https://abcnews.go.com/International/nelson-mandela-1995-rugby-world-cup-south-africa/story?id=12789149</a>><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Mitchell, Brittany. "1995
Rugby World Cup: Unifying a divided nation." <i>ESPN, </i>June
23, 2015.<i> </i><<a href="http://en.espn.co.uk/southafrica/rugby/story/267173.html">http://en.espn.co.uk/southafrica/rugby/story/267173.html</a>><o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
"How Nelson Mandela changed
everything with a jersey." <i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sydney
Morning Herald, </i>December 06, 2013. <<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/how-nelson-mandela-changed-everything-with-a-jersey-20131206-2yv6c.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/how-nelson-mandela-changed-everything-with-a-jersey-20131206-2yv6c.html</a>> <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s1600/Dr..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="168" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRg-kPaxvf0/XQofY113PYI/AAAAAAAAARI/vPOsnk7MdKofiUwt-JgrrUGWF6mB-vH-QCLcBGAs/s200/Dr..jpg" width="162" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. K.Y.D Perera MBBS(Col), PGDCH(Col), PGDHQPS(Col), MSc (Medical
Administration) is a Medical Officer and Medical Administrator. He was a former
Medical Director at District General Hospital, Hambanthota and a former Deputy
District Director of Health Services at Puttalam district. He is currently
reading for his Doctorate in Medical Administration at Post Graduate Institute
of Medicine, University of Colombo and is a student of the BIDTI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><em style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><em style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-7986133190031857362019-05-14T12:28:00.001+05:302019-06-04T09:50:12.534+05:30The Crisis in Central America: Simplified<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Many who follow
U.S politics are aware of President’s Trump’s desire to establish <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/trump-reviving-border-wall-fight-budget-request-190311140018854.html"><span style="color: blue;">a
wall</span></a> on the southern border. The U.S government <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work"><span style="color: blue;">views</span></a> </span>this as one of
the best ways to discourage illegal migrants from entering U.S territory. Why
are Central Americans making the trek through challenging terrain to reach the
United States? Does the ground situation in these Central American countries
have anything to do with this migration?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
In this piece,
we will look into 3 Central American states, referred to by some scholars as
the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2018/downloads/report/2018-GRID-spotlight-NTCA.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">Northern
Triangle of Central America</span></a> </span>(NTCA). Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala
which fall into this category have, in recent years, seen waves of migration to
the United States. What motivated these people to abandon their traditional
lands and possessions and <a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/honduras-el-salvador-mexico/seven-key-questions-answered-about-central-american-migrant-caravan-and-oxfam-response"><span style="color: blue;">journey</span></a>
to the United States?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNk4mORKTW4/XNph8wsIfBI/AAAAAAAAAQI/nBk8hgpI9rUSpU7FJv7gw8e8Z8PCp1vsgCLcBGAs/s1600/Map%2Bof%2Bthe%2BNorthern%2BTriangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1600" height="537" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNk4mORKTW4/XNph8wsIfBI/AAAAAAAAAQI/nBk8hgpI9rUSpU7FJv7gw8e8Z8PCp1vsgCLcBGAs/s640/Map%2Bof%2Bthe%2BNorthern%2BTriangle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Author.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
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<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Recent <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/central-america/"><span style="color: blue;">reports</span></a>
</span>suggest that the number of people from the NTCA who have sought refuge in
surrounding countries have increased by 2249 percent from 2011 to 2016. Such
levels of migration prompted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
to <a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/fleeing-for-our-lives-central-american-migrant-crisis/"><span style="color: blue;">refer</span></a>
to this situation as a “humanitarian crisis.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
In the past, Latin
Americans migrated to the U.S for economic reasons. <a href="https://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-72"><span style="color: blue;">The
Bracero Program</span></a> for example, allowed Mexican laborers to move to
southwestern U.S. farms as guest workers earning a temporary immigration status
when the United States faced a labor shortage. In the 1970s and 80s however, <a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/humanitarian-crisis-central-america"><span style="color: blue;">around
2 million</span></a> Central Americans were displaced due to internal armed
conflicts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some contend that poor economic
conditions in these post-war Central American countries is to blame for the
present day migration levels. Stephanie Leutert, the director of the Mexico
Security Initiative at the University of Texas-Austin <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/12/21/has-united-states-foreign-policy-central-america-fueled-migrant-crisis-donald-trump/2338489002/"><span style="color: blue;">believes</span></a>
that the recent collapse of the coffee market intensified economic difficulties
for coffee growers in Central America, prompting many to abandon their
cultivations and head north for better opportunities. Others<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/crisis-at-the-border-anthropologist-overview-central-american-migration-372762/"><span style="color: blue;">maintain</span></a></span>
that the Great Recession (2008/2009) gravely impacted NTCA countries pushing
many to leave their homes and journey to the United States.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
So is it correct
to categorize these people as ‘economic migrants’? Or are there more factors at play
motivating this exodus to USA and other regional countries? A survey (of patients
and people receiving treatment in MSF-supported clinics from NTCA countries) by
the Doctors Without Borders / <i>Médecins Sans Frontières</i> (MSF) revealed
that 39.2% claimed direct attacks or threats to themselves or their families,
extortion or gang-forced recruitment as the main reasons for fleeing their
county. The
<a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/research/report-forced-flee-central-americas-northern-triangle"><span style="color: blue;">survey</span></a>
further argued that:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-align: justify;">
“Along
the migration route from the NTCA, migrants and refugees are preyed upon by
criminal organizations, sometimes with the tacit approval or complicity of
national authorities, and subjected to violence and other abuses —abduction,
theft, extortion, torture, and rape— that can leave them injured and
traumatized”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Despite the
dangers along the way, many still believe that the benefits far outweigh the
risks. The International Crisis Group (ICG) <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/central-america/el-salvador/life-under-gang-rule-el-salvador"><span style="color: blue;">notes</span></a>
</span>that nearly 20,000 were killed from 2014 to 2017 in El Salvador. According to
the ICG, this figure is higher than that of Libya, Somalia and Ukraine when
these states were facing violent conflicts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Let us examine
the case of El Salvador to better understand why such violence originated in
the NTCA. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufTK_b33R9o/XNpiJoUjrOI/AAAAAAAAAQM/kn6s47YmM0EenD7QSxqSq5NXcHhQKEiLACLcBGAs/s1600/web14-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1080" height="255" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufTK_b33R9o/XNpiJoUjrOI/AAAAAAAAAQM/kn6s47YmM0EenD7QSxqSq5NXcHhQKEiLACLcBGAs/s400/web14-map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5c07a4f94.pdf" style="text-align: justify;">https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5c07a4f94.pdf</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
The <span class="idgendropcap-1"><i>M</i></span><span class="charoverride-2"><i>ara
Salvatrucha</i></span> (MS 13) is a powerful criminal gang <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/07/20/deporting-people-made-central-americas-gangs-more-deportation-wont-help/?utm_term=.d796d27b1c66"><span style="color: blue;">said</span></a>
to have been formed in Los Angeles by men who had fled the 1980-1992 Salvadoran
civil war. The civil war in El Salvador at the time, pitted a Marxist-Leninist
guerrilla group, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/02/2012228123122975116.html"><span style="color: blue;">termed</span></a>
the <i>Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front</i> against the government of
El Salvador. The US Reagan administration, during the height of the war was
believed to have provided <a href="https://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his135/events/elsalvador80/salvador80.html"><span style="color: blue;">1.5
million dollars a day</span></a> to prop up the Salvadoran Government against leftist
forces. Once the civil war ended, many who had fled El Salvador and joined the
MS 13 criminal gang in Los Angeles, were deported back to their home country.
The Salvadoran government however, was unable to bear this influx. Economic
stagnation and unemployment prompted adolescent Salvadorans to join the MS 13
in El Salvador.<a href="file:///C:/Crisis%20in%20Central%20America/Draft%201%20-%20Shakthi.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> A corrupt law enforcement setup, expedited the rise of rival criminal groups in the country. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Christy
Thornton, a sociologist at the Johns Hopkins University<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/19/central-america-migrants-us-foreign-policy"><span style="color: blue;">argues</span></a></span><span style="color: blue;">
</span>that “the destabilisation in the 1980s – which was very much part of the US Cold
War effort – was incredibly important in creating the kind of political and
economic conditions that exist in those countries today.” <i>CFR </i>backs up
this claim, <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/central-americas-violent-northern-triangle."><span style="color: blue;">reporting</span>
</a><span style="color: red;"> </span></span>that individuals from NTCA countries
often “cite violence, forced gang recruitment, and extortion, as well as
poverty and lack of opportunity, as their reasons for leaving.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vcOo19wPfb0/XNpidk-h3NI/AAAAAAAAAQY/xvd3Vyj4HcoeF76AoEzebJiE4bNQThGUgCLcBGAs/s1600/we.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1035" height="464" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vcOo19wPfb0/XNpidk-h3NI/AAAAAAAAAQY/xvd3Vyj4HcoeF76AoEzebJiE4bNQThGUgCLcBGAs/s640/we.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-27/map-here-are-countries-worlds-highest-murder-rates" style="text-align: justify;">https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-27/map-here-are-countries-worlds-highest-murder-rates</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4"
o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:484.2pt;height:355.8pt;
visibility:visible'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/ASHANP~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.png"
o:title=""/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Migration
Policy Institute shows that by 2015, as many as <a href="http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/central-american-immigrants-united-states" target="_blank" title="2.7 million people"><span style="color: blue;">3.4 million people</span></a> born in
El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras were living in the United States.<a href="file:///C:/Crisis%20in%20Central%20America/Draft%201%20-%20Shakthi.docx#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></a> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">This
is more than </span><a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/central-americas-violent-northern-triangle"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">double the
number</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>which resided in USA in 2000. Over the years, U.S President's have taken numerous steps to stem the flow of people. President Bush initiated “</span><a href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Operation_Streamline_Policy_Brief.pdf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">Operation
Streamline</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">” in 2005 to deter migrants from arriving at the US border.
The American Civil Liberties Union </span><a href="https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/13_09_13_aclu_operation_streamline_recommendations_final_1.pdf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">states</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span>that through
this project</span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">, “</span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; line-height: 150%;">in addition to being processed for deportation, apprehended
migrants are referred by the Department of Homeland Security to the Department
of Justice for federal prosecution, and are typically detained for 1 to 14 days
before appearing in court.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">President Barack
Obama focused on supporting Central American governments by increasing <a href="https://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/fs/2017/260869.htm"><span style="color: blue;">assistance</span></a> to
help the region’s law enforcement, counter-narcotics, and justice systems. President
Trump however, believes that adopting a </span><a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/el-salvador/2019-04-30/more-aid-wont-stop-central-americas-migrant-crisis?utm_campaign=reg_conf_email&utm_medium=newsletters&utm_source=fa_registration"><span style="color: blue;">harsher stance</span></a><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"> is necessary and </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-trump/trump-cuts-aid-to-central-american-countries-as-migrant-crisis-deepens-idUSKCN1RC013" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;">slashed </span>aid</span></a><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">
to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in March 2019.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Despite the ongoing criminal activity and economic hardships afflicting these
communities, the response from the international community
has been rather muted. In this backdrop, the </span>UNHRC
<a href="http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/Protection%20and%20Solutions%20Strategy%20for%20the%20Northern%20Triangle%20of%20Central%20America%202016-2018.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">ascertains</span></a>
that <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">a “significant percentage of those fleeing from the NTCA countries may be
in need of international protection, in line with the 1951 Convention relating
to the Status of Refugees, as well as the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on
Refugees.”</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<o:p>For more on this topic refer to the following presentation: </o:p><span style="color: #0000ee;"><a href="https://prezi.com/view/ldOFd73oVmmhWbUMi8GX/"><span style="color: blue;"><u>https://prezi.com/view/ldOFd73oVmmhWbUMi8GX/ </u></span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i>Mr. Shakthi De Silva serves as a Visiting Lecturer in the Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute. He has published widely including in South Asian Survey, the Global–E journal of the University of California, and the London School of Economics South Asia Blog.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<em><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
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<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="file:///C:/Crisis%20in%20Central%20America/Draft%201%20-%20Shakthi.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
MS 13 and a rival <a href="https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/insight-crime-2018-homicide-roundup/">MS
18 gang</a> are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>estimated to have as
many as <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/central-americas-violent-northern-triangle.">eighty-five
thousand members</a>. <span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="file:///C:/Crisis%20in%20Central%20America/Draft%201%20-%20Shakthi.docx#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
As per <i>WorldMeters</i> 2015 data, the total population of <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/guatemala-population/">Guatemala</a>
exceeded 16 million, the population of <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/el-salvador-population/">El
Salvador</a> reached 6 million while the population of <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/honduras-population/">Honduras</a>
was slightly lower than 9 million. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-52647160469380540692019-05-09T11:12:00.000+05:302019-06-19T18:06:23.654+05:30Niche Diplomacy: the other side of the coin<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Wars
begin when diplomacy ends”, the famous quote by Adolf Hitler, has always been a
forceful reminder of the imperative importance of diplomacy as a strategy in
the world arena. The importance of diplomacy as a war deterrent is of
significant importance in the modern geopolitical arena. In the modern
nuclearized world, war is not an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As it was stated in the Einstein-Russell manifesto, “what assurance do
we have that agreements made in times of peace, would be honored during times
of war”. Furthermore recent developments in the international stage have
showcased the importance of diplomatic dialogue in maintaining the stability of
a region, before conflict followed by ensuing turmoil erupts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thus,
these few points alone showcase the importance of diplomacy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Niche
Diplomacy is a form of strategy which comes under the category of soft power.
Soft power as opposed to the hard power of military and economic strength,
moves to resolve issues through the application of tact, strategy, networking
and influence. Often are the scenarios in the global setting where the strength
of hard power has been mitigated by the delicate touch of soft power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the modern context of the world, in
essence in the post-Cold War world which has moved from a bi-polar system to
today’s uni-multipolar system, the need of soft powers by middle and small
power nations are seen. A middle power country; is a country lacking influence
in the global sphere in the aspects of military and economic strength.
Furthermore, it is important to realize that these countries lack financial and
human resources to have an imposing Public Diplomacy policy to drive their
agenda on a macro-global stage. The uni-multipolar system, can be understood as
system; ‘In which all countries have a certain level of Independent influence,
yet one country holds an asymmetrical amount of influence within the sphere.’
Yet the best possible method of understanding the uni-multipolar system is by
the way in which it differs from a bi-polar system; in which two major opposing
powers were well defined decision-takers and decision makers. In this
uni-multipolar system almost every country has the opportunity to become a
decision maker and not a decision taker. Hence using soft power in order to
achieve these goals for middle and small power nations is noteworthy. Yet what
one must grasp, is that middle and small powers lack the ability to resource
and finance a wide reaching foreign policy agenda. Hence the importance of
Niche Diplomacy is seen. Three main salient features of Niche Diplomacy can be
seen; (1) tactical alignment towards one specific field / topic of interest,
(2) efficient and effective uses of resources, (3) influence and consensus
building. Of these the efficient and effective use of resources is of importance
to middle and small powers. By streamlining their resources and expertise
towards one particular facet, prudent and economical use, they can achieve
influence through minimum cost. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Niche
Diplomacy has been a strategy that has been used by middle power nations such
as Singapore, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and South Africa in order to achieve
influence and greater strategic power, in essence soft power, within the
geopolitical arena. Sri Lanka too being a middle power country or in a sense
transitioning towards one needs to think through the ideas of Niche Diplomacy
in its foreign policy agenda. It needs to identify its ‘niche ability’ in the
modern context and find strategies in order to achieve influence in the
international arena by exploiting these capacities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A
good example is South Africa. South Africa faced a lot of international
criticism due to its apartheid policy during the latter part of the 20th
century. The isolation of South Africa was seen in the spheres of politics,
international relations and sports. Following the apartheid backlash, and with
regime change which resulted in the end of apartheid, post-apartheid South
Africa needed to rebrand image and national conciseness. Hence a need for image
change was felt in both the domestic and international aspects. The topic they
took up for Niche Diplomacy is Nuclear Disarmament and Nuclear Non-
Proliferation. South Africa became one of the only countries to give up its
nuclear arsenal and one of the three countries to give up its nuclear program.
South Africa took up an ‘Anti-Nuclear Niche Diplomacy’ approach. They became
great advocates of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the
Comprehensive Treaty on Banning Nuclear Testing (CTBT) and they have worked
actively with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In
an era in which nuclear winters, war and weapons are of great discussion and in
an era in which nuclear weapons have been considered as good negotiating tools
and almost as a source national assurance, South Africa’s choice to remove its
nuclear arsenal was commendable. Rather than sheltering themselves under the
euphemistic umbrella of concepts such as ‘no first use’ or ‘mutually assured
destruction,’ South Africa decided to go down the road of nuclear disarmament.
This has had a great impact nationally and internationally. At the national
level, it brought pride and rebranding after apartheid while internationally
the country was able to regain international standing. South Africa
concentrated its resources, technical and practical disarmament experience, in
this specific issue area to ‘generate returns worth having’ implying that it
wanted to achieve nonmaterial objectives with Niche Diplomacy which, in turn,
would likely generate prestige, status, material benefits , soft power and
moral authority.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Niche
Diplomacy is a viable policy for Sri Lanka to gain international standing.
Fields such as Marine Conservation and Trade routes, Post War Reconciliation
and Multi-Ethnic Co-Operation are seen as some of the viable options. Yet it
must stressed that, Sri Lanka needs to create Strong Governance and Policy
Sustainability through National policies in order to achieve its Niche
Diplomacy Goals.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 195.75pt 364.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Raveen Charukya Lekamwasam was the <o:p></o:p>Vernon Mendis Memorial Prize winner 2018 ( Batch XVI)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
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<em style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-37448953871022721082019-05-05T15:51:00.000+05:302019-05-07T11:10:40.876+05:30A journey I will never forget<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To become successful and to stamp your mark on the modern
dynamic and highly connected world, one requires skills and a perspective of
the world which goes beyond what one has learned at ones undergraduate degree
or field of work. Geo-political situations such as Brexit , Belt and Road
Initiative and developments in the field of national security has an immense
impact on our lives though most of us do not have the right set of skills to
analyze these<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>situations and to hedge
for problems and to take up opportunities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxJjZvrkQPc/XNAKYznrqJI/AAAAAAAAAME/KYcMv1s77IYT6R2T0dxaNuTjHvhOnG55gCLcBGAs/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="662" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxJjZvrkQPc/XNAKYznrqJI/AAAAAAAAAME/KYcMv1s77IYT6R2T0dxaNuTjHvhOnG55gCLcBGAs/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I too was oblivious to the field of diplomacy before setting
foot on the grounds of the BIDTI. As a medical undergraduate of the University
Of Colombo Faculty Of Medicine, my scope of study seemed far removed from the
sphere of diplomacy. But having being a Prefect at school and represented Sri
Lanka in many forums abroad I was interested in world affairs. I came upon the
advertisement by the BIDTI on their website and applied for the course. Though
I was very enthusiastic to start this program, my medical faculty exam
scheduled clashed with the first few weeks of commencement of the course. I
utterly dejected, contacted the BIDTI and asked whether they could excuse me
and put me up for the next intake and not this one. I was amazed by their reply
and friendliness as they were kind enough not only to excuse me but also to
make special accommodations for me. Thus, heartened by this sense of
friendliness I started my journey with the next intake. A journey I will never
forget.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I found myself in a hall of learning which was much
different to any other I had previously encountered. I found myself rubbing
shoulders with Majors, Squadron leaders, Lawyers, Civil servants, Private
sector employees, Journalists and students of numerous variety. The friends I
have made and the conversations I have had would not have been possible if not
for the BIDTI.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Lecture panel consisted of the best of best. Nothing can
beat learning about National security from a Former Chief of Staff or a general,
learning about the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Report from the chairman
of the LLRC and about diplomacy from the perspective of veteran diplomats. The
learning environment was not that of a lecture but was interactive. The Q &
A session following the presentation was where the students put the lecturers
on the block and inquired about many aspects of their professions. It would be
fair to say that they taught us more than facts but imparted us their many
years of experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The subjects you learn are not merely rendered to pass
exams, they are taught in order to expand ones view of the world. I once
remember one of our lecturers teaching us about regional geo politics and
quoted a work called “Clash of Civilizations” by Samuel Huntington. I read it
out of curiosity and what I learnt has enabled me to see the true picture of
the terrorism and social issues in a multi-cultural country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I went from being a medical student, to someone who
ventured beyond medicine. I applied and became Sri Lanka’s Youth Delegate to
ECOSOC in 2019 and the Commonwealth in 2018. I was inspired to see newer
aspects in medicine and did research on “ Medical Diplomacy” and presented two
papers on that subject at two symposiums. I have been inspired to do and be
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Investing your time in this course will be life changing,
but do come with your thinking cap on for the limits are endless to what you
will learn.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Raveen
Charukya Lekamwasam was the <o:p></o:p>Vernon
Mendis Memorial Prize winner 2018 ( Batch XVI)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<em style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-11684256779736445412019-03-17T16:19:00.000+05:302019-05-07T11:13:01.212+05:30Importance of Diplomacy<div style="line-height: 13.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
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In the present-day context, it is pretty much impossible for
someone to live in complete isolation. The advancements in technology,
specially that to the information and communications field has had remarkable
impact on human networks and connectivity. The formidable geographical barriers
of the world have largely been bridged as a result of such technology to a
point where everything is just a few words and click away. It is something that
you and I witness everyday when we use online social network platforms.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cwdlLngwyEo/XNAQ2uJCgCI/AAAAAAAAANU/4HjLPEXJRDAC33JmZw0ZLf5WbChPiVJBwCLcBGAs/s1600/White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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In such a context, the importance of physical presence has
somewhat diminished. You might be far away from the audience or issue you
address. Whether on your computer well settled at home or on your phone on the
way to or from work, the words you utter, have so much more meaning and impact
in the present-day context. So much so, it might even have an impact on a
global scale. It can be that you may not even realize that you are having such
an impact. Individualism has therefore got new vigor with significant
influential capacity. But this proportionately increases the risk of conflict
of opinions as well. But it is a double-edged sword.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwdlLngwyEo/XNAQ2uJCgCI/AAAAAAAAANY/Cvj0enyfOP05NKrA51uvmwtDXMQTaBBIACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1302" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cwdlLngwyEo/XNAQ2uJCgCI/AAAAAAAAANY/Cvj0enyfOP05NKrA51uvmwtDXMQTaBBIACPcBGAYYCw/s200/White.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Diplomacy historically developed as the art or practice
which related to management of conduct and affairs on inter state relationships
through official representatives termed as diplomats. The primary objective was
to further the causes of one state in a mutually beneficial and peaceful manner
which avoids conflict. The time and age have come where this primary objective
should be of a paramount importance even in our individual expressions due to
the background I set out above.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Therefore, I believe that diplomacy is an art to be
practiced by responsible citizens just as it has been practiced by responsible
states throughout the history of mankind. Diplomacy is the skill from which you
can master the double edged sword of individualism – where you develop
sensitivity in dealing with others and contentious issues.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
“Tact is the knack of making a point without making an
enemy.” – Isaac Newton<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
These are all sentiments that I learned and developed while
learning at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
(BIDTI). It was originally established in 1994 under the guidance of the then
Prime Minister, the Late Madam Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, with the objective
of nurturing the budding diplomats of the nation. The Institute has a rich and
wide range of resource persons comprising of UN officials, past & present
Ambassadors, High Commissioners, other professionals from various relevant
fields in public & private sectors. This resource panel is the
instrumental feature of this Institution as it allows students to learn from
the personals both the theoretical and practical application because of the
vast knowledge & personal experiences which they deliver when teaching the
relevant course content. <span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
With more than 2 decades of service, the Institute has
evolved in offering opportunity to all those interested in developing their
knowledge in diplomacy and world affairs regardless of the profession or field
you work in. It is due to this opportunity and the quality resource content
provided, that I was able to enroll and successfully complete the Diploma in
‘Diplomacy & World Affairs’ despite my background relating to the law and
real estate professions.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
You do not need to be a diplomat in profession to practice
diplomacy. But you do need diplomacy to practice your profession.<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ruvindu Bandara was the recipient of the Sirimavo
Bandaranaike Award Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs (Batch XV)</i><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
<br />BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-55967406041428921602019-02-24T11:17:00.000+05:302019-05-07T13:04:53.238+05:30Sri Lanka: Caught in an Indo-China ‘Great Game’?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
Competition is a natural byproduct of major powers navigating an anarchic world. Small states operating in such a milieu, however, face a policy dilemma when strategizing their foreign policy. Sri Lanka, sitting in the epicenter of the arc connecting the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, has captured international attention as a key battleground between Beijing and New Delhi in their tussle for influence in South Asia. While some scholars argue that the island is a personification of China’s “debt trap diplomacy,” others contend that it should not be a poster child of falling into a Chinese “debt trap,” as debt to China is less than 15 percent of Sri Lanka’s total external debt.
<br />
<br />
Concerns over Sri Lanka’s sovereignty have been rife following the $1.12 billion debt-to-equity swap that saw Hambantota port handed over to China and the proposed lease of the Mattala International Airport to India. Sri Lanka is in no position to break off economic ties with either power. According to Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan, by the end of 2017 Chinese companies had completed infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka worth $15 billion. Meanwhile, April 2017 saw India agree to refurbish and use 99 oil tanks in the Trincomalee harbor in Sri Lanka as a joint venture between the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. A $2.6 billion pledge for development projects in Sri Lanka in 2016 as well as bilateral naval exercises with New Delhi evince the close relationship between the two countries. Consequently, maintaining close diplomatic and economic ties with both Asian powerhouses is imperative for Sri Lanka.
<br />
<br />
Be that as it may, a geopolitical rivalry between the two may have lasting ramifications on the island if Sri Lanka makes a false step. How can small states such as Sri Lanka, caught in the currents of a major power competition, safeguard their security and autonomy while reaping economic benefits? This article suggests seven steps that Sri Lanka — and other small states — can take in order to carefully navigate a major power rivalry in the maritime domain.<br />
<br />
First, it is in Sri Lanka’s best interests to devise a bipartisan foreign policy white paper. What are the expected dividends from a foreign policy white paper? Analysts maintain that the National Unity Government of Sri Lanka has been ad hoc in its decision-making, which has led to the execution of suboptimal policy choices. It is imperative that before foreign projects are implemented, unbiased and comprehensive investigations are carried out to assess how they could impact Sri Lanka in the security, economic, and ecological domains. In tandem, diplomatic support for a rules-based maritime order and a foreign policy white paper (which is in essence a fundamental expression of national policy), could establish consistency and continuity in Sri Lanka’s foreign policy regardless of the regime that comes to power. Not only would it boost investor confidence, guide the island toward utilitarian preferences, and establish stable relations with major powers but it would also significantly ease the workload of the island’s diplomatic staff when engaging with major powers.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e15uBpQRs0c/XNANiO8xawI/AAAAAAAAAM4/u1ZFp1d55pY2AnKx0NlNaYkB1fEmP_V7ACLcBGAs/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e15uBpQRs0c/XNANiO8xawI/AAAAAAAAAM4/u1ZFp1d55pY2AnKx0NlNaYkB1fEmP_V7ACLcBGAs/s1600/index.jpg" /></a>Second, a foreign policy white paper needs to be coupled with a defense white paper. As major power interest has shifted to Sri Lanka, it is imperative that local policymakers adequately calculate the risks and benefits involved in economic, military, and diplomatic relations with major powers operating in the Indian Ocean. A defense white paper would outline the broad strategic policy framework for defense planning and sketch the key defense priorities for Sri Lanka. It can also be viewed as a confidence – and security – building measure, which increases transparency not only in the domestic context, but also internationally. This would ensure that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy intentions and actions are not misinterpreted by major powers operating in South Asia. It would also permit the institutionalization of a balanced and utilitarian foreign policy without arousing the apprehension and mistrust of major powers or forgoing core national interests of the island.<br />
<br />
Next, a five to ten year medium-term plan on infrastructure priorities and bipartisan consensus on how to expand exports is vital for Sri Lanka. As indicated by a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the island must “beat the middle income trap through a viable export development policy.” For this purpose, pursuing free trade agreements with China and India is an advantageous and viable strategy of export led growth, which has unfortunately stalled owing to public protests.<br />
<br />
Importantly, misinformation needs to be more firmly tackled. An effective government communication strategy and greater transparency are essential to ensure the local population understands the benefits expected and accrued from international engagements with major powers. Moreover, in the words of one analyst: “the next leader needs to invest in institutionalizing the foreign policy of Sri Lanka rather than persisting with the overly personalized foreign policy which exists today and has [been] followed by many others in the past.”<br />
<br />
Sri Lanka stands to benefit from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, when approving or implementing BRI projects, policymakers must verify whether Sri Lanka’s interests are met and ensure that the island’s security, economy, society, or ecology are not adversely impacted. A multi-actor approach of pooling together resources from universities, nongovernmental agencies, and civil society groups could be recommended as a way in which haphazard and extemporaneous decisions could be avoided. Utilizing a multi-actor approach, foreign policy decision-makers would be better able to determine the parameters or boundaries of what is, or is not, a part of the security and economic dynamic at a particular time. This process would also enable decision-makers to utilize multidimensional perspectives in academic and institutional networks so that the positive and negative externalities of pursuing a particular course of action are better understood. Such foresight in tandem with project feasibility studies would allow for a better-judged decision, which in turn will have greater chances to benefit the country in the short and long term.<br />
<br />
While prioritizing economic diplomacy, Sri Lanka must also take steps to make clear that investments and projects on the island’s territory do not function as the exclusive “preserve of one country.”<br />
<br />
Lastly, leaders must keep in mind that policy uncertainty could ward off potential future investments and exacerbate geopolitical anxieties. Critical and objective reflection as well as informed decision making is of utmost importance for Sri Lanka. These features were clearly absent in the National Unity Government’s policy making process (the National Unity Government since 2015 encompassed two major political opponents – the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party). Instead, policy making tended to be unwieldy, dysfunctional and at times, seemingly erratic. Therefore, policy alignment, bipartisan consensus, and clearly divided remits are essential if politicians wish to enter into Grand Coalitions. Whenever differing positions are adopted by the prime minister and president, corrective action needs to be taken in order to bring these alternative views to a common and authoritative statement of policy.
<br />
<br />
<i>Mr. Shakthi De Silva serves as a Visiting Lecturer in the Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute. He has published widely including in South Asian Survey, the Global–E journal of the University of California, and the London School of Economics South Asia Blog. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/02/sri-lanka-caught-in-an-indo-china-great-game/">The Diplomat Magazine</a>
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="background: #fdfdfd; border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions
expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views
of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution
or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-58221779224588865912018-12-02T16:58:00.000+05:302019-06-04T10:40:25.632+05:30BIDTI is the right place to kick start your passion and interest in Diplomacy and World Affairs<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vef5OVMiw1A/XNAMPh7mcsI/AAAAAAAAAMg/uG4wtfOBEFc5a8GM3CpIDgrHMqMJ7VyEACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG-20181011-WA0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vef5OVMiw1A/XNAMPh7mcsI/AAAAAAAAAMg/uG4wtfOBEFc5a8GM3CpIDgrHMqMJ7VyEACLcBGAs/s640/IMG-20181011-WA0020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I first stepped into the lecture hall of the BIDTI
with a lot of excitement and eagerness for as it was the first time I was
learning in detail, things outside the borders of our island that mattered to
the country. Every day was a new topic, a new expert and obviously a whole sea
of information, ideas and food for thought that triggered our minds. The
quality and standard of the course was such that, the syllabus was updated
constantly. It was definitely not the traditional classroom where age old
theory is taught out of a text book. In fact, within the walls of the BIDTI, we
learnt the significance of a firm hand shake. We learnt that we should tilt the
soup bowl away from us to sip the last bit. We learnt how transitional justice
helps to develop our island in the North and East. We learnt how to make use of
Sri Lanka’s strategic location to be a leader in emerging Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At the convocation, apart from being officially declared
a diplomate, I was honoured to be the recipient of the prestigious Sirimavo
Bandaranaike Memorial Prize awarded to the batch topper. As part of the alumni representative
of the armed of forces, corporate professionals, doctors, lawyers and
undergraduates, it was a truly diverse experience that was gifted to all those
who enrolled to the Diploma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs certainly
opened many doors for me and equipped me to tread on the path of my choice and
passion. In April 2018, I represented Sri Lanka as the youth representative at
the Commonwealth Youth Forum in London. In October 2018, I was appointed as one
of the Sri Lankan Youth Delegates to the United Nations which enabled me to be
the voice of 4.4 million youth in Sri Lanka at the United Nations General
Assembly in New York. Recently I was also selected as a committee member of the
Asian Regional Committee of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) for the period
2018-2020 to assist with the strategic planning, transformation and policy
direction and implementation of the CYS Asian Region. To fulfill my duties in
all of the above capacities, the diploma has been a tremendously useful and
impactful foundation for me. Moreover, my achievement as the batch topper also
allowed me to successfully apply for my Masters in International Relations
offered by the University of Colombo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As an attorney at law candidate and an apprentice at
the Attorney General’s Department, my learning at the BIDTI and the highly
recognized qualification has complimented very well. With a much more refined
understanding of what is happening around the country and the world at large,
it is truly enriching to be able to connect the dots from what I have learnt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs offers a
larger course spectrum covering the theories of Diplomacy, regional
organizations, world affairs, socio economic and political affairs of the
country, etiquette training and many more. What is most rewarding is that all
these are delivered by an ambassadors, high commissioners and other experts in
the field which enables us to relive their experience in a lecture hall. With
the support extended by the administration and staff of the BIDTI, I have no
reservation in recommending the BIDTI to kick start your passion and interest
in Diplomacy and World Affairs. Therefore this is a warm invitation to everyone
out there to enroll yourself in the Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs at
the most accredited training institution of the Foreign Affairs Ministry: The
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Shamilka
Karunanayake was a recipient of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Award and Distinction
holder of the Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs (Batch XIV)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
<br />
<em style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-14305491485278633992018-10-21T16:16:00.000+05:302019-05-07T11:22:54.817+05:30Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs conducted by the BIDTI is a huge success <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uwt_SkhR8Cs/XNAQZp0zEdI/AAAAAAAAANM/ER-dFxaz4qoCyJnHMDpeMzuFzfsYF2a8QCLcBGAs/s1600/Saurabh%2BMishra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uwt_SkhR8Cs/XNAQZp0zEdI/AAAAAAAAANM/ER-dFxaz4qoCyJnHMDpeMzuFzfsYF2a8QCLcBGAs/s1600/Saurabh%2BMishra.jpg" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Few years
back, any enterprising or catastrophic event in any part of the world would not
bother our day to day lifestyle. However in present time, even a chicken
suffering from mild fever in a remote village of Africa or a casual statement
from any individual thousands of miles away from us, effects our life, our
choices, our decisions, shapes our opinions and the way we perceive our
surroundings.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
globalized world and the advances in information technology has made our lives
much more informed than ever before. However despite of the all the information
at our disposal, our understanding of the world around us is still very
limited. The reason lies in our inability to determine the adequacy of
information and ply it with diplomatic and leadership skills in one’s favor.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of
the persuasive reasons behind studying diplomacy and world affairs in today’s
time is, that knowingly or unknowingly we all practice it and get influenced by
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a practitioner of international marketing,
my decision to study Diplomacy and World Affairs was motivated by desire to
know how the real world works beyond the boundaries of formal education.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bandaranaike International Diplomatic
Training Institute (BIDTI)</b>, which acts as the training arm of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs – Government of Sri Lanka was the establishment of choice,
owing to its two decade old credentials of training diplomats and professionals
for the challenges of dynamic world.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #545454;">The
distinctiveness of one year “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Diploma in
Diplomacy & World Affairs</b>” conducted by BIDTI, is reflected not only in
its faculties & curriculum but in its participants as well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">The
faculties and subject experts are the professionals who have themselves
practiced the fundamentals of diplomacy as they should be, and even beyond
limitations of academic doctrines. Their firsthand experiences, candid
dispositions and unconstrained interaction with the participants provides a
glimpse of the real world to the aspiring diplomats. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #545454;">“Your own
life is too short to learn from your own mistakes. Men become wise by learning
from the experiences of others”</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The aforesaid words of wisdom from the 4<sup>th</sup>
century BC text <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Kautilya Arthashastra”</b>,
find pragmatic relevance in BIDTI classrooms. BIDTI, as the name suggests, not
only educates but trains its participants for the pragmatic challenges of
contemporary world. The program enables its participants to understand
contemporary developments, make conscious choices and take informed decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fields of study such as Diplomacy, Foreign
Policy, Security Studies, Global Politics, Global Issues, International Law,
and International & Regional Organizations make the program a need for any
global citizen. Professional skills of communication, negotiations, protocols,
leadership imparted during the diploma are relevant to the participants from
all walks of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #545454;">Also, the
interesting mix of participants, which hail from a diversity of geographies,
culture, social professional backgrounds, age and nationalities, add spectrums
to the class room discussions and thereby promote democratic approach in
putting forward individual opinions. BIDTI in true sense represents an entire
nation on global platforms. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">I firmly
believe, that it is impossible to understand and know a culture through
statistical data, journals or reports. A culture, its people, customs, rituals,
cuisines, its festivals can only and only be experienced. As an Indian citizen,
new to Sri Lanka, BIDTI has been such an experience for me.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My
confidence in the training I obtained through BIDTI reflects in my everyday
interaction with my colleagues and customers, not only in Sri Lanka but
wherever my work takes me along. It has helped me to engage diverse people in
meaningful discussions and seek their interests for both professional and
personal conveniences.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #545454;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am
sincerely content to pursue one year diploma at BIDTI and would recommend the
same, as it has given me enduring enthusiasm towards the dynamic field of
Diplomacy and Leadership.</span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Saurabh
Mishra was a student from the XVII Diploma in Diplomacy & World
Affairs Batch. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<em style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-54715164283917417312018-03-26T09:25:00.000+05:302019-05-07T11:26:11.181+05:30Exploring and dissecting the World around us: how the BIDTI leads the way<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
As an island caught in the cusp of global geopolitical
change, the import ascribed to Sri Lanka and its foreign policy has markedly
increased. A re-emerging ‘Asian Century’ bodes great benefits and challenges to
all Sri Lankans and effectively harnessing this shift will assist us in
reaching our collective goals and aspirations in the coming
decades. To not just comprehend, but to also make full use of
this systemic power shift requires a clear understanding of international
relations and its related dynamics.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H4SXmTFi-IU/XNECVETDzxI/AAAAAAAAAOE/3BKKc05j0FMPmAaSs_KF3a3VFLpl0J5dgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="float: right;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The North Korean nuclear dilemma, the purported rise of
revisionist powers, the global economic recession, piracy in the Indian Ocean
and terrorist attacks from Europe to South East Asia dominate the headlines of
mainstream media today. All of us develop our own estimations and opinions
concerning these problems as well as the impacts they may have on us as a
nation. But how can we improve our awareness and apprehension of these topics?
What avenues do Sri Lankans have to sharpen their knowledge on these problems
and develop clearer insights on these topics from subject experts in academia
and in the field?<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H4SXmTFi-IU/XNECVETDzxI/AAAAAAAAAOI/CVrDEgj-a9gHhwvuI8-EgMmu-gOllMzewCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H4SXmTFi-IU/XNECVETDzxI/AAAAAAAAAOI/CVrDEgj-a9gHhwvuI8-EgMmu-gOllMzewCPcBGAYYCw/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training
Institute (BIDTI) fills this lacuna. The Diploma in <i>Diplomacy
and World Affairs </i>course - of which I was a student of - covered
topical themes such as Diplomatic Theory and Practice, International Law,
International and Regional Organizations, Current Global Issues, and
Developments in Sri Lanka. Studying these topics opened vistas for a more
nuanced cognizance of the dynamics that shape the world we live in. Moreover,
the highly qualified and experienced panel of lecturers we were exposed to
enabled us to develop our analytical skills of theoretical and practical aspects
of global politics in a new light. Among our lecturers were Ambassadors and
High Commissioners representing a diverse array of countries, with whom we were
able to have engaging and stimulating conversations; both inside and outside
class. Such experiences were undoubtedly the highlight of my time at the BIDTI.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The institute was established in 1994 under the guidance of
the then Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike for the purpose of offering
advanced training courses in Diplomacy and International relations. Formulated
under the auspices of the first female Prime Minister in the world, the
institute is now under the able management of Mrs. Pamela J. Deen (the Director
General of the BIDTI).<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
The course is invaluable to anyone aspiring to join the Sri
Lankan Foreign Service as well as for professionals and students who wish to
absorb a more articulate knowledge of international affairs and
diplomacy. Indeed, as an undergraduate in the Colombo University
today, I can state that the experience at BIDTI became instrumental in shaping
my desire to pursue International Relations as my degree. The Institute does
not limit itself to academic instruction but also develops and enhances soft
skills through its diplomatic etiquette and cocktail components as
well. Thus the Institute engages in a hands-on approach to enrich
our soft skills whilst concomitantly deepening our grasp of global affairs.
Therefore, to anyone interested in learning about world affairs and diplomacy
or even desiring to develop his/her soft skills in an education-friendly
environment I would highly recommend pursuing the BIDTI <i>Diplomacy and
World Affairs</i> Diploma course!<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mr. Shakthi De Silva was the recipient of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial award for excellent performance at the XIII Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs Course of the BIDTI in 2016.</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
</div>
</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-15490329023957513312018-02-18T17:02:00.000+05:302019-05-07T13:08:30.318+05:30Accelerating your career path with an in-depth understanding of ‘Diplomacy and World Affairs’<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i>The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell. </i><i> — Dag Hammarskjöld, second United Nations Secretary-General (1953 to 1961)</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;">Sometimes I have seen that many people are
questioning about the effectiveness of the role of United Nations in a world where
it has to deal with number of new issues which arises each & every day. When
someone is questioning the existence & the effectiveness of United Nations,
I always recall the above quote from one of the former UN Secretary Generals
& ask the question ‘What if there is no organization called United Nations?
Just imagine, how the world would look like when over 193 nations act in their
own without any cooperation or common agreement among each other?!?’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7kxyJV3h3K4/XNAM-jSCP_I/AAAAAAAAAMo/rXHytESDFB0Pv0-hjQZcBlkltRKscW04ACLcBGAs/s1600/Image%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7kxyJV3h3K4/XNAM-jSCP_I/AAAAAAAAAMo/rXHytESDFB0Pv0-hjQZcBlkltRKscW04ACLcBGAs/s320/Image%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;">Being the Official Sri Lankan Youth Delegate to the 71<sup>st</sup>
United Nations General Assembly which was held at United Nations Headquarters
in New York USA, was one of the most unforgettable experiences that I ever had
in my life. Also I deem it a privilege having the wonderful opportunity to
present the youth statement of Sri Lanka at the Third Committee of 71<sup>st</sup>
United Nations General Assembly which has</span><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">agenda
items relating to a range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights
issues that affect people all over the<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> world. <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">United Nations Headquarters was the place where I could actually witness
the beauty of diplomacy & world affairs for the very first time in my life.
It was such a wonderful thing to witness, how 193 member states try to agree upon
various topics through rounds of discussions & negotiations which were both
formal & informal. It actually gave me a great insight to the world of diplomacy
& world affairs in real time. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="letter-spacing: .35pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;">Throughout my
stay in New York as the Official Sri Lankan Youth Delegate to the United
Nations, what I realized was, Diplomacy is an art which needs an in depth
understanding about dealing with different situations & different people.
Also it is an art which should be practiced with prior knowledge in order to
obtain better outcomes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;">Hence I
strongly believe that having successfully completing the Diploma in ‘Diplomacy
& World Affairs’ at<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> Bandaranaike
International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI), helped me immensely
throughout my journey as a diplomat & youth worker while giving me that
prior knowledge which was essential to discharge my duties accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; line-height: 150%;">Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training
Institute (BIDTI)</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">was established in 1994
under the guidance of the then Prime Minister, the Late Madam Sirimavo
Bandaranaike</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">with
the objective of nurturing the budding diplomats of the nation. I believe that
having a panel of resource persons comprising of UN officials, past &
present Ambassadors, High Commissioners, other professionals from various
relevant fields in public & private sectors is one of the key to BIDTI’s
success in delivering its results as it allows students to learn from the personals
who have a vast knowledge & experiences about the course content which they
deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The course content covers areas such as
Diplomatic Theory & Practice, International Law, International &
Regional Organizations, Current Global Issues, and Development in Sri Lanka etc
while also focusing on developing professional skills which are essential to
anyone who thinks to excel in the field of diplomacy & world affairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
believe that diplomacy is an art which should be learned & performed by any
professional to excel in their career despite of the job field since the
concept of global village is not an imagination anymore. Indeed it is real!
Therefore having a good knowledge & understanding of the field of ‘Diplomacy
& World Affairs’, will immensely help anyone who thinks to accelerate in
their career while gaining the competitive advantage in this global village
which is enhanced with modern technology that connects people all over the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">W. Sachinda Dulanjana is a former Sri Lankan Youth Delegate to the United </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Nations and an Honourable Speaker of Sri Lanka's Youth Parliament. </span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<em style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: rgb(253 , 253 , 253); border: 1pt none; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em>BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14902336400998466110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8291306690331729208.post-53202726332232049342017-04-17T15:21:00.000+05:302019-05-07T11:28:48.996+05:30Sri Lanka’s foreign policy - Security Architecture <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sri
Lanka’s foreign policy has often been termed as being fundamentally nonaligned.
But what does ‘nonaligned’ really mean in the post-cold war era? Since the end
of the cold war, academic and scholarly publications have oft criticized the
ambiguity surrounding both the term and the membership of the nonaligned
movement. In this brief speech I don't intend to discuss or decipher what form
of nonalignment Sri Lanka followed in the past. I'm sure the diplomats present
here today have a better understanding than I do of the varied nuances of
previous administrations foreign policy. Instead I intend to re-define the
meaning of nonalignment as I perceive in the present administration’s foreign
policy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
present administration of Sri Lanka is focused on building amicable relations
with all countries. This has been repeatedly iterated by the president, prime
minster and the foreign minister on numerous occasions. I believe that the
present administration has redefined the import of the term nonaligned. This
new form of ‘nonalignment’ is not centered on a cold war mentality but instead,
is more focused on developing friendly ties with great and small powers to an
equal degree. As a small developing state, Sri Lanka’s friendly foreign
relations have supported the country's image as a peace-loving country which
wishes to engage with all states. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
crux behind this foreign policy can be illustrated as one which encompasses; a
unified and interconnected security architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Establishing relations with great and small
powers - to a more or less equal degree - has enabled Sri Lanka to obtain
significant economic and financial support as well as other forms of
assistance. This new security architecture enables the island to have amicable
relations with all the major and small powers without being seen as being
aligned to any. Not only does this enable Sri Lanka to escape from creating a
security dilemma among the great powers but it also circumvents any external
pressures from neighboring and distant great powers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
also intend to briefly skim through some of the highpoints I have discerned
over the recent weeks with regard to Sri Lanka’s relations with the following
great powers: U.S.A, China, Russia and India.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Since
the regime change of 2015, relations with America have noticeably improved.
This is undoubtedly reflected in the government’s action of co-sponsoring two
resolutions on Human rights, accountability and reconciliation with the U.S.A. Present
cooperation on one of the most contentious issues between the former Sri Lankan
government and U.S.A; are a testament to this enhancement of ties. The first-ever
Pacific Partnership goodwill mission to Sri Lanka by America as well as the inaugural
US – Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue reflects the American administration’s
desire to reset its relations with the island. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Relations
with Russia have also been amicable. Naturally the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to
which the present president belongs to, have had considerably good ties with
Russia since the cold war. The recent visit of the Sri Lankan president to
Moscow to meet President Putin and the latter’s gifting of a royal sword; is
symbolic of the enduring relationship between the two countries. I perceive the
timing of the visit as especially emblematic of the present presidents desire
to appear nonaligned; not only to the international community but also to the
domestic public.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">2017
marks 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China
and Sri Lanka as well as 65 years since the signing of the rubber-rice pact
between the two countries. This clearly emphasizes the historic connection
between the two countries. Although the present administration has recalibrated
its ties with China in contrast to the previous regime, ties are still strong
and will continue to remain so. General Chang Wanquan’s (Minister of Defense
and State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China) official visit to Sri
Lanka last week is a clear signal of this unchanging rapport.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ties
with India and Sri Lanka have historically had its ups and downs. However a
noticeable feature of late is the strong personal ties that exist between the
Indian Prime Minister Modi and the Sri Lankan president. Although the Economic
and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India has had a recent spurge
of public protests I do not believe that the relationship between the two
governments and especially between the two presidents will undergo any
impairment in the foreseeable future. India’s decision to sign the Logistics
Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with United States in 2016 (which gives
the militaries of both countries access to each other’s facilities for supplies
and repairs) as well as India's desire to enhance its maritime defense strategy
gives added reason why Sri Lanka should adopt a balanced foreign policy of
maintaining friendly ties with all countries; both near and far. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Among
the most important components of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy considerations must
be its closer great powers; China and India. While China’s economic assistance
is extremely important for the development of the country, India’s security
concerns must also be factored in such considerations. Conducting joint
military exercises with both countries - especially joint naval exercises - would
be a step that Sri Lanka could take to balance its ties with both countries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To
sum up; the present regime has fashioned an altered formulation of nonalignment
which is aptly suited to the 21<sup>st</sup> century’s geopolitical challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This security architecture which is focused
on building amicable ties with great and small powers to an equal degree is
indubitably one of the best foreign policies that a small state such as Sri
Lanka could apply at present. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">This note is an
adapted version of the views expressed by Shakthi De Silva at the invitation of
the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America to
the diplomatic staff and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials
on 03-04-2017. </span></i></span></span><span style="font-normal: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Shakthi De Silva
was the recipient of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial award for
excellent performance <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">at</span> the XIII Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs
Course of the BIDTI in 2016.</span></i></span></span></div>
</h4>
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</span></i><br />
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<em><span style="background: #fdfdfd; border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; padding: 0in;">The opinions
expressed in this article are the author’s own and not the institutional views
of the BIDTI, nor do they necessarily reflect the position of any other institution
or individual with which the author is affiliated.</span></em><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<![endif]-->BIDTIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540268593031557807noreply@blogger.com0