Archive for Poverty
July 26, 2007 at 12:46 pm · Categories: Advocacy, English, Media, Politics, Poverty | by groundviews
A litany of socio-political problems we face today can directly or indirectly be traced back to the existence and growth of corruption. Bordering on criminality, exacerbating extreme poverty, stifling economic development and ultimately frustrating democracy and good governance, corruption â from bribery and extortion to fraud and nepotism - is a wretched phenomenon that progressively wastes Sri Lankaâs social, economic and political potential. Addressing it requires a holistic approach that looks at the interdependence of the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary, public institutions, private interests and civil society initiatives.
This video, part of a larger media campaign conducted by the Anti-Corruption Programme of ARD has details of a …
June 24, 2007 at 5:17 pm · Categories: English, Nuwara Eliya, Poverty | by groundviews
April 7, 2007 at 5:41 pm · Categories: English, Human Rights, Human Security, Jaffna, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by jafrep
Gun-point robberies have increased in Jaffna. Town area houses are robbed day or night and even during curfew time. Last week some robbers went to a house during the day, introduced themselves as being from the CID dept and said they wanted to search the house. After they left a camera, money and a mobile phone were missing.
Day before yesterday some robbers went to a restaurant and robbed at gun point. Sometimes the robbers sexually harass women as well.
One month back some robbers robbed a house in Kalvianakadu. The house owner shouted thief and neighbours gathered and chased them away and caught one of them. The villagers assaulted the robber and he died as a result.
A Jaffna library laborer is …
January 31, 2007 at 2:37 pm · Categories: English, Human Rights, Jaffna, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by jafrep
Jaffna people are now paying a higher price for essential things than when they were taken through the land route and taxed by the LTTE. Now essential items are taken to Jaffna by ship and sold through the MPCS (Multipurpose Cooperative Society) for ration.
The prices are higher than the marketprice when they were taxed by LTTE.
Before the landroute closed all the things taken to Jaffna by land. Normally LTTE imposed 15% duty for the essential things but everything was nevertheless sold at market prices in line with Colombo prices.
Some pharmacies even sold the baby milk powder and baby infant lower than the market price eg 135.00 marked Cerelac sold for 128.00 rs. Those days some people criticised Jaffna people for …
January 30, 2007 at 10:44 am · Categories: Disaster Management, Human Rights, Human Security, Kalutara, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by CRep
My recent visits to the coastal village of Nalarua in the district of Kalutara, about 5 kilometres from Kalutara town, got me thinking about life in the south. 450 families live in that village. I spoke to eight men and seven women on a Tuesday morning.
Religion-wise 97% of them were Buddhist, 2% Catholic and 1% Muslim. They work as masons, carpenters, craftsmen working with coconut fibre to make ropes and small boats and others as garment factory workers. Their political affiliations are with parties such as the SLFP, UNP, JVP and JHU.
I asked one of the middle-aged men asked whether there were any caste issues in their village.
“We donât have any caste issues, we are all Sinhalese living …
January 5, 2007 at 1:34 am · Categories: Jaffna, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by jafrep
Nestomalt is now selling in Jaffna for medical certificate only. After the closure of the land route a big shortage for nutritional food in Jaffna. Recently some Nestomalt taken to Jaffna and distributed through the marketing department for medical certificate only. The marketing department authorities said to the customers take a letter from an MBBS Doctor. They do not sell without medical certificate. Nestomalt selling in black market Rs1000.The ordinary people wondering how Nestomalt came to the blackmarket.
January 1, 2007 at 11:09 am · Categories: Disaster Management, English, Jaffna, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by jafrep
From Aug 11th security forces closed the A9 highway after the LTTE attack. A9 is the only land route connecting Jaffna to other places, as a result, people are now facing difficulties to travel to other places after the closure of the A9. Earlier an average 8,000 people travelled on the A9 daily. Now only two ways are open to Jaffna people. One is sea transport, other one is air transport.
A vessel called Green oceanic carried passengers between Jaffna Trincomalee once a week and two local airlines conducted passenger service Colombo-Jaffna daily. People need Security clearence before the journey (MOD). These transport facilities are not enough to fullfill the Jaffna peoples’ needs.
Thousands of people are waiting in Trincomalee …
December 27, 2006 at 6:37 am · Categories: Colombo, Galle, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by Chamath
I would like to throw out a few ideas for those who come from a peacebuilding paradigm for discussion if possible.
My recent chat with a long-time supporter of the JVP, now aged about 50, driver of a three-wheeler who had two children, helped me see more clearly his point of view.
After working at a ceramic factory for 20 years, where he progressed to being a skilled operator of the kiln, he was layed off along with everyone else at that plant with little compensation. He received a salary of under Rs10,000 a month at the time he was layed
off.
He didnât find an opportunity to use his skills elsewhere and after being treated badly by another employer, he resorted to driving …
December 16, 2006 at 3:49 am · Categories: Disabilities, Jaffna, Poverty | by jafrep
More than hundred thousand people have been affected by Chikenguniya in the Jaffna District. Some students sitting for the Ordinary Level examinations were reported to have fainted in examination halls. Deputy director of Health Services Dr.R.Ketheswaran said seventy thousand patients took treatment in government hospitals and that private hospitals were also full patients sufferring from it.
There is also a shortage of staff in government departments since 80% of the staff have also been affected. Due to the shortage of Paracetamol, prices of this painkiller have risen to 5.00 Rs per tablet.
November 28, 2006 at 9:24 pm · Categories: Batticaloa, Disaster Management, Human Security, IDPs and Refugees, Peace and Conflict, Poverty | by CRep
About 25,000 refugees in the Vakarai region of Batticaloa need assistance urgently in terms of food, medicines, shelter, water and sanitation. They have been facing shortages for over a month, and I received my information from refugees who had left from Vakarai about 4 days ago.
The government sector is also not functioning so there are no schools and medical facilities.
A convoy with essential items was turned back yesterday by the army from Mankerni base. The army gave the reason that LTTE artillery attacks on Kajuwatte camp made it unsafe. The LTTE spokesman Illanthirayan denies this and says there was no firing by the LTTE on Tuesday.
On Wedneday, another convoy of essential goods is preparing to go to Vakarai.
About 3,500 LTTE …
