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| Sunday, 5 May 2002 |
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Features |  |
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Sri Lanka beckons for Biennial Conference: In November this year, the CPU's Conference and Editors' Forum - held every two years - takes place in Sri Lanka. Vyvyan Harmsworth, Chairman of the CPU's Executive Committee and Director of Corporate Affairs at the UK's Daily Mail and General Trust, scouts out the territory.
I doubt whether Marco Polo received such a warm welcome as I did on arrival in Sri Lanka. Being greeted with garlands of flowers and warm smiles at Colombo airport, was a reassuring moment since my last visit over 30 years ago. From the moment I stepped through Immigration it was clear that the Commonwealth Press Union was going to be a most welcome guest in this land of deep traditional and a complex history, involving the Portuguese, Dutch and the British who arrived uncharacteristically late in 1796. The geographical position of India and the spice trade made Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, a prize to be nurtured. This remained so until Sri Lanka received independence in February 1948. Colombo today reflects the same intriguing mix of culture and race which gives character and atmosphere to both the people and the city. More recent events have caused Sri Lanka the anguish of a terrorist war, which has taken both human and economic toll on the country since 1983. It is only since earlier this year that a real and practical solution began to look possible. The present air of optimism and commitment from the parties involved to search for a solution has manifested itself in the dismantling of road-blocks and the withdrawal of the army from the streets. The now empty sangars illustrate a tangible feeling of physical and mental relaxation, which visitors soon notice for themselves. This presents us with an ideal climate in which to launch our CPU Conference and Editors' Forum. A visit to the Foreign Secretary, Tyronne Fernando, confirmed a generous welcome for you all and secured his kind agreement to address the Conference, which will be opened by the President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The first half of the Conference will be under the roof of the Trans Asia Hotel in the centre of Colombo. The CPU are no strangers to the national press who are now in free and open competition facing the common challenges of publishing. However, they are united in their determination to make this the most memorable and enjoyable conference possible. The excellent facilities, together with their enthusiasm and total support will ensure an invigorating and challenging three days. The political backdrop, the troubled North and the CPU's involvement in recent freedom press issues, will ensure stimulating and lively debate. It is the first time in 12 years that the CPU has visited the region and we will also be looking forward to meeting our many friends from India.On Wednesday the Conference delegates depart in the Viceroy Train for the hills of Kandy. Reprieved from the rigours of the road, the train winds through the tropical foothills of the interior, eventually climbing to the romance of Kandy, the stronghold of the Sinhala Kings who successfully resisted occupation for so many centuries. Here in the sheltered splendour of the Mahaweli Hotel, once a family home and still run by the same family, the second part of the Conference will take place. The Conference and Editors' Forum will have separate agendas but share the morning sessions. However, the cultural side will not be overlooked and there will be opportunity to visit the magnificent Dalada Maligawa, Buddhist Temple of the Tooth, which encapsulates the spirit of the town and is a revered place of pilgrimage and worship for Buddhists from around the world. There is no doubt you will be over whelmed by the charm of the Sri Lankans and their gentle ways. A motion of the head moving slowly in a figure of eight accompanied with an engaging smile means neither yes or no but that you are asking the impossible and as you are with the CPU you have a good chance of getting it.As for me, I found my new love sunning herself on the banks of the Mahaweli River just below our hotel. Captivated by her alluring hazel eyes it was only a matter of minute before I offered to buy her dinner. This set me back one over ripe paw-paw and six kilos of sugar cane. It has been 40 years since I was last hugged by an elephant and the evening ended in the bath with me scrubbing her back with the outside of a coconut shell. I did not imagine this could happen but then so many unexpected things occur in this enchanting country. The spouse's program promises an intriguing insight into Sri Lankan life. In Colombo there will be a hands-on visit to Batik shop with a chance to make your own design, the opportunity to witness a traditional wedding and absorb some of the historic architecture. Demonstrations of jewellery cutting and fashioning sapphires will be a popular event only surpassed by the opportunity of leaving the location with a star sapphire or topaz nestling on the finger. In Kandy visits to tea plantations and the beautiful botanical gardens will be an overture to a stimulating program. And those with a maternal instinct may even get the chance to help a young orphan elephant with the task of swallowing 40 litres of milk straight from the bottle. The teardrop at the Southern end of India is one of joy, as all who visit Sri Lanka will verify. I look forward to welcoming you. Courtesy:CPU News |
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