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| Sunday, 12 March 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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"How can the spirit of the Earth like the white man? Everywhere the white man has touched, it is gone", is what an old, Red Indian woman had to say about the manner in which the land has been abused by those who took it over from the Red Indians. Some of you may have read what the great Red Indian Chief, Seattle also had to say to the white man, as to how the land should be protected and cared for, by man. But, look at what has happened today to Mother Earth. Everywhere we look, there is destruction. Today, Mother Earth is groaning and moaning at the way she is being treated. By abusing the bounties of nature, we are slowly, but surely destroying our own lives..... Forests are being cleared at random, without a thought being given to the impact it has on the eco-system, valuable trees are felled for timber, both animals and their habitats are destroyed, water resources are polluted, even the very air that we breathe to survive is polluted, and most of the natural resources are over-exploited; the list of man's wanton acts of destruction is endless. When will all this stop? Perhaps when we have nothing more left to destroy. Even though Mother nature has begun to snarl and show her dissatisfaction at the manner in which she is being treated, by way of drastic changes in the weather and climatic condition and increased natural disasters, such as the tsunami we experienced in 2004, we continue our destructive acts. Even at this very moment, a mighty tree that took many long years to become the giant that it is, will be at the razor's edge, waiting to come crashing to the ground, an endangered animal's life about to be stilled by a deadly bullet, marine life threatened by the discharge of polluted and toxic waste, and precious forest cover destroyed in the name of development. Never be a part of such wanton destruction. Always treat Mother Earth with love and respect, because your life depends on it. Bye, Miru. Buddha Jayanthi celebrations at school level The Ministry of Education has planned a long-term programme with regard to the 2550th Buddha Jayanthi celebrations, which will be held this year. The Buddha Jayanthi commemorates the passing away of the Buddha in 543BC. The 2550th Buddha Jayanthi celebrations will be held throughout the island, as well as in many other parts of the world, this year.
The programme of the Ministry will be carried out in all government schools, pirivenas, universities, national colleges of education and other training institutions. All programmes will be planned according to the instructions of the prelates of all chapters, and will be implemented under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapakse and Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha. The theme for the programme will be 'Towards a morally developed Sri Lanka'. A Vesak Week has also been declared by the Ministry of Education from May 9 to 15. The Secretary to the Education Ministry has informed all Heads of schools, pirivenas and colleges of education that a primary objective of education is to create a generation of students that are morally-developed. All principals and teachers have a responsibility to achieve this goal. This is the objective the Government is trying to achieve through these programmes. It has also been emphasized that every student should be encouraged to attend Dhamma schools from this year. Special religious programmes at school level are also being encouraged every full moon poya day with the assistance of school teachers and parents. World Consumer Day March 15 is World Consumer Day, a day dedicated to the consumer movement. This is a day that concerns all human beings, whether children or adults, as all of us are consumers with equal consumer rights. Although the first World Consumer Day was commemorated in the USA in 1962, it was first announced officially by the United Nations in 1985, with a bill of consumer rights, which included the right to the satisfaction of basic needs. Some of the other consumer rights the UN bestowed through this bill are, the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard, the right to consumer education, and the right to a healthy environment. In the market system, the consumer is king. But, are we aware that we are entitled to these rights as consumers? Do we enjoy the rights that are bestowed on us as 'kings'? Not always. Consumers almost always end up with a bad deal, due to the various unhealthy and unethical practices adopted by traders. You children can learn about the rights that you are entitled to as consumers, from now itself. This will help you to make informed decisions when you buy even the simple things that you use as students, and will also prepare you with better knowledge to face the world as adults. Expediting schols programme The Education Ministry has taken steps to expedite the programme of providing scholarships to students who have passed the Year 5 scholarship examination, and meeting the required criteria. The programme was launched under the guidance of Minister Susil Premajayantha. Twenty-six students who have missed scholarships entitled to them, due to ignorance, have already been identified under this programme, and arrangements have been made to grant their scholarships from this year. Students from families receiving an annual income below Rs. 24,000, are eligible for the scholarships. Those fulfilling this selection criteria should furnish their information to the Education Ministry, so that the granting of scholarships can be accelerated. Competitions for Global Campaign for Education The Union of Sri Lanka Teachers Solidarity (USLTS) has organised poster, essay and drama competitions for local schoolchildren, as part of the Global Campaign for Education - Seventh Global Week of Action from April 24-30. Children are invited to send in their creations on the theme 'Every child needs a teacher'. The posters should be 15x20 inches or 38x52cm. The essays could be in Sinhala, Tamil or English, and shouldn't be more than 250 words. The dramas, in Sinhala, Tamil or English should be limited to 15 minutes, with a cast of not more than five; applications for the dramas should be sent through school principals. Each entry should carry the title of the poster, essay or drama, full name of the applicant, age, sex, addresses (school and residence), contact number, and name and signature of the school principal. The closing date for applications is March 15. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third winners, while those placed fourth to 25th will receive merit certificates. Certificates of participation will be presented to the others. Applications should be directed to Organizing Committee, USLTS, "Canada House", No. 40, Centre Road, Colombo 15. For more details, call: 047 2245385/081 2235076/ 011 2527577 or fax: 011 2529256. A vocational training project A vocational training project named Dambuwa Farm was inaugurated recently for the inmates of the Peter Weerasekera Children's home at Dambuwa, Buthpitiya. The project is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Gymsoy and Colombo Central, and Norad of Norway, and managed by the Peter Weerasekera Children's home.
Thor Herman Thorsen and Carl Johan Thorsen from the Rotary Clubs of Gymsoy and Moss in Norway, Merrick Peiris, President and Raj Jeganathan, Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Colombo Central and Singha Weerasekera, Trustee of the Children's Home took part in the event. The Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya will provide the necessary instructions for the project, which involves the cultivation of both vegetables and fruits. Over 50 per cent of the production will be used for the consumption of the Children's Home, while the balance will be sold to the villagers at a reasonable price. Singha Weerasekera said the project will provide a scientific training to the children on cultivation. The training he said, could help them to start their own cultivation programmes in future. Text and picture by Nimal Perera, Wattala Group Correspondent |
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