Writing Part Two of Mahavamsa

All of you are sure to have heard of the Mahavamsa. The Junior Observer has also referred to this great chronicle many times, especially in our Heritage Splendour pages.

What is so special about the Mahavamsa? It is one of the most reliable historical sources available for the

 younger generation today, to learn about the history of Sri Lanka.

It's also complete and accurate, containing all historical details of Sri Lanka from 6 BC to 1956 AD. Writing Part Two (the more modern history) was recently started by the Cultural Affairs Department. This will contain the history from the period 1956 to 1978.

The task was commenced by the Mahavamsa editing panel last January and is expected to be completed before the end of this year. Arrangements have also been made by the Department to publish Part Two of the Mahavamsa Geethaya, within the next three months.

NASA sees warmer eastern U.S. summers

A NASA study suggests global warming may raise average summer temperatures in the eastern United States nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2080s.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists determined eastern U.S. summer daily high temperatures that currently average in the low-to-mid-80s Fahrenheit will most likely soar into the low-to-mid-90s by the 2080s. But during seasons with infrequent rainfall, July and August daily high temperatures could average between 100 and 110 degrees in cities such as Chicago, Washington and Atlanta.

The researchers, analyzing 30 years of data, determined Pacific Ocean surface temperatures have a significant influence on summer air temperatures in the eastern United States.

"Relatively cool waters in the eastern Pacific often result in stubborn summer high-pressure systems over the eastern states that block storms, reducing the frequency of precipitation below normal," said study co-author Richard Healy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

"Less frequent storms result in higher surface and atmospheric temperatures that then feed back on the atmospheric circulation to further reduce storm frequency and raise surface temperatures even more."

UPI

Remember the refugees

Would you be surprised to know that over 20.8 million of the world's people are refugees? Yes, it's true. "People who have left home and sought refuge (e.g. from war or persecution) elsewhere" comprise a huge part of the global population.

They are forgotten by the rest of the community and languish in refugee camps. They lack even the basic necessities in life such as food, shelter and clothing. The worst affected are, as usual, the children.

They are deprived of an education, future opportunities and even the love and care of their family, and are sometimes abused and exploited.

However, refugees continue to hold on; they show extreme courage, resilience(ability to recover quickly from shock) and strength and continue to build a life for themselves in situations beyond their control, in places far away from their homelands.

This strength and courage of refugees is honoured by the whole world on June 20, the World Refugee Day. The plight of refugees and the causes of their exile, their determination and will to survive and the contributions they make to their host communities are recognised and honoured on this day.

The activities of the day are spearheaded by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which also looks after the well-being of refugees.

The Office of the UNHCR was established by the UN General Assembly on December 14, 1950 to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve their problems worldwide. Under the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, it tries to protect the basic human rights of vulnerable persons and ensure that refugees will not be returned against their will to a country where they face persecution and harassment.

The organisation helps civilians return to their homelands, integrate(blend into) in countries of asylum(refuge) or resettle in third countries. It also seeks to provide at least a minimum of shelter, food, water and medical care to victimised communities.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution, designating June 20 as World Refugee Day, was adopted in 2000.

Some of the events that have been planned in Sri Lanka in connection with the day are a three-day photo exhibition focusing on human rights, which will open in Colombo on June 19; distribution of posters on the 'Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement' among schools in Colombo and the North and East; a play on human rights to be staged by a local theatre group under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage programme, the "National Year of Drama"; and a documentary on refugees to be screened on June 21.

Chinese support to set up theatre complex

Sri Lanka and China signed an agreement recently to set up a National Performing Arts Theatre Complex in the island. The details of the project are to be finalised soon and construction expected to commence.

The theatre complex would provide seating for 1,288 people. Clearance has already been given to the final design of the theatre complex; the architects are now working towards finalising the design drawings.

The Chinese authorities expect to start the construction work by October. The discussions with regard to this theatre complex were held between Cultural Affairs Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Chinese Cultural Affairs Minister Sun Jiazheng during Minister Abeywardena's recent visit to China.

Promoting religious relations had been another topic of discussion at this meeting.

Preventing desertification and drought

We have been talking a lot on the environment and climate change over the past few weeks. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed today (June 17), gives us another opportunity to address this issue.

This year's events under the theme 'Desertification and Climate Change - One Global Challenge' will be led by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Day will draw attention to the significant benefits of a combined strategy to tackle these two major environmental challenges.

The event is celebrated all over the world to highlight the urgent need to curb the process of desertification and to strengthen the visibility of this issue on the international environmental agenda.

The UNCCD is the only internationally recognized, legally binding instrument that addresses the problem of land degradation in the drylands and which enjoys a universal membership of 191 country parties.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was declared by the UN General Assembly in 1994 to mark the anniversary of the UNCCD, which plays a key role in the fight against deserts and desertification.