CIMA World Conference 2008 from May 28-31

The CIMA World Conference 2008 themed "Igniting Passion, Blazing Trails" will be held from May 28-31 at the BMICH.

This year's conference organised by the CIMA Sri Lanka Division will revolve around peace building - innovation - global branding and leadership.

These are the four related pillars around which speakers will make presentations.

The audience will get an opportunity to interact with the speakers and engage in discussions through the sessions with co-presenters and the question and answer sessions.

Prof. Kader Asmal of the University of Western Cape, South Africa has dedicated his life to human rights.

Having trained as a teacher in South Africa, he became a barrister, while in exile, in Britain and Ireland and went on to become a Prix Unesco award winning teacher of human rights law.

His achievements as a human rights activist - campaigning against apartheid, promoting social justice and gender equality, contributing to the South African Constitution and much more have resulted in worldwide accolades and many more awards, including the Gold Medal of the World Wide Fund for Nature for conservation in South Africa.

His approach to water management in South Africa led to the collaboration among governmental functions, public and private sectors and more importantly, among the states in southern Africa.

Prof. Asmal will talk on his model of reconciliation through truth; the challenge faced when dismantling many of the provisions of apartheid, coping with fear and the inherent imbalances in society and cultural diversity and national identity and civil liberties.

Dave Stewart is currently Executive Director for the Frederick Willem De Klerk Foundation, having served under President F. W. De Klerk (1989-1994) as Head of South African Communications Service and Chief Government Spokesman.