Forty young leaders attend world leaders summit

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Over 40 next generation Sri Lankan business leaders have been selected to represent Sri Lanka at the "Future World Leaders Summit" to be held next week in Washington. D.C. USA.

Each year in the month of July, the Future World Leaders Summit brings together 400 promising young leaders from 35 countries around the world, to explore international relations, diplomacy and world trade. During the week, this next generation of corporate and political leaders will have unprecedented access to Washington's halls of power and the people, shaping international relations. The Summit is organised by Presidential Classroom Inc. the oldest civic education organisation in U.S.A. "Presidential Classroom is dedicated to challenging the leaders of tomorrow to learn, understand and take action on the formidable problems that face our world," said Ananda Rajapakse Regional Director for Presidential Classroom Inc. USA, for South Asia. Since 2000, over 500 next generation Sri Lankan corporate leaders have experienced the amazing week at Presidential classroom changed their lives forever. After attending this summit 350 of them have entered leading foreign universities on financial scholarships to complete their higher studies.

Most of this next generation of future corporate leaders will graduate from world class universities to come and lead businesses and enterprises in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan 46-member delegation for 2009 Future World Leaders Summit are; Aneesha Madugalle (Overseas Children School), Chayanka Wickremasinghe, Asvin Peiris, Charutha Rajarathna (Royal College), Sara Silva (Methodist College), Shaneen Devendra, Ruwendi Wakwella, Radinka Peiris, Thavisha Dharmawardena, Nicola Jayasundera (Ladies College), Dylan John and Helitha Fonseka (S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia), Adhil Bakeer Markar, Rajith Soza, Eraj de Alwis, Thahira Iliyas, Evan Perera (American National College) Dinoosh De Livera, Aaquib Azeez, Uma Rajeendra, Saad Altaaf, Insiya Jafferjee (Asian International School), Tarini Wetttimuny, Deshani Dhamadasa, Nishan Atukorala, Neshantha Jayamaha, Rasanga Wijesinghe, Minelle Siriwardena, Shandheap Shanmuganathan, Harini Senanayake, Manuk Wijeratne, Joshua Selveratnam, Aneeshan Tyagarajah, Samaadhi Weerasekera and Dhiren Kundanmal (Colombo International School), Hiyanthi Peiris (Bishops College), Ruckshani Weerasekera (St. Bridget's Convent), Avishka Galhena, Dimitri Perera, Yannick Lawrence, (British School), Nikita Samaratunge (Stafford International), Ureshka Fernando and Anithra Basnayake (Elizabeth Moir School).

Joining the summit from the UK are Sri Lankans Salman Iliyas, Sooraj Radha Gankande and Shana Dandeniya who are studying in London.

For nearly four decades, more than 120,000 students from across the United States and around the world have attended the Presidential Classroom's week-long programs, gaining knowledge, insight and experience from this extraordinary educational opportunity.