Mother Sri Lanka - for positive change

Mother Sri Lanka is a process started under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to inspire positive thinking about the country among all Sri Lankans. At a crucial period of her long history, when committed action for change by individuals can make a difference, the Mother Sri Lanka Program is launched to promote activities for positive change.

A major component of the process is to reach the children and the youth of our country who will be entrusted with the task of taking the country forward.

Interaction and dialogue

To reach this target group a program of interaction and dialogue was organised by the Mother Lanka Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka. The theme for the schoolchildren was "How they can be a part of the country's development and future".

This was a unique initiative which is the first of its kind held in Sri Lanka specially designed to inspire, positive thinking and constructive change in the National interest of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka.

Colombo International School participated in this competition along with many other schools of the Western Province. There was widespread enthusiasm and interest displayed by all the schools which contested. After a well structured competition and expert judging by a panel of highly regarded educationists and other intellectuals, the Colombo International School was adjudged the winners of the Western Province.

Working around the prescribed theme of 'Change' - 'I must change for my country to change' - the CIS pupils devised their own presentation which included elements of drama, choral speech, debate, direct address, song and three-dimensional stage-craft. Manjaree Gamage (Yr 12) led a team comprising Tamara Fernando and Lishan Perera (Yr 11), Razia Esufally (Yr 10), Ramathi Bandaranayake (Yr 9), Keshya Amarasinghe and Sanara Nadesan (Yr 8) and Ashiq Fassuhudeen (Yr 7).

Packed awards ceremony

At a packed awards ceremony on January 20 at D.S. Senanayake College, the CIS team were presented with a trophy, medals, certificates of participation and of victory and Mother Sri Lanka T-shirts. In accordance with the wishes of the competition organisers, they subsequently performed their winning presentation to their fellow students at CIS, at the Independence Day assembly.

The competition guidelines also encourage the furtherance of the spirit of Mother Sri Lanka in a formal way, throughout the participating schools by evoking a sense of pride about their motherland and motivating them to play a proactive role in the next era of development of the country.