World Maritime Day

Every year IMO celebrates World Maritime Day. The exact date is left to individual Governments but is usually celebrated during the last week in September. The day is used to focus attention on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment and to emphasise a particular aspect of The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO's) work.

To mark the occasion, the Secretary-General of IMO always prepares a special message and this is backed up by a paper which discusses the selected subject in greater depth.

World Maritime Day 2010: Year of the Seafarer will be observed during the week of 20 to 24 September 2010 and will be celebrated at the organisation's headquarters on September 23.

The Convention establishing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted in Geneva in 1948 and IMO first met in 1959. IMO's main task has been to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

A specialised agency of the United Nations with 169 Member States and three Associate Members, IMO is based in the United Kingdom with around 300 international staff.

Early childhood care :

Japan provides aid worth Rs 57 million

by Rohana JAYALAL

The Japanese government has provided aid worth Rs 57 million for two early childhood care projects in the Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya Districts, Japanese Embassy sources in Colombo said.

According to sources, the Project titled `Improving Environment of Child Education' launched in the Nuwara Eliya District, will be implemented by the Plantation Rural Education and Development Organisation (PREDO).

The second project launched under the title 'Early Childhood Care and Development' Project in the Trincomalee district,(Phase 2) will be implemented by a Japanese NGO - Save the Children Japan (SCJ).

The Japanese Ambassador in Colombo has decided to launch the first project under the Grant Assistance for Grass roots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme.

Under the first phase, the project aims to assist eleven plantation communities in the Nuwara Eliya District to provide better early childhood care for more than 300 children.

It plans to construct three preschools, provide study material for 12 preschools and train about 130 teachers.

The second project in the Trincomalee district will be a follow up of the Phase 1 project that helped resettled communities to construct and renovate preschools. Phase 2 will include the construction and renovation of preschools, enhance teacher training, community participation and management of the preschools effectively. It will also provide livelihood support for communities.

Phase 2, which is assisted by the Japan-NGO Cooperation Grant Scheme that supports economical and social developments and emergency humanitarian reliefs through Japanese NGOs, is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 resettled families in the Trincomalee district.

Japanese Ambassador in Colombo, Kunio Takahashi, Chairman of PREDO Michael Joachim and Operations Manager of SCJ Shunsuke Yamamoto signed the relevant grant contracts at the Japanese Embassy recently.

News in brief

by Rohana Jayalal

New guava varieties

The Fruit Crop Research and Development Institute has introduced four new guava varieties. They are named Horana Rathu, Horana Sudu, Pubudu and Kanthi.

Horana Rathu is an oval shaped guava variety with red flesh, weighing 200g and a yield of 45kgs per tree can be obtained annually.

Horana Sudu is a sweeter variety and has a round shape with white flesh. Its weight is 230g and a yield of 50 kg per tree can be obtained annually. Pubudu is also a sweet variety with white flesh. Its weight is 800g and it gives a yield of 50kgs per tree per year.

Kanthi, also another round shaped variety with white flesh weighs 350 grams and gives a yield of 45kgs per a tree, per year.

These are Australian guava varieties and the Fruit Crop Research and Development Institute conducted research for 15 years to find out whether these varieties are suitable for Sri Lanka.

Multi-religious centres

The Government has launched a national programme for the upliftment of rural areas based on multi-religious centres with Cabinet approval.

The Premier disclosed this at the commencement of the Moneragala District programme, to uplift religious development and multi-religious centres, under the national programme held at the Kataragama Kirivehera.

He said arrangement will be made to develop villages through the establishment of committees comprising religious leaders, Grama Seva officers, Samurdhi officers, Agriculture officers and other responsible officers. Results cannot be achieved by a country through material development alone. It also needs spiritual development to gain sustainable development, he said.

New schools in Jaffna

Five leading schools in the Jaffna peninsula damaged during the war are to be rehabilitated under the ISURU project. The new schools will be built at Chunnakam Skandavarodhya, Chulipuram Victoria College, Karaveddy Vigneswara, Puttur Somaskanda and Varany Maha Vidyalaya.

The foundation stone for these schools had already been laid four months ago and now tenders are being called from contractors.

The Additional Provincial Director of Education, V. T. Selvaratnam said construction work will commence within this month and work will be completed before the end of this year.