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Participants capture during a session: Promoting Inclusivity at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 11, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
12.07.2019
Towards an Inclusive Peace is a three-year project (2017-2019) part of the Caux Forum that looks beyond security driven approaches to violent extremism. By taking a peacebuilding perspective based on conflict transformation practices, Towards an Inclusive Peace creates a space for the discussion of a human-centered approach to address this phenomenon.
www.iofc.ch/experience-caux-forum/main-events/towards-inc...
Photo: Paula Mariane
All Inclusive Fuerteventura Beach Holiday Starts from £169 pp Saving 42%
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Fuerteventura – the most striking island of Canary archipelago. It lies just 100 kilometers away from the North African region. It is the most wonderful place to plan a vacation.
Afsin Yurdakul, International News Anchor, Haberturk News Network, Turkey speaking during the Session: Fostering Inclusivity at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Walter Duerst
Taller Negocios Inclusivos co-organizado junto a la Fundación CODESPA. La primera sesión tuvo lugar en Madrid. El taller tuvo el objetivo de compartir los resultados preliminares de una investigación sobre el estado de negocios inclusivos en España. La finalidad es ver si algunas de las metodologías que han tenido éxito en países en vías de desarrollo con comunidades de bajos ingresos pueden ser útiles para responder a los retos sociales y a las comunidades vulnerables en territorio español.
ForeverLawn of Tennessee Mary’s Magical Place – Hendersonville, TN
ForeverLawn of Tennessee installed this beautiful all-inclusive playground at Mary’s Magical Place in Hendersonville, TN, where all of Mary’s friends can play. This playground featuring Playground Grass by ForeverLawn is designed to create a place where people can gather and play regardless of their abilities and to enhance play quality for all of its visitors.
Inclusive Security partnered with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, under former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s No Ceilings initiative, to create the first-ever National Action Plan Academy. This ongoing series of convenings is a platform for NAP designers and implementers around the world to review global progress, learn from each other, find ways to ensure better implementation, and inspire other countries to elevate the role of women in security and peace processes.
Read more here:
www.inclusivesecurity.org/hillary-clinton-launches-nap-ac...
Photos from the WTO Public Forum 2016 - “Inclusive Trade” photo gallery may be reproduced provided attribution is given to the WTO and the WTO is informed. Photos: © WTO/Studio Casagrande
Frédéric Lemoine, Chairman of the Executive Board, Wendel, France at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017 in Durban, South Africa, 2017. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama talks to the Daily Mirror on Sri Lanka’s prospects of future international relations following the end of the decades long conflict and the prospects for garnering support for the development of the country. The Minister also responds to the various allegations against his Ministry and the accusations against the recruitment policy of Foreign Service personnel. Following are excerpts of this interview.
Q: In what manner have Sri Lanka’s foreign relations changed after the war?
In the first place we didn’t have a war in that sense of the word; we had a conflict. We had terrorism in Sri Lanka that covered the landscape and affected the people of our country for nearly thirty years. The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to counter terrorism in the most comprehensive manner and today the people have become free after 30 years. The scourge of terrorism is not around in Sri Lanka anymore and to that extent the country has come together in terms of a total inclusive process that has to be dealt with beginning with IDP’s their resettlement process and the overall political environment.
Q: Is there a drastic shift in Sri Lanka’s foreign relations with the West, in particular with countries like Britain and the United States?
There is absolutely no so called ‘change’ in our relations with the West. I must state that the conflict was something that the West supported in terms of a resolution [to the conflict]. The LTTE was an organization that was banned in the United States and was proscribed as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom. In addition to that the entire European Union proscribed the LTTE and banned it as a terrorist organization. They supported us during our difficult times; in seeing that the TRO’s operating in some other countries were also persecuted by the legal authorities in those countries. We also had the facilities in terms of countering money laundering with the support of the United States and several other countries. Canada was very helpful in proscribing the LTTE as a terrorist organization and addressing our requirements in prosecuting some of the LTTE criminals who were living in western countries. France was equally receptive being part of EU and also prosecuted some of the criminals of the LTTE. About 14 of them were first apprehended in France and the trials are still on. Likewise we had the cooperation of other western countries and today we are looking at a wider engagement in terms of our own values being brought into the settlement process and the subsequent political empowerment. In this arena too, we hope that the West will support us.
Q: Can you elaborate on the importance of being in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and what benefits there are of being a partner in a dialogue with that group?
My responsibility as the Foreign Minister is to take Sri Lanka into the centre world stage. And in order to reach that goal, we must be part of a very strong regional corporate entity; that is Asia. Asia is responsible for two-thirds of the world’s population and again it is the engine of growth in the world. After I became the Foreign Minister we have pitched to be a member of the Asian Regional Forum (ARF), which is cooperation in security between Asia and the Pacific. That is why the United States is also a part of it: that’s why Japan has come into it: it is an Asia Pacific relationship. It is a very strong presence of 27 countries in the world. And, today we are a part of it for the first time. Our delegation went to Manila in 2007 to be a part of this process. Shortly we will be taking over the chair of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), consisting of 30 countries from the Far East to West Asia which have come together. This combine includes China, Russia, Japan and Australia. We will be hosting the ACD summit in October this year when 30 Foreign Ministers will be coming to Sri Lanka for the first time since the Non-Aligned Summit, which was held about 33 years ago. This is another milestone we have achieved in the last two and a half years. Now we are part of the bean stalk where the Asian and the SARRC regions have come together.
What was left was the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The Shanghai Cooperation is important because two giants are represented in it; China and Russia. With the intention of becoming a dialogue partner, I made an application last year and canvassed for it with China and Russia and other countries numbering four. Everyone is trying to link with the Shanghai Cooperation. For example India today is an observer and so is Brazil among other countries.
The SCO is a group of countries devoted to political, economic and social pursuits of the people. This leads to cooperation that could result in a free trade area and also future bilateral relations are possible with these giants who are very important to us. Making this an inter-regional cooperation where if one was not part of it, people would ask why we couldn’t be part of it. Today I have taken Sri Lanka from ARF to ACD and now to the SCO. That is something I value a lot as being Foreign Minister in bringing Sri Lanka onto the world stage.
Q: There have been allegations that persons in the Foreign Service and in diplomatic missions abroad are increasingly political appointees instead of career diplomats. What is your response to such allegations?
I wouldn’t call them allegations. Sometimes people make certain statements. We try them balance them out in terms of the postings with the heads of missions. I think we have maintained that ratio quite well. We have had very important stations being covered by career diplomats and equally by political appointees. We have New York where the representative of the country is identified as a political appointee because we have appointed him, Mr. Paliyakkara after his period of service in the Foreign Service. However if he is suitable [for that post], why should he not be appointed? This is where the dispute between career diplomats and political appointees comes in. We have Mr. Maduwagedara in Berlin. He is a career foreign servant and continues to hold that office. This too is considered to be a political appointment. Merely because you retire, you are made out to be a political appointee.
We have very important stations like Beijing, Tokyo, Delhi, Vienna, Stockholm and Brussels being covered by career appointees. There is an equal match of what is termed career appointments and political appointments.
I am trying to see how best we can have more recruitment in order to avoid any shortfall of Foreign Service personnel needed to serve in all our missions. We have not had regular recruitment in the past but since I have become Foreign Minister we have been recruiting for the Foreign Service after a competitive exam. This year we have taken on eleven, last year we took 10, thereby in the past two and a half years we have recruited 21 Foreign Service permanent career persons. In the Foreign Service we have only 150 to cover 57 stations. So how am I to manage without taking some people on contract? This too is a factor, which is why every year I am recruiting ten to fifteen. This is also the first time a regular intake has taken place within such a short time.
However there were a few questionable areas in that question paper set [for applicants to enter the Foreign Service]. For instance last year’s paper had the following multiple choice question; “Which of these fish can live the longest out of water?” How does this apply to someone who is expected to serve in the Foreign Service? This paper is not set by the Ministry. It is set by the Examinations Department. There is also an IQ standard set. We don’t expect those who sit for the Foreign Service exam to know everything about the Foreign Service. But, what is important is for one to be well up in general knowledge. One must question then how some get good marks and others don’t. Some may even know the answers to these questions. Recruitments are taken straight from those who are at the topmost in the list of marks. If you say that this is not the way to go about it, and that there should be more general questions, that is something the Education Department should look at. But I don’t interfere at all in terms of what the question papers are or in recruitment to the Foreign Service. It is purely on merit and I shall leave it to be purely on merit.
If we want experts we can engage them on contract and at any time we will take on good experts for service. For example we need experts in commercial negotiations, on law of the sea and on political limitation. We can’t ask them to go and sit for a competitive examination. So we will pick and choose those who can provide that expertise.
Q: The local media has questioned the frequency of your foreign visits. Is there a basis for these allegations?
From Brussels we have the GSP and we canvass there. From New York we have the United Nations which is involved in the conflict scenario and the post-conflict development of Sri Lanka. We have Washington as a major powerhouse in the world, with whom we need engagement. Recently I was in London as we haved to get the support of the British in the context of our bilateral and multilateral relations. We have to engage with India. I have got 8 countries of the SARRC to visit. I am presently the Chair of the Council of Ministers of the SARRC meaning that I have to keep visiting 7 countries. I have also visited Australia and today the Australia-Sri Lanka relationship has to be lifted to a higher level. Further, Japan is a close economic ally of Sri Lanka and assists us regularly. I have to be a part of it. China is also a major contributor to Sri Lanka. I am the vice-chairman of the Non-aligned Movement and consequently, I have to be with the affairs of the Non-aligned Movement.
I have to keep engaging on behalf of Sri Lanka–that is the role of the Foreign Minister. Also a Foreign Minister can never travel unless there is a reciprocal invitation and I am being invited due to the value we have brought to our foreign engagements. I ensure that every trip brings value to the country, and this is how we brought the LTTE to be called for the first time by the International Community as a terrorist organization.
Q: Some would say that more support could have been garnered for Sri Lanka from the International Community at the recently concluded Human Rights Councils special session on Sri Lanka. If one were to say the failure to do so was partly the fault of your Ministry how would you respond to such a contention?
It is purely the Foreign Ministry’s engagement that brought about that victory. We had to have 29 votes and I called on the connections we had from Africa to South Korea. The multi-faceted approach to diplomacy that I garnered through our missions abroad helped to turn the numbers in our favor. Some may not want to appreciate that achievement; it is a sickness that some may have.
Q: Why does the government hold strongly to its belief that Sri Lanka cannot be taken to the International Criminal Court on war crimes Charges?
It can not be said that Sri Lanka in the context of the conflict is answerable to matters under the classification of war crimes. When you deal with a terrorist organization which attempts to deny rights that you enjoy in a sovereign state where you have a legal system through which the government operates in the administration of . Ours was a purely humanitarian mission to counter terrorism, endorsed by the International Community asking the LTTE to lay down arms and free civilians. However when civilians were not freed we had to engage them in order to free the civilians. Where are the war crimes when the government did not target civilians and simply worked towards freeing them? The 300,000 people in the camps have voted with both feet, supporting the actions of the government. The LTTE propaganda arm is trying to put a different twist on matters.
Courtesy : Daily Mirror (20/06/2009)
Frédéric Lemoine, Chairman of the Executive Board, Wendel, France at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017 in Durban, South Africa, 2017. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
YES (Youth Evacuation Simulation) for Safer School/Madrasah directly reaches 170 high schools (SMA/SMK/SMLB) granted social fund from Directorate of Special Education and Special Service Education, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, MAN 1 Bandung, SMAN 1 Bandung, SMAN 8 Bandung, SMLB Pembina NTB in Mataram, SMKN 5 Mataram, MA Sya'adatuddarain, SMKN 13 Jakarta, and also through roadshows in MAN Insan Cendikia Serpong and SMAN 13 Jakarta, plus 31 junior high schools reached by GERA SHI AGA Club at SMAN 8 Bandung.
YES for Safer School/Madrasah is an hour of simultaneous evacuation simulation in schools and madrasahs in Indonesia, which is planned, held, and reported by children and youths, including boys, girls, and children who needs special education and special education service towards Safer, Healthy, Green, Inclusive, Child-Friendly with Family Supports (SESSAMA SHI AGA) to celebrate the International DRR Day.
Informal meeting of Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council in Lisbon, Portugal, 21 May 2021. The talks take place against the backdrop of the common policies for the post-crisis period and for a green and inclusive future. Reinforcing the joint impact of monetary and fiscal policies under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, in Lisbon, Portugal, 21 May 2021. ANTONIO PEDRO SANTOS/LUSA
Participants capture during a session: Promoting Inclusivity at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 11, 2017
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Sikarin Thanachaiary
Afsin Yurdakul, International News Anchor, Haberturk News Network, Turkey speaking during the Session: Fostering Inclusivity at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Walter Duerst
Behind the scenes in the editing suite at the Closed Ministerial Session at the International Transport Forum’s 2016 Summit on “Green and Inclusive Transport” in Leipzig, Germany on 19 May 2016.
09.07.2019
Towards an Inclusive Peace is a three-year project (2017-2019) part of the Caux Forum that looks beyond security driven approaches to violent extremism. By taking a peacebuilding perspective based on conflict transformation practices, Towards an Inclusive Peace creates a space for the discussion of a human-centered approach to address this phenomenon.
www.iofc.ch/experience-caux-forum/main-events/towards-inc...
Photo: Paula Mariane