Colombo, Sri Lanka - To mark the United Nations International Day of Peace, the schools in Sri Lanka's Western Province organized a talent competition among students September 12-19, 2008, in Colombo. The theme of the competition was “peace.”
In former times, Sri Lanka was known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. This was due to the fact that Sri Lanka is blessed with abundant natural resources and natural beauty, making it a tourist destination in the South Asia. But unfortunately, Sri Lanka has been plagued with civil war for the past 27 years. Thousands of lives have been lost both on the government side as well as the Tamil side. The money which could have been used for the development of the country has been wasted in the form of military expenses. Therefore, lasting peace in the country is the main dream of most of its citizens.
Under the theme of “peace,” the participants offered songs, poems, dances, mimes and dramas. Competitions were held in several categories according to age, and more than 100 school children of various ages participated in the competition.
The finals were held on October 19 at Muesaes College, Colombo, in front of a large gathering. Judges had a difficult time selecting the winners.
Officials of the Western Province schools Ms. Dinesha Liyanasuriya, Ms. Champa Kumaranathunga, and Mr. Gerald Jacob were the chief organizers of the competition, under the able guidance of Mr. R.A. Kularatne, Director of Physical Education and Sports for the Western Province; Mr. Woo Jin Lim, National Leader of UPF; and Dr. Chula Senaratne, Secretary General of UPF-Sri Lanka.
To read UPF's Peace Declaration and reports of observances in other nations, click here.