Got elected as Asia Pacific Growth Network Chair !!!

I got elected as the Chair for the Asia Pacific Growth Network !!! The APGN Chair position is normally filled by a MCP ( President) from the APGN and this time it's me. I'm really looking forward to this new role and to further enhance the communication and cooperation within the AP Growth Network.

AP Chair role responsibilities include GN level communication ( Newsletter, Direcor Country Dev. updates, GN initiatives,etc. ), Facilitator at GN times at the Interational Conferences, Coordination and Management fo the GN Funds, GN Legislation, GN conference co-ordination including Faci Selection and Agenda Development Coordination for APXLDS 2007.

With this year the AP region identifying Entrepreneurship as a topic to build GN initiatives I see strong build up of the AP Famliy and for sure lookforward to playing my part in making this happen. :)

AP's HOT TO GO... H.O.T.T.O.G.O... ahhh huuh...HOT TO GO!!!


Asia Pacific Region

Walking against child hunger

AIESEC joins WFP - 'Walk the World' against child hunger

We had a good AIESEC delegation at the WFP walk against child hunger and that was really cool to see. I really wanted AIESEC to be part of it since I got to know this was happening with Madu's help we got a good turnout from our side and that made me happy. Madu, Thilanka, Prasad, Kishni, Rasmus, HiranAyya, Abhishek, Ayesha, Thilini, Sahan, Tharanga, Ego, Jara, Sudheera and three guys from the Sri Lanka Youth Parliment walked with the AIESEC banner.

Just to make it a bit more interesting I was wearing a AIESEC bandana and having on a pair of wooden clogs throughout the walk. Really got a lot of attention on myself with those wooden shoes and even that 'super star' Shihan couldn't keep away from commenting on them.

At the end of the walk we enjoyed a concert at the Ladies College auditorium, I found this really cool expecially the traditional and modern mix of music and dances. Among the popular artists performaing were Bathiya and Santhush, Ashanthi, Nirosha Viragini, Shihan Mihiranga. Also I gotta see a performance from the Sunera Foundation for the first time and this had been something I've been looking to catch for sometime now.

First hand experience in organising a successful Press Conference

AIESEC organized an amazing press conference for 'I Believe in Sri Lanka' at the HNB Towers yesterday. Kavitha, Dommy and myself as the core team members of the project were the ones who organized this event. It's soo amazing the feeling you get when you've been wokring hard to make an event a success and then to see it happening at a grand scale. I was overjoyed at how things went including the good media turn out we had.

At the head table were...

Mr. Hiran Jayaratna – President, AIESEC
Mr. Dilhan Fernando – Director, Ceylon Tea Services Ltd.
Mr. U.A.C. Obeyesekera, DGM HRA, Hatton National Bank
Prof. Narada Warnasuriya - Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Mr. Damitha Samarakoon, ‘I Believe in Sri Lanka’ Core Team Member



I Believe in Sri Lanka Press Conference

I was at the DYLP: International Conference on Strategic Youth Development

DYLP: International Conference on Strategic Youth Development

22nd, 23rd May 2006
Foundation Institute, Sri Lanka

The purpose of this conference was to bring together youth from Sri Lanka as well as out of Sri Lanka to recognize youth issues and draw from each other’s experiences to find mechanisms to address these issues. The conference gave the local youth with an international perspective of youth issues and as to how youth issues have been addressed globally by youth in other countries as the participation not only from youth leaders in Sri Lanka but also from youths from the partner organizations of LSU mainly from the Philippines, Cambodia and Sweden itself and also Eastern Europe and the Southern African Continent as well as expatriate youth leaders and volunteers currently in Sri Lanka.

I found this another interesting opportunity to network and get to know more young Sri Lankan youth activists from accross the country.

more info: http://www.echo.lk/index.php?q=6&id=26

Suchith was at the Global Knowledge Partnersip International Forum

Utilizing the power of my personal network ;) I got an amazing opportunity to attened the Gloabl Knowledge Partnership International forum, this year held at the Hilton on the 8-9th of May here in Sri Lanka. With participants from accorss the world this was personally an inspiring experience for me. I got lots of knowledge on a variety of areas and more importantly this was a great opportunity for me to network.

This years theme was on "Creating prosperity through innovation - ICT at work in Development" the discussions varied a lot and I personally found them quite insightful. Lot of emphasis on Social Entrepreneurship also and that had me like 'WOW' soooo coool!!! Local organisations involved were Sarvodaya, ICTA, Practical Action and YA TV.




GKP International Forum 2006