EU News from Sri Lanka & the Maldives

April June 2011

IN THIS ISSUE Celebrating Europe Day EU prize for Journalism EU opens Information Centre in Colombo International Year of the Forest European Parliamentarians visit to Sri Lanka & the Maldives Sustainable production in the Food and Beverage Industry EU and AKASA - Empowering Women EU assistance to the mental health sector A true example to the saying "Ask and you shall receive" EU Book Exhibition EU Ambassador's visit to Maldives

EU Delegation Sri Lanka, Press Office: Tel: (+94-11) 267 4413 ext. 103 Email: delegation-sri-lanka-press-andinformation@eeas.europa.eu Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/sri_lanka

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Delegation Sri Lanka

Celebrating Europe Day

The European Union celebrated 61 years on 9th May, since the late French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman presented his proposal for the creation of an organised Europe in 1950. The proposal known as the "Schuman Declaration" was the beginning of what is now the European Union. Robert Schuman proposed the formation of an international European Institution, charged with the management of the coal and steel industry, the very sector which in 1950 was the basis of all military power. The countries which he called upon had almost destroyed each other in a dreadful conflict which had left them with a sense of material and moral desolation.
The speech that changed history

Everything, therefore, began that day. During a summit in Milan in 1985 EU leaders decided to celebrate 9 May as "Europe Day". With humble beginnings of just 6 nations the EU is now considered one of the most influential multi national coalitions comprising of 27 European member countries with over 500 million citizens. Every country which chooses to accede to the European Union endorses its fundamental values of peace and solidarity. These values find expression through economic and social development embracing environmental and regional dimensions which are the guarantees of a decent standard of living for all citizens. The EU is the world's largest single economy and the EU's single currency, the euro () is shared by 17 EU nations with Estonia being the latest in January 2011. They together represent over two thirds of the EU population. The Euro is also the second most commonly traded reserve currency in the world. The EU and its member states provide 54% of aid for development around the world and has provided emergency assistance for crisis situations such as in the wake of natural disasters and conflicts in more than a 100 countries around the world. The EU is also the leading partner in the Kyoto drive to reduce the effects of global warming, whilst helping to save the planet with regulatory cuts in CO2.

Poster issued in celebration of Europe Day 2011

Highlights from the Europe Day celebrations in Sri Lanka

Above: EU Ambassador Bernard Savage with Minister for Plantation Industries, Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe Below: other guests at the function

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Delegation Sri Lanka

European Union prize for Journalism

Since the year 1992, the European Commission and Reporters Without Boarders have partnered to launch the annual "Lorenzo Natali Prize" in honour of "World Press Freedom Day", celebrated on 3rd May. The international prize, rewards journalists committed to Human Rights, Democracy and Development across the world. The Lorenzo Natali Prize has been an integral part of the Commission's development policy for 20 years, defending freedom of expression, democracy, human rights and development in a way of promoting good governance, peace and improving living conditions in the poorest countries. The competition is a symbol of Europe's support to journalists who often work tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of development policy. This competition is open to journalists working in TV, radio, the press and online media. Since its inception many thousands of journalists have taken part each year representing the Asia, Europe, MidEast and the Pacific. Three print and online press winners from each of the five geographic areas Africa, The Arab World and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean will receive prize money (1st prize: EUR 5 000, 2nd prize: EUR 2 500, 3rd prize: EUR 1 500) and a trophy. The two winners of the Special TV Prize and Special Radio Prize, drawn from entries from all regions, will be awarded EUR 5 000 each. The Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize of an additional EUR 5 000 will be awarded to the winning journalist(s) submitting the best piece of work overall, as determined by an independent Grand Jury. All Prize winners will be special guests of the European Commission at an Awards Ceremony organised in their honour in December 2011. The deadline for submission is 31 August 2011 and interested http://www.nataliprize2010.eu for online application and additional information. journalists can visit

Additionally, a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorenzo-Natali-JournalismPrize/206524359368095) and a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/LorenzoNataliP) have been created to connect journalists all around the world and provide more information on the prize.

EU launches Information Centre in Colombo

The EU Delegation in Colombo launched the first European Union Information Centre (EUi) in Colombo at the Public Library on 10th May 2011.The Information Centre was inaugurated by Special Commissioner of the Colombo Municipal Council, Mr. Omar Kamil and the EU Delegation Ambassador, Mr. Bernard Savage. The overall objective of the information centre is to share information on the European Union, its policies and programmes and the work carried out by the EU in Sri Lanka among the population at large. The Colombo Public Library will be directly liked to the information centre in Brussels and will be provided with publications on a regular basis. A comprehensive range of publications on the European Union, its institutions, legislation, policy areas, relations between Sri Lanka and the region will be made available at the EUi. The documentation available at the centre are those published by the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and other EU institutions and organizations. The centre's information will be freely accessible to the general public and will specifically benefit students carrying out research activities. The European Union last year opened its first Information Centre at the Jaffna Public Library.

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Delegation Sri Lanka

International Year of the Forest

In keeping with the European Union's Forestry Strategy and Forest Action Plan, the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka together with Rainforest Rescue International has outlined several activities to celebrate IYF 2011 in June in the Polonnaruwa District. Activities will include tree planting, poster competitions and a public exhibition. Activities related to this programme will be carried out in close cooperation of the local authorities and departments such as the Zonal Education Department and related environment establishments. The aim of this programme is to help those reliant upon forest resources to better understand the importance of the forest ecosystem and help protect and manage that resource better. Forests cover approximately 30% of land area in the world. Although they once covered almost 50% of land area, due to de-forestation have decreased immensely, especially within the last century. Forests are one of Earths greatest renewable resources, providing multiple benefits to society and the economy. In an effort to raise awareness on the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of forests the United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests (IYF 2011).

Livelihoods of 1.6 billion people depend on forests. Forests are home to 80% of Earths biodiversity. Forests are home to over 300 million people around the world.

European Parliamentarian's visit to Sri Lanka & the Maldives

A Delegation of 7 European Parliamentarian's, headed by MEP Ms. Jean Lambert visited from 19 25 February to hold meetings with their counterparts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. During their visit to Sri Lanka, in addition to meeting with senior government officials and opposition parties, international community etc., the Delegation visited Jaffna and Vavuniya in order to view the humanitarian and development projects funded by the European Union. One of the highlights in Vavuniya was the visit to the Vavuniya General Hospital Orthopaedic Surgery Ward, which was recently rehabilitated with funding by the European Commission Aid Department (ECHO). A few parliamentarians were able to witness first hand an operation on one of the many patients of the hospital. In Jaffna in addition to meetings with the local government officials they were able to visit de-mining, mine risk education, temporary shelter and permanent housing projects funded by the EU and ECHO. During their visit to the Maldives the parliamentary delegation, who were accompanied by the EU Delegation Ambassador and other officials, held meetings with the President, senior government officials, opposition parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders. Discussions included the prevailing climate change and development issues faced by the Maldives further to its graduation from a Least Developed Country Status. The parliamentary Delegation also travelled to Kudahoovadhoo Island in order to visit development and reconstruction projects in the education and health sectors funded by the EU.

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Delegation Sri Lanka

Sustainable Production in the Food & Beverage Industry

Highlights from SWITCH-ASIA

The SWITCH Asia Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), funded by the European Union, which is now on its 3rd year of operation has contributed overall in a meaningful manner to improve the Sustainable Initiatives of the Food & Beverage industry. To date about 250 SMEs have been trained and some have already enhanced their profits by implementing best practices of SCP. About 100 companies in the Food & Beverage sector have been trained to comply with international food safety standards (ISO 22000:2005 / HACCP / GMP). Four companies have already obtained their certification and a few more are in the process of being certified during the year 2011, which is expected to give them a competitive edge in the export market. A study on the present SCP policies in Sri Lanka was undertaken and a workshop was organised with all the stakeholders including the beneficiaries, Government Departments/ Authorities and the relevant Ministries to identify new policy instruments on SCP for implementation. Compilation of the policy document was the outcome of the workshop and the document was handed over to the Minister of Environment. A Special workshop was organised for the bakery sector to promote the usage of rice flour for bread and bakery products in order to have a positive impact on the environment with the reduction of CO2 emission due to less quantity of wheat flour being imported. An Awareness Programme on Sustainability Reporting based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines was conducted to the corporate sector with the assistance of CII, which is accredited to conduct GRI programmes. On similar lines a National Green Reporting System in Sri Lanka was initiated for Companies under the BOI regime and to the major Supermarkets at the request of the Ministry of Environment. This initiative encouraged Green Reporting Systems both in Public and Private Sectors. The SWITCH Asia programme on SCP for F & B sector along with Greening of Hotels Programme were given the honour of conducting a special forum on Challenges to SMEs in maintaining a Green Supply Chain at the 9th Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP) which was held from 10th to the 12th June 2010 in Colombo.

European Union Book Exhibition

The European Union Delegation in Sri Lanka will hold its annual book/ information exhibition at the Colombo Public Library on 14th June 2011 from 9.00am to 4.00pm. This exhibition which is in its 6th year has been a great success with several thousands of students and general public participating. Publications on the European Union and the work it carries out in Sri Lanka and the world will be distributed free of charge at this event. In addition, video documentaries featuring EU humanitarian and development activities implemented in Sri Lanaka will also be showcased throughout the day.

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Delegation Sri Lanka

EU & AKASA Empowering Women

AKASA meaning sky in Sinhalese is the abbreviation for the Association of Women with Disabilities a network of self-help groups, devoted to creating opportunities for its members. Based in the small town of Talawa in the Anuradhapura District of North-Central Sri Lanka, AKASA has been helping women with disabilities to reach for the sky by making them aware of their rights and protecting them from economic, political, cultural and social discrimination. Together with the funding of the European Union, AKASA implements a project to Empower women with disabilities in post conflict areas in Sri Lanka. Currently implemented in five districts the project seeks to improve psycho-social, health and economic status of 600 Women With Disabilities (WWDs) from 250 civil society organisations. The most recent activity conducted under this project is a leadership training program for selected leaders representing the civil society organisations in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara. 25 women participated in the bilingual program which was also conducted using sign language at the Fisheries Corporation Training Centre in Kalawewa. The main aim of the programme was to develop more confidence and improved self esteem among these women whilst empowering them to become strong advocates for their rights, thereby enabling them to make positive contributions towards the development of the district networks that support the disabled. Ms Kamalawathi, the dynamic leader of AKASA, herself affected by physically disability knows better than anyone the challenges that can be overcome. Having participated in the Paralympics and winning a gold medal and being the recipient of the International Service Award for human rights presented by the United Kingdom parliament she knows fully the true meaning of overcoming difficult odds. She is proud of AKASA and what they have achieved in the last 15 years. Speaking about the programme Ms. Kamalawathi said, "We have been able to develop a positive image about disabled women in the Anuradhapura area and today people here perceive the AKASA organisation in a positive light. I want the disabled in Sri Lanka to enjoy the same rights enjoyed by those in the more developed countries and with the assistance of the EU I'm sure this will be possible".

EU assistance to the Mental Health Sector

Hosted by VSO Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and funding from the European Union, a national workshop titled "Evidence based Practices on Mental Health" was held for individuals, institutions and organizations of the mental health sector. The main objective of the workshop was to share evidence-based practices on three main subject areas: the socio-cultural aspects of mental health; stigma and empowerment; and alcohol, substance abuse and self harm. It was hoped that by sharing best practices, policy makers, researchers and people working in the mental health sector could learn ways to better support people with mental illnesses in their communities. It was well attended by over 120 participants from across the country representing the Ministry of Health, mental health administrators, mental health professionals including Psychiatrists, Medical Officers, Social Workers, Psychiatric Nurses, psychologists, sociologists, academics, NGOs/INGOs, donors, media and VSO Sri Lanka staff and volunteers. A publication detailing the best practices presented at the workshop is to be published by VSO Sri Lanka in May 2011, which it is hoped will certainly be a benchmark in the history of the mental health sector in Sri Lanka.

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Delegation Sri Lanka

From simple beginnings

The saying "ask and you shall receive" is the only perfect example to describe the turn of events that led a single mother of two to receive what in her words could be a new chance at life The European Union Delegation in Sri Lanka has over the past year included a semi-monthly article titled "Let's Explore Europe" in the "Wijeya" children's national language newspaper. The articles have featured information from Europe's beauty and wildlife to its rich and colourful history and more recently to the evolution of the European Union. Included in these articles is a question to which 3 winners are chosen and given prizes by the EU Delegation in Colombo. Earlier this year included in with the answer to a question was a heartfelt letter from a desperate mother of one of the entrees. The 37 year old mother of two, whose husband had left her, appealed to the European Union for assistance. Being fully aware of the work that Women In Need (WIN) does, the EU Delegation spoke to WIN regarding the possibility of assisting her in some way. The client was a single mother who was struggling to provide for her family. Her husband had left her a year ago (while she was pregnant with their second child), as he had been having an extra marital affair. The client was left to fend for herself and has been clearing eakles as an income generating activity to provide food for her now 4 month old baby and 6 year old son. A loan had been obtained by the family in order to build their house with the signature of two Samurdhi Officers as guarantors. However, as the client was now the sole breadwinner of the family, she was facing problems in paying back the loan. In a way to recover their money, the bank was now in the process of recovering the debt from the bank guarantors and they were on the verge of losing their jobs. Due to this the client was threatened by them and therefore didn't spend nights in heir house as she was afraid for her life and those of her children. As a last resort, she wrote her letter of appeal to the European Union for help. WIN lawyers who took up the case spoke to the Manager, Alawwa Peoples Bank where the loan had been obtained. Through their initiative they were able to get the amount of Rs. 21,000 (Interest and Legal Court Fees) waived off from the Rs. 41,000 that had to be paid. Whilst with the intervention of the village priest, the client also managed to collect Rs. 10,000 through donations from her village. WIN came forward to help the client with a donation for the balance debt, which was handed over to the client on March 22nd 2011 at the WIN Head Office by the Executive Director Mrs. Savithri Wijesekera. The client was thankful and relieved to have this burden lifted off her shoulders and left the WIN office to face a positive future.

EU Ambassador's visit to Maldives

EU Ambassador's based in Sri Lanka visited the Maldives from 23 to 25 May 2011. During this visit the EU Ambassador's called on His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Waheed, Vice President of the Maldives and His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Naseem, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The EU Delegation also met with representatives of the opposition parties, the Male City Council Mayor and Council members, the Human Right Commission, civil society organizations and the Media. The EU Ambassadors also visited Addu and met with the Addu City Council Members. The EU Delegation comprised of H. E. Mrs. Christine Robichon, Ambassador of France, H. E. Mr. Jens Plotner, Ambassador of Germany, H. E. Mr. Fabrizio Pio Arpea, Ambassador of Italy, H. E. Mr. John Rankin, British High Commissioner, and H. E. Mr. Bernard Savage, Head of Delegation of the European Union.

Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka & the Maldives 26, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/sri_lanka