Yasodhara Pathanjali is a British Sri Lankan and the founder of Independent Collective School (ICS), Sri Lanka’s first formal modern alternative school. Having opened its doors to its first batch of students in January 2024, Independent Collective School (ICS) is committed to providing a nurturing and inclusive environment that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. The school aims to empower students to thrive in a fast-changing world while delivering a world-class education underpinned by the Cambridge Curriculum and Assessments. Yasodhara left the UK in 2016 for Sri Lanka and shifted her focus to creative areas, including paintings, designing, and writing children’s books. In 2018, she created Sri Lanka’s largest hand-painted mural in Colombo. Yasodhara covered the 17-foot wide by 64-foot long wall with a colorful and bright mural that took three months to complete. When asked how much planning went into creating this colorful wall, Yasodhara said she did not
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Professor Malik Peiris is the Chair of Virology in the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in China. He has been involved in multiple WHO and WOAH advisory Committees on COVID-19 and H5 Bird Flu (H5N1). He also served as Vice Chair of the influential WHO overarching Strategic Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards of epidemic and pandemic potential. He is currently working on H5 Bird Flu H5N1 and MERS coronavirus as potential future pandemic threats. In 2018 Professor Malik Peiris received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sri Lanka Foundation International for his groundbreaking research with a particular interest in newly emerging virus diseases at the animal-human interface and because he played a key role in identifying the novel coronavirus that caused SARS in 2003, contributing to its diagnosis and containment.  Since 2018 he has received the following Awards:  –
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Rowan Bandaranaike, M.D., is a dedicated and resilient individual who began his residency in Internal Medicine in Alabama. His journey to this milestone has been marked by perseverance, hard work, and the support of those around him, especially the team at J Med. SLF had the opportunity to speak with Rowan, and he said, “I would like to thank both of my parents Primal and Rashika Bandaranaike. I would not be where I am today without their sacrifices, support, and unconditional love. Through their courage, perseverance, and strength, I learned to follow my dreams and have faith in myself. Thank you for believing in me before I believed in myself. The love and encouragement of my parents have been my compass; they have guided me through every obstacle and achievement.” Rowan also thanked the J Med team and said, “John and his staff were very welcoming when I joined J
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Professor A.G Unil Perera, a Life Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), Society of Photo-Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) is a Regent’s Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Georgia State University (GSU). In 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sri Lanka Foundation International for his research focus on developing novel multi-band, bias, and polarization selection photon detectors covering a wide range from Ultraviolet to Far Infrared (Terahertz). In 2014 Professor Unil was appointed Regents Professor of Physics and reappointed after 3 years and made a Permanent Regents Professor of Physics. In 2021, he was awarded the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society Distinguished Lecturer Award renewed for the second year until 2022.More than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles out of 200+ and 10 (out of 14) US and other International Patents
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On Sunday, January 28, 2024, the Sri Lanka Foundation auditorium buzzed with anticipation and excitement as participants gathered for the “Awaken Your Inner Warrior” workshop. Hosted by the Sri Lanka Foundation Academy of Performing Arts, this event promised a journey into self-discovery, anti-aging techniques, stress release, mindfulness, and breathing exercises, led by the esteemed spiritual instructor Nadil Silva. Nadil Silva, a Sri Lankan native currently residing in Sweden, brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the workshop. With a BSc from the University of Peradeniya and an MSc from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, Nadil’s academic background is as impressive as his practical expertise. He is actively engaged in martial arts and a respected figure in cultural mediation, combining these disciplines to offer a unique and holistic approach to spiritual instruction. The workshop began with a warm welcome from Achala Weerasinghe, the Operational Director of the Sri Lanka Foundation
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SLF had the privilege of speaking with Suriya Perera, the Founder, President, and CEO of the America Sri Lanka Photographic Art Society, Los Angeles (ASPAS). The ASPAS just completed its fourth annual photography exhibition, “The Beauty of Sri Lanka.” Suriya said one of his proudest achievements was showcasing his photography at the UCLA Grand Salon in Kerckhoff Hall on the 20th and 21st of April, with the assistance of the Consulate General, Dr Lalith Chandradasa. The exhibition continued its voyage to Sri Lanka’s permanent representative office to the United Nations in New York on April 25th and 26th, which was organized by Mohan Peiris, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Deputy Permanent Representative Sugeeshwara Gunarathna, who played an important role to landmark this exhibition. The presence of United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis as the chief guest emphasized the event’s international significance. Suriya proudly shared that nearly a
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Award-winning Sri Lankan director Christy Shelton’s “Kunchanada” (කුංචනාද – elephant trumpet) is a tribute to daughter Sarah’s enduring love for the gentle giants of this world by her parents Dr. Lakshman & Mrs. Thusitha Makandura, the producers. The resulting forty-episode masterpiece has been featured on Sirasa TV since the 20th of March, 2023, at 7.30 pm. This teledrama ranks the most in the Sri Lanka Drama Society for TV. You can find it on Sirasa TV’s Youtube Channel here https://www.youtube.com/@SirasaOfficial. Sarah Makandura (MBA) is Co-Owner & Manages MedSpa Deluxe L.A. Clinic in West Covina, one of the largest in Los Angeles. She has been an animal lover since her young days and inspired the story scripted by Christy Shelton Fernando. The tele series grapples with the rough currents of the elephant-human conflict enacted daily on the rural landscapes of Sri Lanka when a young woman returns to Sri Lanka in
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The 85th annual session of the Sri Lanka Shishyopakara Samithiya was held on 11th December 2022 at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Center, Colombo 07, with Dr. Walter Jayasinghe M.D. accompanied by Mrs. Aeshea Jayasinghe in attendance as Chief Guest. Sri Lanka Shishyopakara Samithiya was founded by a group of prominent Buddhist Monks and a group of philanthropists from Galle, the capital city of Southern Sri Lanka, in 1936 with the principal objective of helping students with financial difficulties who enter universities for their higher education. Over the past 85 years in service, Sri Lanka Shishyopakara Samithiya has given away over 3,500 scholarships to deserving students to complete their university education with the funds it raised purely through contributions of their members and other well-wishers. Learning about this excellent social service by Sri Lanka Shishyopakara Samithiya, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, M.D., came forward to assist the organization with a substantial financial
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This book draws upon transcriptions of recordings at a retreat conducted by Venerable Mahathera Madawela Punnaji at the Providence Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (June 16-25, 2006). The book contains daily sutta-based discussions, guided meditation practices, Q & A sessions, participant sharing, and feedback over a nine-day residential retreat for seasoned and beginner meditators to serve as a user’s guide to Samatha practice. Since this meditation practice aims to enter the four levels of deep tranquility and also called Tranquility Meditation. Those who have become adept at tranquility meditation can proceed to the Seven Steps to Awakening which according to the author, is the real “Insight Meditation”. 

The Editor, Dr Mahendra Wijayasinghe, Ph.D. was a close friend and student of Bhante Punnaji. For over three decades, Venerable Punnaji was an annual visitor to his home in Edmonton, Alberta. With the support and generosity of the Sri Lankan community and Canadian Buddhist
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Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, donated to the V2U Organization founded in Canada to support the second project in Mahiyanganaya, to prepare land for raising crops to cultivate a field which Keenathumulle Chuulawansa Thero spearheaded in five different locations. Agriculture is an important part of the Sri Lankan economy, engaging one-third of the working population. However, most farm households have limited knowledge of production methods and also face a financial struggle to access land for cultivation. These obstacles constrain their ability to compete in the market and increase their incomes. In response to these challenges, Sri Lanka Foundation International and V2U Community Organization are partnering on the Supporting Opportunities in Livelihoods Development projects, which trains farm households in the eastern regions of the country on improved agricultural practices. 

 The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation International, USA, Dr Walter Jayasinghe’s vision for this Project is a multi-faceted initiative to rebuild
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