Pathfinder Foundation launches Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives with ‘Colombo Dialogue’

A visiting delegation from the Pathfinder Foundation’s Indian Track-2 Partner, Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), 

participate in ‘Colombo Dialogue’ co-chaired by Indian High CommissionerYash Sinha and PF Founder MilindaMoragoda

Indian High Commissioner Y. Sinha and PF Founder Milinda Moragoda

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Y. K. Sinha ceremonially declared open the Pathfinder Foundation’s Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives (CILI) on 8 December at the Head Office of the Pathfinder Foundation (PF), located at Purasarana Building, Colombo 12. Associated with the opening ceremony was Milinda Moragoda, founder of the Pathfinder Foundation. 

Despite historical, cultural and religious relations that shaped the history of the island for over two millennia, lack of understanding on modern day dynamics that play a crucial role in shaping relations between the two countries has been a shortcoming that has not been adequately addressed. 

With the establishment of CILI, PF believes that the newly established Centre could go a long way in addressing that shortcoming.  In order to achieve this objective, CILI expects to have Indian experts based at the Centre on an ongoing basis to work with Sri Lankan experts focusing on political, economic, strategic, cultural, religious and people to people relations between the two countries and make recommendations to both governments.

The inaugural act of CILI aimed at promoting Indo-Lanka relations was to conduct ‘Colombo Dialogue’ with the prestigious Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) based in New Delhi, focusing on the current dynamics of Indo-Lanka relations. On the first day of the ‘Colombo Dialogue’, three broad issues were discussed viz. economic issues including infrastructure development, bilateral political relations and strategic and security issues. 

Moragoda initiated the relationship between PF and VIF in March 2014, which led to signing of a Memorandum of Intent with the Chairman of VIF Ajit Kumar Doval, who was later appointed National Security Advisor of India by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

A six-member delegation representing VIF arrived from New Delhi on Monday to take part in the ‘Colombo Dialogue’. The Indian delegation was headed by current VIF Chairman, former Chief of the Army Staff, General (Retd.) Nirmala Chander Vij. 

Other delegates included former Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Alok Prasad; Lt. General (Retd.) R. K. Sawhney; Former Chief of Research and Analysis Wing C. D. Sahay; Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industries, South Asia Committee and Vice President KEC Int. Ltd. Pankaj Tandon; Regional Director, Int. South and Central Asia Manish Mohan and CEO – Sri Lanka, Dabur Lanka Ltd. Arun Dhawan.

General (Rted.) Nirmala Chander Vij and Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairpersons of VIF and PF, jointly chaired the ‘Colombo Dialogue’.

Sri Lankan participants included Professor Sirimal Abeyratne of Colombo University; Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, Chairman, LIRNEasia; Professor Sisira Pinnawala, University of Peradeniya; Admiral (Rted.) Dr. Jayanath Colombage, former Commander of Sri Lanka Navy and General (Rted.) Daya Ratnayake, former Commander of Sri Lanka Army and Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman, Pathfinder Foundation.

Dr. Valsan Vethody, Advisor, Luxman Siriwardena, Executive Director of Pathfinder Foundation, and Ameera Arooz, Administrator of CILI, were associated with organising the Colombo Dialogue.

A highlight of the program would be a Buddhist-Hindu Dialogue that would take place at the Bellanvila Raja Maha Viharaya, Bellanvila on the second day of the interaction between the two foundations. Several scholarly Buddhist monks led by most Ven. Ittepana Dhammalankara Maha Nayakethera, Ven. Prof. Bellanvila Wimalaratane Anu Nayaka Thera, Prof. C. Pathmanathan, Chancellor, Jaffna University and several others. 

The dialogue is expected to cover commonalities between Buddhism and Hinduism as well as challenges faced by both religions in the current context, and modalities of how to face such challenges. R. A. D. Sirisena, Secretary, Urumayaka Ulpatha and K. Balasundaram, Board member PF organised the event.

This is the second meeting between representatives of the two foundations. In December 2014, a delegation of PF visited New Delhi for a similar exchange of views with VIF. Meanwhile, PF has forged a relationship with a ‘Quad Plus’, a grouping established in 2013, involving the US based Heritage Foundation. Vivekananda Foundation, the Tokyo Foundation, and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, aimed at a quadrilateral strategic dialogue, to which the Philippines and Indonesia were later added. ‘Quad Plus’ is due to meet in Jaipur, India in February 2016.