about shiral lakthilaka
The Western Provincial Council election is around the corner and we need to think carefully who we're going to choose. We need to make a wise move. We need to select a group of people who are intelligent, who won't try to build their own bank accounts instead of the country and the economy. We need to make a change for our country and we have to start it with this coming PC election. Think wise be smart..vote for Shiral Lakthilaka.
Shiral Virantha Lakthilaka, who’s a lawyer by profession, was born in Matara
on the 17th of September 1963 to Mr. D.N.Lakthilaka, Divisional Officer,
Agrarian-Services Department and Mrs. Preethi Hema Lakthilaka. He’s the
youngest in a family of four children, his other siblings being three older sisters.
He received his basic education at Rahula College, Matara, where he excelled in
studies as well as athletics and was a member of the Cadet Corps in addition to
being a school prefect. He was able to win Sri Lankan School Athletic Colours
in 1981. He also played football at school level and later was a member of the
Matara District Football squad and played in several front line interclub
football matches in the island.
Shiral completed his school education after getting through the GCE (A/L)
Examination in the field of Biology & opted to study Law in the University of
Colombo and obtained his LLB in 1991. Later in 2003, he also obtained a
Masters’ Degree in International Law and Conflict Studies from the
Universities of Arcadia and Temple in Philadelphia, USA. In the relevant
dissertation, he enunciated the Law regarding the setting up of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and the consequent trade and technology-related conflicts
that would emerge in the Developing World.
In addition, he has obtained the following educational qualifications:
• Diploma in Diplomacy Training with regard to Human Rights and UN
Activities conducted by the University of New South Wales, Australia-
1994.
• Diploma Course on Theory and Practice of Human Rights conducted by
the Law College of Bangalore.
• Certificate Course on Institutional Development and Organizational
Strengthening organized by the South Asia Branch of the Management
for Development Foundation (MDF).
• Certificate Course in Institutional Development and Organizational
Strengthening, organized by the Institute of Federalism, University of
Friebourg, Switzerland during its Autumn/ Spring Semester for the
European Region-2004.
• Training at a workshop on Future Scenario Development-based
Planning, conducted by United Services of India, a development and
research organization coming under the umbrella of the Indian Defence
Establishment.
Shiral, played a pivotal leadership role in the Independent Students’ Union in
his University days & was in the forefront in the struggle to banish ‘ragging’
from University life. He held several elected positions in the Law Faculty
Students’ Union and most likely would have been its President if not for the
closure of the University in that dark era of 1989. He was drawn at that time to
the Marxist stream of political thinking & considers the late student leader,
Daya Pathirana, who was assassinated for his participation in students’ politics,
as the most noteworthy inspiration for his left-wing thinking.
Shiral also played Rugby Football for the University of Colombo and was
awarded colours in that sphere in 1987. He was also a member of the
University Football team.
He holds a strong opinion on the urgent need to utilize conflict resolution
techniques and mechanisms to solve the multi-ethnic and cultural conflict that
is prevalent in Sri Lanka & also plays a major role in the relevant local and
international discussions on the subject. He has expounded this viewpoint at
several international conferences convened for the discussion of the topic while
writing extensively on the subject in the local and foreign media. He is always at
hand to offer a critical presentation of his views on Peace, Democracy and
Development over a variety of Television and Broadcasting channels
Shiral who in 2000, functioned as a Consultant to the Ministry of Industries
and Constitutional Affairs, has undertaken several researches on Industrial
Development in Sri Lanka. The loan scheme which was launched for the
benefit of small and medium-scale industrialists and the “Wasantha Udanaya”
programme, are two of the Projects initiated under his supervision that are
being appreciated even today. The mobile ‘Furniture Stall’ of Moratuwa that
was inaugurated during this period is still popular throughout the country.
Later, he was appointed as Consultant to the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs
at the height of the Peace Process of the UNP Government. One unforgettable
landmark in Shiral’s life was the unrelenting effort that was focused on creating
and molding the Peace Building Project of the Ministry with a view to
strengthen the Peace Process and achieve a just and sustainable peace in the
country through a process of negotiation.
Shiral also intervened in the Peace Process advocating the use of scientific
methods of conflict resolution & worked diligently to help focus world
attention on the Process while representing Sri Lanka at several international
conferences.
He has been functioning as a political analyst and critic since 1994 and has
channelled such opinions through various media to the masses. He has also
held positions at several local and international civil society organisations at
Consultancy/Management level.
The micro-credit and savings scheme initiated by Shiral Lakthilaka during the
period 2001-2007, with a view to alleviate urban poverty and distribute the
resultant dividends among the masses, could be considered as the most
laudatory of the projects undertaken by him during this period.
Shiral with his lengthy experience as a Researcher has published many
important documents, with the most prominent ones, being the Study of Issues
relating to Internal Democracy in the Political Parties in Sri Lanka and an
Objective Study of Buddhist Philosophy and Notions of Western Methodology
of Conflict Resolution.
