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Factum Perspectives: Reframing Sri Lanka’s Energy Transition Through Resilience: Energy Security After the Shock

Climate and environmentJuly 5, 2026193Views 1Like 0Comments

By Verangika Upananda The World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2026 (ETI) was published a few weeks ago. ETI is a benchmark that measures how well countries are progressing toward a more secure, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy system, while also assessing whether the conditions are in place for future progress. In simple terms, it…

Factum Perspectives: Parasocial Interaction (PSI), Digital Nationalism, and Facebook Discourse Following the Arrest of Sri Lanka’s Ex-Intel Chief

Science and TechnologyJune 28, 2026276Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dulanjaya Mahagamage 1. Introduction In 1956, sociologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl introduced the term "parasocial interaction (PSI)" to describe the one-sided, mediated intimacy that television viewers develop with on-screen performers. This creates an illusion of a face-to-face relationship that exists solely in the audience's imagination. Horton and Wohl argued that television…

Factum Perspectives: What The 2026 El-Niño Means for Sri Lanka

Climate and environmentJune 21, 20262KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Dulmi Thimansa Sri Lanka is still grappling with one of its worst economic crises in years and the focus is on fiscal reforms, debt restructuring and economic stabilisation. But lurking silently in the background is yet another challenge. Climate monitoring centers globally have signalled that El Niño conditions are likely to form in the second half of 2026, which…

A Policy Study On Sri Lanka’s Energy Transition, Geopolitics, and Energy Futures

PublicationsJune 16, 2026170Views 0Likes 0Comments

Full Report Download The report by Factum's Research Specialist Verangika Upananda outlines a structural framework for Sri Lanka's sustainable energy transition, grid modernization, and national energy independence. It evaluates the country's current electricity generation mix and proposes technological and institutional frameworks to address pressing financial constraints and regional geopolitical challenges.

Factum Perspectives: Is Global Governance Failing?

International Development, Peace and ConflictJune 14, 2026250Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dr. Jayathry Gunaratne The concept ‘global governance’, or “the sum of many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs, which is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and cooperative action may be taken" as defined by the Commission on Global Governance (1995) is…

Factum Perspectives: The Narrowing Path for Sri Lanka amid Global Power Play

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJune 7, 2026554Views 1Like 0Comments

By Tarun Perera The current distribution of power in the international system is best described as unbalanced multipolarity, also known as polycentricity. Several great powers coexist alongside regional hegemons, joined by middle powers exhibiting varying degrees of revisionist tendencies expressed through either unilateral power balancing or multilateral coalition building, in groupings such as BRICS and…

Factum Perspectives: Data Centers, Climate Change, and Sri Lanka’s Digital Infrastructure Crossroads

Climate and environment, Science and TechnologyMay 31, 2026472Views 0Likes 0Comments

This article is the first in a multi-part series, by Factum, exploring the shifting landscape of global digital infrastructure and climate change. By Dulanjaya Mahagamage The global data center industry has experienced such a rapid and profound transformation that it has surpassed both regulatory frameworks and public understanding. Historically, digital infrastructure was viewed…

Factum Perspectives: Sri Lanka’s Tax Reform Landscape 2026: A Critical Assessment

Health and Economic CooperationMay 24, 20263KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Sri Lanka’s Tax Reform Landscape 2026: A Critical Assessment of the April 29 VAT Amendment Bill, VAT and SSCL Distinctions, and the Economic and Social Repercussions By Senior Professor Prasanna Perera Department of Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Context This article critically examines Sri Lanka’s sweeping 2026 tax reform package, focusing specifically on the…

Factum Perspectives: Sri Lanka’s Mass Graves and the Case of Chemmani

Peace and ConflictMay 17, 2026496Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Divya Mascranghe A National Crisis Sri Lanka’s landscape is scattered with mass graves; a largely ignored national crisis that transcends communal lines affecting citizens of all ethnic backgrounds. Mass graves were first reported in post-independent Sri Lanka in 1971 following the People’s Liberation Front (or the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, JVP) uprising and thereafter in 1987 – 1990. Many of the victims of this insurrection…

Factum Perspectives: Fire, Smoke, and the Price of Everything: How the Middle East Ceasefire Lands in Colombo

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMay 10, 2026423Views 1Like 0Comments

By Aakil Riyaz A Ceasefire Written in the Sand On 8th April 2026, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan. Both sides, however, presented narratives far removed from what had really taken place. Iran claimed that it had forced the United States to the table, while Washington insisted that…

Biased by Design? Chatbots and misinformationin Sri Lanka’s 2025 local elections.

PublicationsMay 7, 2026223Views 0Likes 0Comments

Executive Summary As Large Language Models (LLMs) become more integrated into everyday digital tools, countries around the world are grappling with both their potential and their risks. With the return of local elections in Sri Lanka after nearly seven years, and a new generation of voters increasingly turning to AI-powered chatbots and search engines…

Democracy in Disguise: Inauthentic Online Influence on the 2025 Sri Lanka’s Local Government Elections

PublicationsMay 7, 2026263Views 0Likes 0Comments

Executive Summary Over the past year, DRI has monitored the rise of inauthentic political activity on TikTok during key electoral moments across Europe, identifying accounts that support parties and candidates to artificially boost their visibility and engagement, often in violation of the platform’s own rules. This research has uncovered the presence of murky accounts across…